Lifted Up

Fourth Sunday in Lent

March 10, 2024

John 3:14-21

 “Journey to Joy: Lifted Up”

On this Fourth Sunday in Lent, there is a clear connection between the Old Testament lesson (Numbers 21:4-9) and the Gospel lesson (John 3:14-21). Both speak of something being lifted up with the result being healing and new life. The first lifting up from the Old Testament lesson points ahead to the second and greater lifting up. It begins with the bronze serpent in the wilderness but ends with the Son of Man upon the cross. Our Lenten journey to joy continues today as we focus on Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel lesson under the theme, “Lifted Up.” May the Lord’s rich and abundant blessing rest upon the preaching, the hearing, and the living of his Word for Jesus’ sake.

The Gospel lesson contains what may be the most familiar words in Scripture for many people, John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” The only other Scripture verse that might rival this for familiarity is Psalm 23: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” John 3:16 is sometimes called “the Gospel in a nutshell.” What does that mean? The inside of a nutshell is pretty small; you can’t get much inside it. Like that nutshell, the whole message of Scripture – God’s great story of salvation culminating in Jesus’ life, death and resurrection – is summed up here in this one verse. It’s a wonderful verse that is pure grace; it’s enormously comforting. Thinking of this verse, if anyone ever asked you, what is the Gospel, what would you say? It’s a fair question, right? Within the Christian faith, we’re always talking about the Gospel, but what is it exactly? Look no further than John 3:16! It actually spells out Gospel: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” I wish I could claim that I thought of this, but that’s way above my pay grade. Whoever did think of this, thank you! It’s a helpful remembrance of what Gospel means in light of John 3:16.But let’s not forget John 3:17, the next verse after John 3:16 – that is also pure grace: “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

All of this comes about only through the lifting up of the Son of Man on the tree of the cross. The lifting up of Jesus on the cross is much more than a gross miscarriage of justice, although it was that. It is more than the behind-the-scenes plotting and scheming that led to an innocent man being sentenced to death, although it was that also. This is all according to the “definite plan and foreknowledge of God” (Acts 2:23). It comes down to that little word “must” (δεϊ) that we read in John 3:14: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up.” The word “must” carries a great deal of meaning in Scripture. It means that all of this is a divine necessity. Jesus’ impending suffering and death upon the cross was not just some freak occurrence; it wasn’t simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Quite the opposite: Jesus was in exactly the right place at the right time. Jesus was exactly where his Father intended for him to be; doing exactly what his Father intended him to do. Think back to the sermon that Pastor John Denninger preached here in January when I was away. He talked about chronos (chronological) time and kairos (God-appointed, opportune) time. Here in today’s Gospel lesson, in chronos time, the clock is ticking away, one day leading into another, as Jesus steadily makes his way to the cross. In kairos time, this is all happening according to God’s intended purpose at the God-appointed, right time. And just what is God’s intended purpose with all of this? What’s the point? “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:14-15).

This is the message of salvation that we bring to the world. All of our congregational ministries and activities have as their central purpose and goal this one thing: to lift up Jesus. This is at the heart of everything we say and do so that people in our neighborhoods and communities here and throughout all the world may come to know Jesus; that they may believe in him with us, and may have eternal life through Jesus with us. William Temple (1881-1944), archbishop of York and Canterbury in the Church of England, once said that “The Church is the only society that exists for the benefit of people who are not its members” (William Temple - The Church is the only society that exists for... (bibleportal.com). This is the enduring spirit of mission and outreach that is the heart and soul of the Christian Church. With Easter Sunday just three weeks from today, each one of us is a connector to people who do not have a church home. Invite them to come with you to worship at Easter and so encounter the risen Christ who in our midst who has brought life and immortality to light. Be thinking and praying about this, and then extend that invitation. We have the greatest news in the world to share – news that makes an eternal difference! How can we not speak of this? