The Fourth Sunday of Lent, March 14, 2021

John 3:14–21

Jesus said to Nicodemus: “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”  For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God. 

On his first visit to Jerusalem during his public life, the Lord Jesus had shown his ownership of the Temple, by right of his Father, in chasing the money changers and animal sellers out of it, and then of defending his actions to the Jewish leadership, who left him alone afterwards.  St. John tells us that the Lord then performed “many signs” — miracles of healing.  And then, while the Lord remained in the area, perhaps staying in one of the towns nearby Jerusalem, as he did later, he was approached by one of the Pharisees, Nicodemus.  John tells us that he came to him “at night”, meaning that he came privately and secretly so that his visit might not become known to the other Pharisees.  It would seem from this that already the leadership at Jerusalem had come out against the Lord.  Yet Nicodemus said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no man can do these signs which you do, unless God be with him” (John 3, 2).  This is precisely the point the Lord will try to make again and again to those who doubted and persecuted him: “Believe the works” (John 10, 38).  But Nicodemus was a true searcher for truth and for the will of God, and when he saw the Lord healing the sick, he knew that he had “come from God”.  

Because of his eagerness to learn the truth, the Lord teaches him: “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”  Here is no abstract philosophy, no esoteric knowledge, but the plain truth put in terms that a Jewish teacher could understand.  The episode of the serpent to which Jesus refers is found in Numbers 21, 4-9.  The Hebrews were weary and hungry.  They complained to Moses that he had led them out of Egypt only to die in the wilderness.  Because of their lack of faith despite the signs God worked through Moses, God sent serpents into the Hebrew camp, which resulted in much loss of life.  When the people repented, God told Moses to make a bronze serpent and to mount it on a pole.  The people who looked upon this recovered from the bites of the serpents, and then the serpents departed.  The Lord compares himself to the bronze serpent in that those who look upon him with repentance and faith will be “cured” from the poison of their sins.  

The story of the bronze serpent stands out among the events of the exodus for God’s commanding the construction of a graven image, and then for ordering the people to look upon it in order to recover.  This would seem to approach idolatry.  God could have simply healed everyone in one instant and sent the serpents away, but he has a sign constructed through which the people would be saved.  The sign is itself a reminder of their own sinfulness, and it was frightening to look at as well as very necessary.  The Lord Jesus speaks of himself, “the Son of Man”, whose glory is prophesied by the Prophet Daniel, being lifted up before the people.  It would be a terrifying thing to see, both to know who this was, and that the sins of the world were graphically displayed in the horror of this innocent man’s cruel agony.  But looking upon him in his agony would save the one possessing heartfelt repentance, and faith that God is true to his promises.  And this time, there is no sign, but the reality: the fulfillment of the sign long ago.  Nicodemus was present at the crucifixion and assisted Joseph of Arimathea in taking the Lord’s Body down from the Cross and putting it in the tomb.  He had looked upon the Son of God hanging on the Cross.  We celebrate his feast day as a saint on August 31.