JOHN 3:14-21
I'M SURE THOSE OF US WHO
WATCH SPORTING EVENTS HAVE SEEN SIGNS HELD UP IN THE CROWD WITH JOHN
3:16 ON THEM. THAT REFERS TO THE BIBLE VERSE WE HEAR TODAY. IT IS A
VERSE THAT MOST PEOPLE COULD QUOTE IF GIVEN THE FIRST FEW WORDS, “GOD
SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, SO THAT
WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHALL NOT PERISH, BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.”
AND IT'S A WONDERFUL SENTIMENT; IT SEEMS TO IMPLY THAT GOD REALLY,
REALLY LOVES THE WORLD. BUT IF YOU READ THE WHOLE GOSPEL TODAY AND
THINK ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT, I THINK THERE MAY BE A MORE PROFOUND
MEANING HERE.
FIRST, JESUS REFERS TO AN
EVENT THAT TOOK PLACE WHEN THE JEWS WERE WANDERING IN THE DESERT.
GOD HAD JUST HELPED THEM CONQUER AN ENEMY, AND NOW THEY WERE
COMPLAINING ABOUT THE FOOD GOD WAS PROVIDING THEM. GOD SENT SERPENTS
AMONG THEM, AND MANY DIED. THE ISRAELITES REPENTED OF THEIR SINS AND
ASKED MOSES TO INTERCEDE. GOD TOLD MOSES TO MAKE A BRONZE SERPENT
AND MOUNT IT ON A POLE, AND PEOPLE WHO WERE BITTEN COULD LOOK UPON IT
AND BE HEALED.
I THINK IT'S INTERESTING
THAT GOD USED SUCH A ROUNDABOUT WAY TO HEAL THOSE WHO WERE BITTEN. A
PERSON WHO WANTED TO BE HEALED HAD TO DO SOMETHING – HE HAD TO LOOK
AT THE DEVICE MOSES MADE. I WONDER IF THERE WERE SOME ISRAELITES WHO
CHOSE NOT TO DO THIS – EVEN AT THE RISK OF LOSING THEIR LIVES.
NOW JESUS REFERS TO THIS
EVENT, AND GOES ON TO SAY, IN A BETTER TRANSLATION, GOD LOVED THE
WORLD IN THIS WAY. JESUS COMES INTO THE WORLD LIKE THE BRONZE
SERPENT. YOU CAN BE SAVED IF YOU BELIEVE IN HIM. BUT YOU NEED NOT
BELIEVE. GOD SENT HIS SON SO THAT SALVATION WOULD BE AVAILABLE, BUT
ALWAYS LEAVES US WITH OUR FREEDOM, AND JESUS GOES ON TO SAY THAT
DESPITE GOD'S INTERVENTION, PEOPLE WILL CONTINUE TO CONDEMN
THEMSELVES, BECAUSE THERE WILL ALWAYS BE PEOPLE WHO PREFER DARKNESS
TO LIGHT.
JESUS' STATEMENT SEEMS TO
DIVIDE THE WORLD INTO TWO CAMPS, THOSE WHO PREFER THE DARKNESS AND
THOSE WHO PREFER THE LIGHT. BUT IT ISN'T THAT SIMPLE. THE POINT IS
THAT ALL OF US, EVERY MOMENT OF OUR LIVES, IS CALLED TO CHOOSE
BETWEEN DARKNESS AND LIGHT. OR PERHAPS MORE CONCRETELY, WE MUST
CHOOSE BETWEEN WHAT WE SHOULD DO AND WHAT WE WANT TO DO. I HAVE
MOMENTS LIKE THAT EVERY DAY, AND I'M SURE YOU DO AS WELL. USUALLY
IT'S SOMETHING SMALL AND NO-ACCOUNT. I MAY HAVE A TASK TO DO BUT
IT'S LATE IN THE EVENING AND I CAN GET TO IT TOMORROW, AND IT'S
EASIER TO JUST VEG OUT IN FRONT OF THE TV SET. WHO CAN LAME ME? I
WORK HARD, I DESERVE A BREAK. I MAY DECIDE TO HAVE THAT EXTRA
HELPING OF PIE AFTER SUPPER, EVEN THOUGH I KNOW I SHOULD BE WATCHING
MY WEIGHT. WE MAKE DECISIONS LIKE THIS ALL DAY LONG – BETWEEN WHAT
WE SHOULD DO AND WHAT WE WANT TO DO. AND WHEN I CHOOSE WHAT I WANT
TO DO OVER WHAT I SHOULD DO, IT IS SELDOM ANY BIG DEAL BY ITSELF.
