Year B
4th Sunday in Lent
March 15, 2015
Title: John 3:16 Reconsidered
youtube.com/watch?v=KwG0bXhegrw
Going deeper
John 3: 14-21
John 3:1-21 is the discourse of
Jesus with Nicodemus in Jerusalem, the first of the discourses in this gospel.
14 And
just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, [Numbers 21:4-9, where the reason was to
bring healing to the people who had recently received a bite from snakes]
One way to
start viewing the John passage in its
larger context is to imagine there is a hyperlink in verse 14 that jumps you
back to Numbers 21:4-9. We are going to jump to that story for a moment, but
unlike the usual Internet reading practice, we are going to return to the text
we started with, and thanks to Numbers, we will have a better understanding of
what Jesus was getting at in John
3:16.
The Numbers
story finds the people of Israel
in the wilderness between Egypt
and Canaan , after the exodus. Their route
requires them to skirt the land
of Edom Moses before:
“Our
slavery in Egypt
Then, in a rant, that does not even make sense, they add,
“We’ve
got no food and water, and this food we have is miserable!”
They complained not only against Moses, but also against
God. It is at least the fourth occasion, and in each preceding time, God
addressed their complaints in some way. Nevertheless, here they are at it
again.
At
this point, Numbers becomes a story about serpents. I suppose I have a fear of
snakes. I do not like to admit it, but I do. Snakes can be beautiful, but I
prefer furry animals to snakes. Of course, the intertwined snakes that form the
symbol of healing in the American Medical Association ought to remind us that
healing often involves pain and salve. This time, according to the Numbers 21
account, God sent poisonous serpents among them, who bit them, and many of the
people died. This brought the rest quickly back to Moses
with the admission that they had sinned against him and against God, and they
pleaded with Moses to intervene with
God on their behalf. When Moses did
so, God told him to fashion a serpent out of bronze and place it on a pole.
This snake on a staff came from God. God instructed that anyone whom a living
serpent bit should look at the bronze one on the pole. When they did so, they
would recover and live.
so must [that is, by divine necessity, the plan of
God] the Son of Man be lifted up,[in
offering his life as a sacrifice, making possible a new reality for others] 15 that whoever believes in him
may have eternal life. [This entire passage discusses begetting, birth from
above, all of which are possible through the death, resurrection, and ascension
of Jesus. As Pannenberg points out, John can call the crucifixion the
exaltation of the Son only in the light of the resurrection and the return to
the Father.[1]
The certainty of his work of salvation is founded on God’s plan, the goal of
which is the giving of life to believers. In a discussion of the metaphorical
language involved in the resurrection of Jesus, Pannenberg stresses that it
refers to a real event. The new eschatological life, eternal life, is life in
the full sense of the term, in comparison with each earthly life is such only
with reservation.[2]]
16 “For
God so loved the world that he gave his only [and beloved, the only-begotten and uniquely loved Son, intimately
united to the Father and supremely loved] Son,
so that everyone who believes
in him may not perish.[snatching
people from destruction] but may have
eternal life. In the classical doctrine of the Trinity a careful
distinction to make is that between the processions and the sending, whether of
the Son, as here, or the Spirit.[3]
Pannenberg will point out that rarely does the New Testament look at Jesus as
judge. In fact, this passage states that Jesus came into the world to save it,
not condemn it. Jesus will not personally condemn anyone, because he has come
into the world to save it. Yet, his word and person are the standard by which
the future judgment takes place.[4]
The background of this passage may well be the near-sacrifice of Isaac by
Abraham in Genesis 22:2, 12. John has distilled the gospel into a simple
statement. The complexity of the heavenly and earthly identity of the Son
combines with the simplicity and power of divine love. He has summed up the
Christian message of redemption. The plan of the cross has its root in the
immeasurable love of God for the world. The Son is the most cherished gift God
had to give. John makes known the greatness of the act of God in the
Incarnation and in the mission of bridging the chasm between God and
world. God has revealed this love in the
historical mission of the Son, to the extent of the cross. The purpose of this
giving of the Son is life for others. God bridges the gap caused by human
alienation and sin, bringing reconciliation.
In discussions of the Trinity in
the early church, the East followed the terminology of John closely,
distinguishing between the “generation” of the Son here and the “procession” of
the Spirit in John 15:26.[5]
In a discussion of the divine essence and existence, Pannenberg finds here that
the Son reveals the existence of the Father, and by the sending of the Son, the
Father reveals the divine essence, that is, divine love.[6]
The sending of the Son into the world, that we might live through him, declares
the love of God for us.[7]
As Pannenberg interprets the infinity and holiness of God, he sees the sending
of the Son to save the world aiming at the bringing of the world into the
sphere of the divine holiness.[8]
In contrast to Barth, Pannenberg will stress that the creation of the world is
an expression of the love of God. The love with which God loved the world in
the sending of the Son does not differ in kind from the fatherly love the
Creator for the creatures God made.[9]
The notion of sending here refers to the passion and death of Jesus, not to his
birth.[10]
As Pannenberg sees it, the whole earthly path of the Son was from the outset a
path to the crucifixion of Jesus according to the providence of God, which we
can see here, even if it simply says that God “gave” the Son out of love for
the world so that those who believe should have eternal life. Bultmann would
limit the giving here to “gave up to death,” but he thinks we can take it more
broadly as a reference to the sending of the Son to the cosmos, though with the
special nuance that God “gifted” the Son to the world.[11]
but may have eternal life. 17 “Indeed,
God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that
the world might be saved through him. When we combine verses 16-17,
Pannenberg wants to stress that the saving work of the Son was the purpose of
the Father sending the Son.[12]
He will stress that the sending of the Son for incarnation in the one man Jesus
had concern for others as well. God sent the Son into the world to save it.
