Mar
9

The Lifting Up of the Son of Man

The first Sunday of Lent gave us a picture of the kind of struggle we are having with the principalities and powers of this world. The second Sunday gave us consolation: the Transfiguration is a preview of the kind of glory that Christians will be sharing in. The third Sunday showed us who we are before God, the Temple built from the living stones of Christ’s Body. For the fourth Sunday of Lent, the New Testament readings give us another look at ourselves: those who have become children of God not because of blood nor the flesh or the will of men, but because of the will of God (John 1:13).

Relevant Articles

Guide for Reading the Text

1. Read the whole of John 3:1-36 to get a grasp of the context of the selection to be studied. The first part is Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus (1-21). The second part is made up of two segments: 22-30, the Baptist’s response to the news told him about Jesus baptizing and 31-36, John the Evangelist’s comment. There are many elements in this latter portion that recall ideas in the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, especially with regards to vv. 19-21

2. The following characteristics of the Gospel of John should be taken into account:

  • There are two main places in the Gospel of John: “Above” and “Below”. “Above” is where one finds God and therefore also Light, Life and Truth. “Below” is where one finds man, Darkness, Death and Untruth (Lies and Falsehood). As one reads through John, therefore, movements should be taken into account. When, for example, Jesus says “raise the Son of Man”, it is a movement that goes from below upwards. Thus, the “raising” of the Son of Man is a movement of his return to the glory he had before. Also when one speaks of God sending His Son, there is a movement from above downwards.
  • Contrasts should also be taken into account, like Light — Darkness, Condemnation — Salvation

3. John 3 should not be read as if John 1 does not exist. There are themes in John 1 that are unfolded in John 3, e.g. “light” and “rejection of the light”.

Comparing the Readings

The first two readings for the Sunday liturgy (4th Sunday of Lent, Year B) deals with God’s grace and salvation. In the selection from 2 Chronicles,the liturgy highlights two events, the banishment of the children of Israel from the land and their return to it after the period of their exile. The return may have been initiated by a decree of a foreign king, but the Chronicler emphasizes that it was the Lord who inspired Cyrus of Persia. In the selection from Paul (Ephesians 2:4-10), we find the phrase “by grace you have been saved” repeated twice. Highlighted is the idea that the Christian has been recreated through the work of God in Christ. Dead because of transgressions, he has been made alive in Christ. This baptismal motif is carried on in John 3 where the Christian’s regeneration through water and the Spirit is linked to the Cross and, as in Ephesians 2, to the love of God.

Suggestions for the Lesson

Read the Sunday Thoughts for the 4th Sunday of Lent. There, I have made a “baptismal” reading of the text from John centering on three ideas: the cross, the Light of Christ and life in the Spirit.

John 1:13
View in: NAB NIV KJV NJB Vulg Greek
13Who are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
John 3:1-36
View in: NAB NIV KJV NJB Vulg Greek
1And there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
2This man came to Jesus by night, and said to him: Rabbi, we know that thou art come a teacher from God; for no man can do these signs which thou dost, unless God be with him.
3Jesus answered, and said to him: Amen, amen I say to thee, unless a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4Nicodemus saith to him: How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter a second time into his mother's womb, and be born again?
5Jesus answered: Amen, amen I say to thee, unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6That which is born of the flesh, is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit, is spirit.
7Wonder not, that I said to thee, you must be born again.
8The Spirit breatheth where he will; and thou hearest his voice, but thou knowest not whence he cometh, and whither he goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
9Nicodemus answered, and said to him: How can these things be done?
10Jesus answered, and said to him: Art thou a master in Israel, and knowest not these things?
11Amen, amen I say to thee, that we speak what we know, and we testify what we have seen, and you receive not our testimony.
12If I have spoken to you earthly things, and you believe not; how will you believe, if I shall speak to you heavenly things?
13And no man hath ascended into heaven, but he that descended from heaven, the Son of man who is in heaven.
14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of man be lifted up:
15That whosoever believeth in him, may not perish; but may have life everlasting.
16For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in him, may not perish, but may have life everlasting.
17For God sent not his Son into the world, to judge the world, but that the world may be saved by him.
18He that believeth in him is not judged. But he that doth not believe, is already judged: because he believeth not in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19And this is the judgment: because the light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than the light: for their works were evil.
20For every one that doth evil hateth the light, and cometh not to the light, that his works may not be reproved.
21But he that doth truth, cometh to the light, that his works may be made manifest, because they are done in God.
22After these things Jesus and his disciples came into the land of Judea: and there he abode with them, and baptized.
23And John also was baptizing in Ennon near Salim; because there was much water there; and they came and were baptized.
24For John was not yet cast into prison.
25And there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews concerning purification:
26And they came to John, and said to him: Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond the Jordan, to whom thou gavest testimony, behold he baptizeth, and all men come to him.
27John answered, and said: A man cannot receive any thing, unless it be given him from heaven.
28You yourselves do bear me witness, that I said, I am not Christ, but that I am sent before him.
29He that hath the bride, is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, who standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth with joy because of the bridegroom's voice. This my joy therefore is fulfilled.
30He must increase, but I must decrease.
31He that cometh from above, is above all. He that is of the earth, of the earth he is, and of the earth he speaketh. He that cometh from heaven, is above all.
32And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth: and no man receiveth his testimony.
33He that hath received his testimony, hath set to his seal that God is true.
34For he whom God hath sent, speaketh the words of God: for God doth not give the Spirit by measure.
35The Father loveth the Son: and he hath given all things into his hand.
36He that believeth in the Son, hath life everlasting; but he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Ephesians 2:4-10
View in: NAB NIV KJV NJB Vulg Greek
4But God, (who is rich in mercy,) for his exceeding charity wherewith he loved us,
5Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together in Christ, (by whose grace you are saved,)
6And hath raised us up together, and hath made us sit together in the heavenly places, through Christ Jesus.
7That he might shew in the ages to come the abundant riches of his grace, in his bounty towards us in Christ Jesus.
8For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, for it is the gift of God;
9Not of works, that no man may glory.
10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus in good works, which God hath prepared that we should walk in them.

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