FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT, YR B
2 Chr 36:14-16, 19-23; Ps 137;
Eph. 5:8-14; Jn 3:14-21
THIS IS HOW GOD LOVED US
Today’s Gospel reading, taken from the Gospel of John, is a well-known passage and should be familiar to most Christians, if not all. This passage should hold great meaning to a believer than any other text.
Some say it is the message of the entire Bible: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him may not perish but have everlasting life” (Jn 3:16). However, this is just a part of our Gospel reading for today which is taken from John 3:14-21.
John 3:16 should be seen in the context of the passage presented to us today. The passage begins from Jn 3:14 “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” This is in reference to the story of Moses and the bronze serpent, recorded in Numbers 21:4-9. It is in this context that the famous Jn 3:16 should be read.
In making this reference, Jesus knew that his listeners who were Jews would remember the story.
In Numbers 21, the people complained and rejected the food; the manna, that the Lord gave them. This action should remind us of what happened in the Garden of Eden, where man deceived by the serpent, rejected what God had provided and therefore ate of the Tree of Knowledge, which leads to death. It is the same thing the Israelites went through in the desert, rejecting the food God provided and complaining. For this reason, God sent seraph serpents to attack them as a form of punishment.
The only way the Israelites could be saved was for Moses to make a bronze serpent and mount it in the camp, so that anyone who looks at it will live. Through the actions of Moses, as God had commanded, a creature that brought death was now being used as an instrument to restore life.
In the same way, whatever is causing you anxiety and fear, God will turn that around to give you courage, serenity and joy. That is how God works. All we have to do is return to him.
Jesus makes a typological connection to indicate the nature of his saving action. He uses the image of the snake which is a sign of evil and an instrument of the Devil, to show how he will save us. He will take sin and death, the weapon of the devil, upon himself and nail it to the cross. He does this to free us from the claws of Satan. By his death on the cross, he will save us from our greatest burdens and fears.
What are you afraid of ? what causes you to lose sleep? Jesus has nailed it all on the cross. Lift up your eyes and see the victory Jesus brings you on the cross.
It is in this context that Jn 3:16 should be read. This verse should never be read in isolation. It is not meant to be a verse on its own. It should be read as, “For God loved the world in this way, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”.
Jesus dying on the cross (i.e. in reference to OT Num. 21) is the love of God for us.
God loves us so much that he gave us his son, Jesus, to become sin for our sake. Jesus took the place of our death.
This is how much God loves us. His love is unique and unchanging.
Sometimes our anxieties and problems overwhelm us, but through it all, God loves us. If God could give up his son for us, there is nothing he cannot do for us.
WHY HE LOVES US
He loves us in this way, in order to save us from sin and also from the punishment that comes from rejecting his Law, which is death. He wants to save us from the restlessness of our hearts and grant us true peace and contentment.
WHAT MUST WE DO?
We must believe in His love for us. We must believe that Jesus came to save us from our sins. We must believe that Jesus will save us from all the anxieties of this life.
The uniqueness of this love is that it is personal.
If you were the only person in the world, God would still love you and Jesus would still die on the cross for you. We must not be afraid to confess our sins because we know he will forgive us.
Remind yourself every day that “God loves me”.
Share this good news of God’s love with others. Share the news of God’s saving love to others. Let all know that Jesus died for them and that when they return to the Lord, He will embrace them.
Whenever you are tossed around by life’s troubles, never lose faith. Look at the cross and tell yourself “God loves me and I shall win”. It would be great to keep a crucifix around you, to remind you always of this love of God and your response to His great love.
God loves you.
BY Fr. Delight Arnold Carbonu
