Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Monday – 14th September 2020 — Gospel: Jn 3,13-17
Uplifted in God’s love
Today’s Gospel reveals in summary God’s singular purpose of saving this world through love, which is true, unique, complete, and witnessed. The first part of the Gospel relate to Jesus (3,13-15) and the second part relate to the Father (3,16-17). In the first part, Jesus has chosen to describe himself as the serpent. The serpent was a mark of God’s anger that bit the people and killed them for their complaints against God and Moses. Bronze serpent was mark of God’s glory that gave back their life when they repented. It was people’s lack of trust that moves God to send poisonous snakes. In repentance, God doesn’t remove the snakes but sends a cure for snakebite. He offers them healing if they look in the right direction. In the second part, God manifests his love. He saves the people by calling them to gaze upon his Son, who was lifted up on the cross. This is the way God loved the world. Jesus is God’s expression of love and longing. God deeply loved the world that He created, and longs for this creation to live. And so God reaches out through his Son with the sheer purpose of sharing his everlasting life with us. At the time of wandering in the wilderness, God’s anger inflicted death on many people but only God’s own people were saved. In the salvific time, only one person died to save the entire cosmos. In former times, God commanded Moses to erect bronze serpent on a pole to save his people, but in later times, God’s love through crucified cross redeems the people. In former times, God restored the people from perishable life. In later times, God, through his Son, gives eternal life for the believers.
John 3,16 is the Gospel in a nut shell. This one verse states the message and reality of the Gospel like no other verse in the Bible.
God …….…….…….…….……. the greatest Lover
So loved …….…….…….…….……. the greatest Degree
The world …….…….…….…….……. the greatest Number
That He gave …….…….…….…….……. the greatest Act
His only begotten Son …….…….…….…….……. the greatest Gift
That whoever …….…….…….…….……. the greatest Invitation
Believes …….…….…….…….……. the greatest Simplicity
In him …….…….…….…….……. the greatest Person
Shall not perish …….…….…….…….……. the greatest Deliverance
But …….…….…….…….……. the greatest Difference
Have …….…….…….…….……. the greatest Certainty
Eternal life …….…….…….…….……. the greatest Possession
