A, Lent 2 - John 3:13-15 "Wilderness Woes"

Text John 3:13-15

13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

Sermon

Human life always seems to follow the same pattern. We struggle along for a time and then things take a turn for the better. But no matter how good the future might seem to be getting, it never gets as good as we imagine. Once we get there the mirage of good fortune seems to fizzle away, if not completely disappear.

Things seemed to be getting better for the Israelites as they marched out of Egypt and slavery. But after Moses led them in the wilderness for thirty eight years, their mirage of hope seemed to be disappearing into the sand hills of Sinai.

During these years they had grumbled about many things. But now so close to their destination after thirty eight years, Moses turns south to lead the people around the nation of Edom, and their grumbling became all the more fierce against God and Moses. They protested, ‘Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die in the desert?’ (Numbers 21:5) We too might ask the same question when our earthly expectations don’t go the way we want.

As we walk in remembrance with Jesus towards the cross, we walk with him on his wilderness way. And it was surely a road through the desert. After his baptism he wandered and was tempted in the wilderness for forty days and as he neared Jerusalem for the last time, his environment became sparse of supporters as they all deserted him.

In fact his incarnation—his birth and life on earth—was a walk in the wilderness of loneliness. After all, Christ like Abram, left his dwelling because of his Heavenly Father’s will. He was called to put aside the holiness of his eternal heavenly home and be born into the failing flesh of humanity.

Jesus walks in the wilderness with humanity, just as Moses walked with the Israelites for forty years. And in the Gospel reading today Jesus teaches Nicodemus about just who he is by drawing on the rich imagery of the Israelite’s desert life and grumblings.

From Numbers 21 we are told, ‘The Israelites travelled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!” Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.’ (Numbers 21:4-9)

Jesus refers to this passage while he was speaking to Nicodemus about eternal life and rebirth. Confused about being reborn Nicodemus asks, ‘How can this be?’ To which Jesus responds with the picture of Moses and the Israelites in the wilderness, saying, ‘Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.’ (John 3:14-15)

It’s surprising the Old Testament reports that God sent the snakes. Any hint of suffering or death sits uncomfortably with us today, and horrible is the thought that God should allow it to happen. But the reality is our holy God is gracious towards all people. He sent Jesus to reveal our sin, so he might forgive and give eternal life, even in the midst of our sinning, where humanity’s unholiness deserves nothing but God’s deadly wrath.

We all suffer from sin’s short-sightedness, impatience, and the like. But into this sinful reality Jesus was born, so he could bring us his saving word, which also teaches us and builds us up in him. Just as he did with Nicodemus!

Our reality is one where the wilderness snakes still bite us in so many ways; God hasn’t taken them away. Their bites inflict wounds, septic with sin. But its only in being bitten that we quickly learn we need his antivenin. And as we are driven back to him, over and over again, he shows us he has been faithfully walking with us in our lost wilderness the whole time anyway.

Jesus Christ was not just lifted high on the cross—he is still lifted high—but now as king in glory. In fact, on some crucifixes stands the figure of the Risen King, rather than the broken Son of Man on Good Friday. It is to this King we look, who bore the scandal of the cross, but through it was crowned master over sin and its fatal bite. The people in Moses’ day looked to the precious bronze snake for earthly healing and found it, but our healing is much greater, it is eternal, as we look to Christ the King crowned in glory.

We still live in a troubling wilderness; the snakes are still here. They still bite and inflict death! But because Christ was lifted up, bitten and afflicted by death, we too will be lifted up in eternal life after death. Amen.