AS MOSES LIFTED UP THE SERPENT IN THE WILDERNESS, EVEN SO MUST THE SON OF MAN BE LIFTED UP. THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH, BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD, THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE. FOR GOD SENT NOT HIS SON INTO THE WORLD TO CONDEMN THE WORLD; THAT THE WORLD THROUGH HIM MIGHT BE SAVED. HE THAT BELIEVETH ON HIM IS NOT CONDEMNED: BUT HE THAT BELIEVETH NOT IS CONDEMN ALREADY, BECAUSE HE HAS NOT BELIEVE IN THE NAME OF THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD. AND THIS IS THE CONDEMNATION, THAT LIGHT HAS COME INTO THE WORLD, AND MEN LOVED DARKNESS RATHER THAN LIGHT, BECAUSE THEIR DEEDS WERE EVIL. FOR EVERYONE THAT DOETH EVIL HATETH THE LIGHT, NEITH COMETH TO THE LIGHT, LEST HIS DEEDS SHOULD BE REPROVED. BUT HE THAT DOETH TRUTH COMETH TO THE LIGHT, THAT HIS DEEDS MAY BE MADE MANIFEST, THAT THEY ARE WROUGHT IN GOD. IN THE ABOVE GOSPEL TEXT OF JOHN USUALLY READ AT LENT, BUT MY FRIEND BROTHER FRANK READ ONE SUNDAY TO EXPLAIN THE SALVATION OF GOD TO THE RELIGIOUS LEADER, NICODEMUS, JESUS REFERS TO THE SCRIPTURE PASSAGE QUOTED IN TODAY'S FIRST O.T.READING ( NUMBERS 21: 4-9), THOUGH GOD PROVIDES FOOD AND WATER FOR THE ISRAELITES IN THE WILDERNESS, THEY WHINE AND GRUMBLE. THEY FORGET ABOUT THE SALVATION THEY EXPERIENCED IN THE EXODUS. GOD PUNISHES THEM FOR THEIR SIN, BUT WHEN THEY REPENT GOD ALSO PROVIDES A MEANS OF HEALING: A BRONZE SERPENT LIFTED UPON A POLE. THEY JOURNEYED FRO FROM MOUNT HOR BY THE WAY OF THE RED SEA, TO COMPASS THE LAND OF EDOM: AND THE SOUL OF THE PEOPLE WAS MUCH DISCOURAGED BECAUSE OF THE WAY. AND THE PEOPLE SPAKE AGAINST GOD, AND AGAINST MOSES. WHEREFORE HAVE YOU BROUGHT US UP OUT OF EGYPT TO DIE IN THE WILDERNESS? FOR THEIR IS NO BREAD NEITHER IS THERE ANY WATER: AND OUR SOUL LOATHETH THIS LIGHT BREAD. AND THE LORD SENT FIERY SERPENTS AMONG THE PEOPLE., AND THEY BIT THE PEOPLE, MUCH PEOPLE OF ISRAEL DIED ( BETWEEN 18-AND 35).THEREFORE THE PEOPLE CAME TO MOSES AND SAID WE HAVE SINNED, FOR WE HAVE SPOKEN AGAINST THE LORD., AND AGAINST THEE. PRAY UNTO THE LORD TO TAKE AWAY THE SERPENTS FROM US. AND MOSES PRAYED FOR THE PEOPLE. THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES MAKE THEE A FIERY SERPENT, SET IT UPON A POLE AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS, IF A SERPENT HAS BITTEN ANY MAN AND LOOKED AT THE POLE HE SHALL BE SAVED. ( NUMBERS 21:4-9).
THIS IS THE PROMISE GOD MAKES TO MOSES, THOSE WHO LOOK UPON THE BRONZE SERPENT WILL BE HEALED, IS A MESSAGE THAT IS USED AT LENT. IN OUR GOSPEL TEXT FROM JOHN, TO EXPLAIN THE SALVATION OF GOD TO THE RELIGIOUS LEADER, NICODEMUS JESUS REFERS TO THE SCRIPTURE PASSAGE QUOTED TODAY IN NUMBERS 21: 4-9). JUST AS THOSE WHO LOOKED UPON THE BRONZE SERPENT WERE HEALED, SO THE PEOPLE WILL BE SAVED WHEN THEY BEHOLD CHRIST LIFTED UP ON THE CROSS. WHEN WE RECEIVE THE SIGN OF THE CROSS AT BAPTISM, THAT CROSS BECOMES THE SIGN WE CAN LOOK TO IN FAITH, FOR HEALING, FOR RESTORED RELATIONSHIP TO GOD, FOR HOPE WHEN WE ARE DYING. IN THE O.T. NARRATIVE, THE PEOPLE TURNED A SYMBOL OF LIFE -MANNA FROM HEAVEN " DAMNED BREAD"
IN RETURN, GOD TURNED A SYMBOL OF DEATH-A POISONOUS SNAKE INTO ( OR A CROSS.). INTO A SYMBOL OF LIFE. THE SERPENT ON THE POLE IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE MANY LAYERS THAT A METAPHOR CAN ACQUIRE. IN CANAAN, AS IN SOME OTHER WORLD RELIGIONS, THE GODDESS OF LIFE WAS IMAGED AS A SERPENT.
