Our Gospel reading immediately follows on the story of Nicodemus’ visit to Jesus by night, and serves as John’s commentary on that encounter.
The First Reading: Numbers 21:4-9
There is
no getting around the strangeness of this story. Life in the wilderness for the
Israelites is hard and they frequently complain. Egypt doesn’t look so bad out
in the desert. Their complaining angers God, who responds with poisonous
serpents. Throughout the ancient world
the serpent held an ambiguous status as symbol of both death and healing. The
caduceus, two serpents entwined on a winged staff remains today as a symbol of
medicine. But why God would order Moses
to construct what amounts to an idol is a mystery.
21:4 From Mount Hor they
set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; but the
people became impatient on the way. 5 The
people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of
Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we
detest this miserable food.” 6 Then
the Lord sent poisonous serpents
among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died. 7 The people came to Moses and said, “We have
sinned by speaking against the Lord
and against you; pray to the Lord
to take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. 8 And the Lord
said to Moses, “Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone
who is bitten shall look at it and live.” 9 So
Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent
bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live.
Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, *
and his mercy endures for ever.
2 Let all those whom the Lord has redeemed proclaim *
that he redeemed them from the hand of the foe.
3 He gathered them out of the lands; *
from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south.
17 Some were fools and took to rebellious ways;
*
they were afflicted because of their sins.
18 They abhorred all manner of food *
and drew near to death’s door.
19 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, *
and he delivered them from their distress.
20 He sent forth his word and healed them *
and saved them from the grave.
21 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his mercy *
and the wonders he does for his children.
22 Let them offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving *
and
tell of his acts with shouts of joy.
The Second Reading: Ephesians 2:1-10
Our
passage (particularly the last two sentences) is a succinct summary of Paul’s
teaching. Grace saves through faith which produces a life of good works. This
is despite the fact that we live in the time of the Fall—when we are “children
of wrath,” dead in our trespasses. But
the good news is “we are what he has made us!”
2:1 You were dead through the
trespasses and sins 2 in which you
once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the
power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are
disobedient. 3 All of us once lived
among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and
senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the
great love with which he loved us 5 even
when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by
grace you have been saved—6 and
raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ
Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to
come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us
in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you
have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift
of God—9 not the result of works,
so that no one may boast. 10 For we
are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God
prepared beforehand to be our way of life.
The Holy Gospel: John 3:14-21
Our Gospel reading immediately
follows on the story of Nicodemus’ visit to Jesus by night, and serves as
John’s commentary on that encounter. It begins with the symbolism of our first
reading. Jesus must be lifted up (a clear reference to the crucifixion) just as
the serpent was. The result will be eternal life, which God desires for all.
The passage then ends with the necessity of belief and the image of light and
darkness so prevalent in John’s Gospel. In
Greek, the word translated “lifted up” can also mean “exalted,” or even
“glorified.” ohn’s Gospel always refers
to the crucifixion in this way, as an exaltation. The phrase “lifted up” will
be used in this way again at 8:28 and 12:32-34.
3:14 Just as Moses lifted up the
serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have
eternal life. 16 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. 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. 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. 19 And this is the
judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness
rather than light because their deeds were evil. 20
For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light,
so that their deeds may not be exposed. 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.
The
Scripture quotations (except for the psalm) are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the
Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ
in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.
All rights reserved. The Collect
of the Day and the Psalm translation are from The Book of Common Prayer. Commentaries
are copyright © 2018, Epiphany ESources, 67 E. Main St., Hornell, NY 14843, www.epiphanyesources.com. All
rights reserved. Permission is given to
copy for group use.
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