Thus, the goal of the sending of the Son is one we find in others.[13]
We should also note that such notions of sending presuppose the pre-existence
of the Son.[14]
18 Those
who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are
condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son
of God. We have here an example of realized eschatology, for judgment
reserved for the future is already present. Pannenberg points out that the work
of the Spirit and that of the exalted Lord are largely parallel and seem
interchangeable in content, comparing convincing the cosmos of sin in verses
18-20 and 16:8-11.[15] God's desire is to save, not judge. Unbelief brings self-condemnation. In spite of the unbelief Jesus met with,
Jesus in this gospel is always urging people to believe. Though there is present judgment, this does
not rule out a future one. However, note
that judgment is not God's intent. Thus,
unbelief becomes self-condemnation. By taking this decision, humanity deprives
itself of the last possibility of escaping from the realm of death. However,
the Johannine theology can help to avoid too naïve ideas of the last judgment.
It is nothing but the divine acknowledgment of the condition brought about by
human decision, and the merciless disclosure of an existence long since vowed
to destruction, already a victim of death.
In these final verses, John uses
the metaphor of light and darkness to express realities concerning the
revelation of God. 19And this is the judgment, that
the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light
because their deeds were evil. Thus, the reason for judgment is that
people prefer darkness. We have personal responsibility. God has done
everything possible to save people from judgment. 20 For
all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their
deeds may not be exposed. Jesus is the light. People who reject the
messenger from God are foreign to God. The light of revelation falls upon them.
Their deeds or unbelief unmasks them for what they are. Their hatred comes from
a general attitude of corruptness. 21 But those who do what is true
come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been
done in God.” People
prefer to remain blind to the truth. People would rather kill truth tellers
than listen to what they have to say.
Introduction – Have John 3:16 on screen
One of the themes during the season
of Lent is the emphasis upon the Father giving the Son so that humanity might
have life. We find this focus supremely in John 3:16.
You have seen it on signs at NFL
games. On T-shirts. Even on quarterback Tim Tebow's eyeblack. John 3:16. The
most famous verse in the Bible, one that many people call "the gospel in a
nutshell." In a nighttime meeting with a Pharisee named Nicodemus, Jesus
says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone
who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life." Author Max
Lucado calls this verse "an alphabet of grace, a table of contents to the
Christian hope, each word a safe-deposit box of jewels."
Precious stuff, no doubt about it.
So why are we putting such treasures
on the bottom of bright yellow shopping bags?
At the low-cost,
"fast-fashion" clothing store called Forever 21, teenage girls fill
yellow bags with the latest fashions. Discreetly printed on the bottom of those
bags is John 3:16. No Scripture verse, just the reference. According to Forever
21, the inscription is "a demonstration of the owners' faith." David
Rupert is intrigued by these bags. On a website called The High Calling, he
admits that most teenage girls will never notice the verse as they fill the
bags with skimpy clothes. He wonders if the Scripture reference really makes a
difference to anyone. He likes the fact that customers have to discover it,
however -- it is not in anyone's face.
Forever 21 is not alone. A number
of companies with Christian-based values are trying to attach the gospel
message to their products. The California hamburger chain called In-N-Out
prints John 3:16 on its drink cups.
I have respect for the companies
who do such creative witnessing. Of course, one might ask: "Do they
work?" Further, what do we mean by work? Do they help people become
followers of Jesus Christ to transform the world, which is the mission of the
United Methodist Church and the mission of Cross~Wind? Perhaps, most would
answer: "We leave the results with God." In any case, we would like
to think that these citations cause people to open their Bibles and read the
verses. Alternatively, is their impact completely fleeting? A moment of
recognition, followed by business-as-usual? In most cases, these verses are
going to catch a customer's eye for just a second before being crumpled up and
thrown in the trash.
Are they really nothing more than
IN-N-OUT Scripture?
Something more is needed
Reading a Bible verse is not going
to do it.
The New York Times, known for its
bulky issues and involved analysis, has included a two-page summary of the
articles contained in the paper. Management explained that they made this
change to address two complaints they were hearing. One was from readers who
said they did not have enough time to read the fuller articles. The other was
from readers who said that because there was so much in each issue, they often
overlooked the articles about which they really cared.