THUS TO OPPOSE DEVOTIONS TO OTHER DEITIES, IN THE BIBLE THE SERPENT IS USED TO SIGNIFY EVIL. IN THE NARRATIVE, THE SERPENTS ARE GIVING OUT DEATH.
SO FOR CHRISTIANS, THE MAN DYING OF EXECUTION ON THE CROSS, GIVES LIFE TO THE WORLD. FOR THE CRUCIFIXIONS IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE, A POLE WAS PERMANENTLY, SET INTO THE GROUND AND THE VICTIM ATTACHED TO THE CROSS PIECE. IN OUR SANITIZED CULTURE, BLOOD AND GUILT AND SIN AND DEATH ARE GLOSSED OVER, PASSED OVER, AND DOWNRIGHT IGNORED. BUT DURING THE TIME OF "LENT" WE CAN LOOK AT THE CROSS AND FACE WHAT OUR SIN TRULY MEANS "DEATH:" PRAISE THE LORD THAT THE DEATH IS NOT MINE! IT IS NOT YOURS! IN HIS LOVE THAT DEATH, WAS JESUS. CROSSES AND GUILT ARE UNPOPULAR TOPICS NOWADAYS, BUT SIN AND DEATH ARE VERY VISUAL FOR BELIEVERS DURING OLD TESTAMENT TIMES, WHEN PRIESTS WOULD LAY THEIR HANDS ON A BULL, FOR INSTANCE AND PLACE THE SINS ON IT. THEY WOULD THEN SACRIFICE THE BULL, WHICH PAID FOR THEIR SIN AND GUILT. OUR SINS ARE NOT ON THE HEAD OF A BULL, BUT ON THE HEAD OF OUR GOD. WHEN CONFRONTED WITH THE CROSS, WE CANNOT HELP, BUT WHEN TO CONFESS OUR SIN, OUR SORRY AND SO THANKFUL; WHEN ASKING FORGIVENESS " IS MET WITH GOD'S "I FORGIVE YOU."
WE WERE DEAD BEFORE BAPTISM. THE STARK BIBLICAL LANGUAGE THAT DESCRIBES THE LIFE THAT COMES ONLY FROM GOD, HELPS BELIEVERS TO FACE PHYSICAL DEATH IN THE PEACE OF CHRIST: IN BAPTISM WE HAVE ALREADY DIED, AND WE ALREADY EXPERIENCE LIFE THAT IS ETERNAL. FOR BAPTISM IS SOMETIMES CALLED "ENLIGHTENMENT." THE CHURCH HAS RECOVERED THE ANCIENT UNDERSTANDING OF BAPTISM AS "ILLUMINATION" OR ENLIGHTENMENT."
LENT WAS A TIME FOR BELIEVERS TO ENGAGE IN A PROCESS OF TURNING AWAY FROM DARKNESS AND COMING TO THE LIGHT OF CHRIST. WE ARE TOLD IN OUR BAPTISM, TO LEAVE THE OLD AND TURN TOWARD THE NEW LIFE IN CHRIST. JOHN THE APOSTLE IS MAKING AN EARNEST PLEA AGAINST CHRISTIANS LIVING IN SIN, GOD IS LIGHT AND IN HIM IS NO DARKNESS. IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD, AND THE WORD WAS WITH GOD AND THE WORDS WAS GOD. ALL THINGS WERE MADE BY HIM, WITHOUT HIM WAS NOT ANYTHING MADE. TAKING UP THE CROSS SEEMS NOBLE. IT SEEMS LIKE SOMETHING WE CAN DO TO SHOW JESUS HOW MUCH WE LOVE HIM. THE CROSS KEEPS US HUMBLE AND RELIANT ON HIM, NOT LOOKING WHO WE ARE, BUT WHOSE WE ARE. AMEN!
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