Numbers 21:4–9
Ephesians 2:1–10
John 3:14–21
Collect for the Fourth Sunday in Lent—Almighty God, our heavenly Father, whose mercies are new unto us every morning, and who, though we have in no wise deserved Thy goodness, dost abundantly provide for all our wants of body and soul, give us, we pray Thee, Thy Holy Spirit that we may heartily acknowledge Thy merciful goodness toward us, give thanks for all Thy benefits, and serve Thee in willing obedience; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
Jesus Is Lifted Up on the Cross so that We May Look to Him and Live
The people sinned by speaking “against God and against Moses,” and the Lord called them to repentance by sending fiery serpents, which “bit the people, so that many people of Israel died” (Numbers 21:4–6). When the people confessed their sin, the Lord provided a means of rescue from death. He instructed Moses to “make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole,” so that “if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live” (Numbers 21:8). Thus God sent His Son into the world, in the likeness of our sin and death, and lifted Him up on the pole of the cross, that whoever looks to Him in faith “may have eternal life” (John 3:14–16). By His cross, “the light has come into the world,” not for condemnation, but “that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:17–19). While we “were dead in the trespasses and sins” in which we once lived (Ephesians 2:1), God loved us, calling us to repentance and raising us up with Christ to live “with him in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 2:4–6).
καὶ καθὼς Μωϋσῆς ὕψωσεν τὸν ὄφιν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, οὕτως ὑψωθῆναι δεῖ τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου,
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, - John 3:14
In the same way, just so, it is necessary for the son of man to be lifted up.
An illustration of a thing. A definition of faith. It wasn't doing anything except receiving.
In John's gospel all references to glory are only revealed after Good Friday.
Every time term "son of Man" in John it is always in reference to the cross.
See type/anti type of Serpent. He takes your sin your venom. He becomes the falseness and the curse. He becomes the curse and becomes a wretch.
Is Moses a Type of the Father? The word is Passive...someone else is doing the work.
See Numbers 21
ἵνα πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων [a]ἐν αὐτῷ ἔχῃ ζωὴν αἰώνιον.
that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. - John 3:15
In order that all believing in him might (should/shall) have eternal life.
"Whoever believes, might have, in him -eternal life."
See John 5:39; 16:33; "in Me" you have peace.
Looking is the type of faith. That's what faith does. Our prayers do not change God's mind. But this is how we act.
Οὕτως γὰρ ἠγάπησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν κόσμον ὥστε τὸν [b]υἱὸν τὸν μονογενῆ ἔδωκεν, ἵνα πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων εἰς αὐτὸν μὴ ἀπόληται ἀλλὰ ἔχῃ ζωὴν αἰώνιον.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. - John 3:16
In this way God loved the world, that believing each might have life eternal.
"each believing"
"God loved the world this way -"
Note John's use of tense
"Should not perish"
"has and continues to have life eternal."
"Shall not die forever"
He's the end for what we hope not the means to that end... Not the toolbox.
See Hebrews 11:17-19 "as a parable"
οὐ γὰρ ἀπέστειλεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν [c]υἱὸν εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἵνα κρίνῃ τὸν κόσμον, ἀλλ’ ἵνα σωθῇ ὁ κόσμος δι’ αὐτοῦ.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. - John 3:17
In order to condemn
It all rests on Christ...in him, through him,
ὁ πιστεύων εἰς αὐτὸν οὐ κρίνεται· ὁ [d]δὲ μὴ πιστεύων ἤδη κέκριται, ὅτι μὴ πεπίστευκεν εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ μονογενοῦς υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ.
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. - John 3:18
The one believing in him is not condemned ever...shall not, nor will not, ever be judged.
Judgment has been moved from you to another...from you to the serpent....from you to the cross...the cross is the judgment. Judgment for the Christian is Good Friday...the last day is entrance, graduation., sorting. We live from death to life.
Believing in the name possessed by God...the name possessed by the Triune God, the sacred name.
Baptize in the Father's Son's and Spirit's NAME. The name shared by one.
αὕτη δέ ἐστιν ἡ κρίσις ὅτι τὸ φῶς ἐλήλυθεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον καὶ ἠγάπησαν οἱ ἄνθρωποι μᾶλλον τὸ σκότος ἢ τὸ φῶς, ἦν γὰρ αὐτῶν πονηρὰ τὰ ἔργα.
And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. - John 3:19
The men love the darkness rather then the light.
The crisis is the cross...where you fall lands your u in judgment.
God loved the world men loved the darkness. This is where we start from....those who do not believe are already judged, condemned. Nicodemus came when it was night...when it was darkness. See difference between dark/light in John's gospel.
πᾶς γὰρ ὁ φαῦλα πράσσων μισεῖ τὸ φῶς καὶ οὐκ ἔρχεται πρὸς τὸ φῶς, ἵνα μὴ ἐλεγχθῇ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ·
For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. - John 3:20
ὁ δὲ ποιῶν τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἔρχεται πρὸς τὸ φῶς, ἵνα φανερωθῇ αὐτοῦ τὰ ἔργα ὅτι ἐν θεῷ ἐστιν εἰργασμένα.
But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God." - John 3:21
-The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software
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