This is the fourth week of Advent. Our theme for this week is Love. Perhaps the most well known verse in all the Bible is John 3:16.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NASB)
God so loved. What is love? Today, many define love as a feeling. This is why people say they have fallen in love. There is something lovely and desirable about the one who is loved. This is also why they say they fall out of love. The feelings for this person are gone. When we love someone we have feelings, but love is not limited to feelings. Love is more of a decision than we like to think. Love is being devoted to someone, whether we feel like it or not.
This helps us to understand God’s love. God loved us even though we are unlovely. God loved us even while we were sinners. God loved us even when we rebelled against Him. God loved the world so much He gave His Son. How does God giving His Son show us what love really is?
Let’s discuss the context of the passage. Jesus is meeting with a religious ruler named Nicodemus. Jesus wants Nicodemus to understand that his religious background and performance cannot save him. To help Nicodemus, Jesus recounts an Old Testament incident.
“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.” John 3:14-15
Jesus is referring to a historical event that took place in the Old Testament book of Numbers. God has delivered Israel from the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery. God rescued Israel with a strong and mighty hand. Israel is now wandering in the wilderness. They are on their way to the Promised Land, Canaan. But the people are constantly complaining. They complain about the journey, the food, and the water. The Lord responds to their complaining:
The LORD sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. Numbers 21:6
God sent fiery serpents to bite them. The people felt a burning pain at the spot where they were bit and a burning pain as the venom spread throughout their bodies. Many of the people died as a result. The people confess their sin. Then the Lord has Moses do something he has never done before.
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will live.” Numbers 21:8
Moses made a bronze serpent. The only thing the people had to do to be saved from God’s wrath is look at His provision for their sin hanging on a standard. It was lifted up. It was lifted up that everyone might see the curse for sin had been satisfied. “Look and live!” Not, “Work and Live.” Not, “Be worthy and live.” Just, “Look and live.” Jesus uses this historical event as an example of the work He is going to do.
“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up.” John 3:14
As the serpent was lifted up so that all who sinned could see and be healed, so too Jesus would be lifted up on the cross so that all who have sinned can plainly see Him. Jesus was lifted up, like the serpent was lifted up so….
“So that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.” John 3:15
Jesus is going to be cursed for sinners so that sinners like you and me would not be cursed. Jesus crucified is the source of rescue from the poison of sin. Jesus crucified is the source of rescue from the wrath of God. Jesus crucified is the source of eternal life. All sinners have to do is believe in the One lifted up on the cross and they will live. Why would God do this?
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16
How much does God love the world? He loves the world enough to send His Son to become a curse so all who believe in Him will be saved from God’s wrath because of their sin. That is how much God loves us. God does not love the lovely. He does not love the beautiful. He loves sinners. He loves people who do not love Him. However, God loves us so much He will not just simply leave us in our sins. He sent His Son to leave the glories of heaven to be born on earth in Bethlehem. Jesus lived among us as one of us. Jesus lived the perfect life we have never lived. He always obeyed. He never sinned. Then He gave Himself to be lifted up on the cross for all to see Him. To those who believe in Him, recognize their sin, and their need to be forgiven, Jesus offers Himself to all who look to Him. While we celebrate Jesus in the manger at Advent, the manger always leads to the cross. Look to Him and live.
Mark Cymbalak
holds an BA from Bob Jones University with additional class work from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He served as a part time paid elder at Black Earth Congregational Church/Curtiss Street Bible Fellowship. In 2006, Mark became a full time paid elder and pastor at Curtiss Street Bible Fellowship until his retirement in 2020.