BUT THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES. BY CONTINUING TO PUT OUR WANTS OVER OUR
SHOULDS, WE FORM HABITS, AND PRETTY SOON WE ARE PREFERRING THE
DARKNESS TO THE LIGHT. AND THIS CAN SNEAK UP ON US, SO THAT WHEN
THINGS REALLY WE CHOOSE WRONGLY, AND PERHAPS THINK NOTHING OF IT.
JESUS BRINGS LIGHT. HE
IS THE MEASURE BY WHICH WE CAN JUDGE OUR CHOICES. HOW DO OUR
THOUGHTS AND ACTIONS STACK UP AGAINST THE CROSS?
BEING A CHRISTIAN IS NOT
EASY, IT TAKES WORK, AND CONSTANT VIGILANCE. WE SOMETIMES THINK IF
WE GO TO CHURCH ON SUNDAYS AND LIVE A DECENT LIFE WE DON'T HAVE TO
WORRY. BUT JESUS IS ALWAYS CALLING US TO CHOOSE; HE TELLS US TO BE
PERFECT AS HIS FATHER IS PERFECT; HE REMINDS US THAT JUST CRYING OUT
“LORD, LORD,” IS NEVER ENOUGH.
THERE IS A WONDERFUL
IMAGE IN THE STORY BY C.S. LEWIS CALLED “THE GREAT DIVORCE”. THE
CENTRAL CHARACTER FINDS HIMSELF IN A FEATURELESS TOWN, WHERE EVERYONE
HAS A PLACE TO LIVE, BUT IT IS JOYLESS AND CRAMPED. THERE IS NOTHING
TO SEE, AND NOTHING TO DO. EVERY NOW AND THEN A BUS COMES TO THAT
TOWN AND SOME PEOPLE GET ON IT. THE AUTHOR OF THE STORY CHOOSES TO
DO SO. AS HE RIDES ALONG HE HEARS THE STORIES OF THE OTHER
PASSENGERS; ALL OF THEM HAVING NOT REALLY MEASURED UP DURING THEIR
LIVES, AND HE REALIZES HE IS DEAD. FINALLY THE BUS COMES TO THE END
OF THE LINE. AS THE PASSENGERS GET OFF, THERE ARE TWO POSSIBILITIES;
ONE IS TO GO DOWN INTO THE GROUND ON A WIDE AND COMFORTABLE ROAD,
WHERE THERE IS MUSIC AND SOUNDS OF PARTYING GOING ON. YOU CAN SMELL
FIND FOODS AND HEAR THE CLINKING OF GLASSES. MOST OF THE PASSENGERS
CHOOSE THAT DIRECTION. THE OTHER ROAD IS NARROW, SWITCHING BACK AND
FORTH UP THE MOUNTAIN, SOMETIMES BEING ALMOST NON-EXISTENT. IN THE
DISTANCE ON THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN YOU CAN SEE A CROSS, PARTLY
COVERED BY STORM CLOUDS, AND OTHERWISE LOOKING FAIRLY UNINVITING.
THE AUTHOR JOINS A FEW OTHERS AS THEY BEGIN THE TRECK UP THE
MOUNTAIN.
JESUS, HAVING GIVEN HIS
LIFE UP FOR US ON THE CROSS, IS NOT A PARTICULARLY INVITING SIGHT.
OUR CRUCIFIXES ARE WHITEWASHED, AND THERE IS SORT OF A BEAUTY TO
THEM. BUT IF YOU IMAGINE IN YOUR MIND HOW IT MUST HAVE REALLY BEEN –
A NAKED MAN WITH NAILS THROUGH HIS ARMS AND LEGS, WRITHING IN PAIN,
NOT BEING ABLE TO FIND A POSITION WHICH WOULD REDUCE THE DISCOMFORT,
GETTING MORE AND MORE SHORT OF BREATH, GASPING FOR AIR, CRYING OUT IN
PAIN – CHRISTIANS IN THE EARLY YEARS NEVER DEPICTED JESUS ON A
CROSS. THE MEMORY WAS TOO CLOSE, AND IN THOSE DAYS THEY SAW ENOUGH
OF CRUCIFIXIONS.
BUT A CHRISTIAN MUST
CONFRONT THE CROSS. JESUS CALLS US TO CHOOSE – TO CHOOSE DARKNESS,
TO CLOSE OURSELVES OFF, TO REJECT THIS ADMITTEDLY HORRIBLE SIGHT; OR
TO CHOOSE LIGHT, TO STRUGGLE UP THE MOUNTAIN, TO MEASURE EVERYTHING
IN OUR LIVES BY THE CROSS. JESUS CAME TO SAVE, NOT TO CONDEMN. BUT
HE LEAVES US THE CHOICE WHETHER TO LOOK UPON HIS SUFFERING AND DEATH,
OR WHETHER TO TURN AWAY.
GOD LOVED THE WORLD IN
THAT MANNER, THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON SO THAT WHOEVER
BELIEVES IN HIM WILL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.