One
observer, however, says the change is also evidence of a larger trend in our
world, one that may not be for the good. Writing in The Atlantic, Nicholas Carr, who watches technology, business and
culture, said that what drove the new feature was how the Internet is rewiring
not only our reading habits, but also the circuits in our brain that have to do
with cognition. For him, the Internet not only supplies stuff to think about
but also shapes the very process of thought. Carr
notes that a recent study by scholars from University College London shows that
as people view material online, they usually skim rather than read deeply. They
hop from one source to another and rarely return to any one they have already
visited. Generally, they read no more than one or two pages of an article or
book before they leap to another site. Users of the Internet “power browse”
from place to place. They avoid what we traditionally describe as reading. Carr
quotes Maryanne Wolf, a developmental psychologist at Tufts University
His central
conclusion is that sustained, undistracted reading of a book opens up quiet
spaces of contemplation in our lives. We make our associations, draw our own
inferences and analogies, and receive our own insights. As Maryanne Wolf noted,
deep reading is indistinguishable from deep thinking.
Well, there
is more to the article. However, to summarize (!): The New York Times has taken
to summarizing articles possibly because 1) they are afraid people just do not
want to read so much anymore, and 2) it is possible that the Internet is
responsible for the decline in deep reading.
Quite
honestly, I am skeptical that a piece of technology can do as much as Mr. Carr
suggests. However, he did make me wonder about our reading of the Bible. We
need to learn to read the Bible in a way that leads to openness and willingness
for the Bible to surprise us. I want to focus our attention upon John 3:16.
Yet, when something is as familiar and known as is this passage, we may
experience the temptation to tell ourselves that we already know it, and move
on. We may forget that a passage is worthy of some deep reading, quiet space,
and contemplation. In some ways, John 3:16 is like the Mona Lisa of the
Christian message. [Hold up the Bible.] We cannot memorize this entire book.
[Open to the Gospel of John.] Few of us could memorize this entire Gospel.
However, we can memorize this verse. In fact, I hope you will memorize it, and
then, engage in some deep reading and thinking. That will require us to pause
and reflect upon the beauty of its message.
Video
I have a video to share with you. It can be a way to lead us
to a deep reading of John 3:16. As I have reflected upon this, a deep reading
of the Bible is a form of prayer. Please watch this youtube video
youtube.com/watch?v=KwG0bXhegrw in a prayerful way.
Application
This passage
refers to eternal life, a metaphor John uses for living now in the unending
presence of God. In what ways might John 3:16 summarize the Christian message?
First,
eternal life brings initial joy.
Some people
experience this as a one-time, bursting experience of newness, like a
conversion experience. William James, psychologist and philosopher from around
the 1900’s, wrote a wonderful book called Varieties
of Religious Experience, and used the example of a shed roof in a
snowstorm. Snow builds up until the stress on the roof reaches the final point
beyond which it will not remain intact. Then one flake of snow, almost
imperceptible in and of itself, acts as the final weight and the roof
collapses. Therefore, in conversion, any life experience may be that last
snowflake. Perhaps it is an illness, or a sunrise, or an inspiring worship
experience, or an addiction which has finally become too much. Then the Holy
Spirit breaks in. For other people it may be more subtle, a slowly developing
realization that Christ is real, that God does
indeed work within us to heal and give life. Then in a moment of realization,
one accepts Christ .
Second,
eternal life brings stability in life.
We live in a world of suffering and
struggle, as well as laughter and goodness. Life has its high points and its
low points. Sometimes, I may wander way off course. Yet, what is stable in the
love God has for this world. Such awareness can help us, as people who must
live in this world in which we encounter so much darkness, to embrace this
world with love. Receiving the assurance of the love of God for this world can
help us, when it is most difficult, to have the faith and courage to embrace
this world with love.
Third,
eternal life means something after death.
God’s many mansions wait. On
Easter, we shall look further at this promise. For now, this passage assures us
that death is only the entryway into a land of love. A rather long poem by
Wordsworth, Ode 536, called “Intimations of Immortality, is well worth
meditating upon, at least for those of us who like poetry. One memorable phrase
is this: “Trailing clouds of glory do we come from God who is our home.” To die
is to go home.
Conclusion
I trust
that you have had the joy of feeling the warm embrace of the love of God, the
assurance of that love regardless of circumstances, and the confidence of
eternal life with God.
[1] Systematic Theology Volume 2, 365.
[2] Systematic Theology Volume 2, 347.
[3]
Pannenberg, Systematic Theology Volume
1, 305.
[4] Systematic Theology Volume 3, 614.
[5]
Pannenberg, Systematic Theology Volume
1, 305.
[6] Systematic Theology Volume 1, 358.
[7] Systematic Theology Volume 3, 183.
[8] Systematic Theology Volume 1, 399.
[9] Systematic Theology Volume 2, 144.
[10] Systematic Theology Volume 2, 301.
[11] Systematic Theology Volume 2, 397, 438,
444.
[12] Systematic Theology volume 2, 441.
[13] Systematic Theology Volume 2, 320.
[14] Systematic Theology Volume 2, 369.
[15] Systematic Theology Volume 2, 450.
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