Breaking the Word

The one who comes from above is above all. The one who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of earthly things. But the one who comes from heaven (is above all).He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. Whoever does accept his testimony certifies that God is trustworthy. For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God. He does not ration his gift of the Spirit. The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him.  (Jn 3:31-36) 

This passage challenges the reader as to where one is in this picture. This speaks about; ‘from above’ and ‘of the earth’.  The author is contrasting Jesus (the one from above) with the one from the earth. John the Baptist was from above; he was sent from God (There was a man called John, who was sent from God Jn 1,6). There are many people whose life and teaching are from the earth.   

People trust the words of those who have no breath of heaven in them and no sign of life in them. He came to his own but his own did not accept him (Jn 1,11). Jesus came to speak the WORD of GOD. He came to give the SPIRIT of GOD. All what Jesus gave was from God. People did not believe in him. Wrath of God does not mean that God is a tyrant waiting to punish the wrong doers; but because they are from the earth and earthly they are bound to corrupt and decay.   

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God… (Jn 3:16-21)

This is the continuation of yesterday’s reading. Jesus was lifted up on the cross for the salvation of all, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert. This is God’s love. Jesus’ death on the cross is the display of God’s love for the mankind. Jesus death was not an accident. It was not God letting the worst happen to someone else. The cross is at the heart of the new picture of God which John is painting.

But evil is not healed automatically. Since evil is deep within each one of us, we need to be involved in the process of healing. What we have to do is simple. Just like the Israelites who looked at the snake and trusted in God, so too we have look at the one crucified for the sake of love and believe in him.

Believing in Jesus means coming to the light, the light of God’s new creation. Not believing in Jesus means remaining in the darkness. Darkness is condemned because evil is destroying the present world. It is preventing the people from coming into God’s new world. To be healed or to be saved one has to believe and live.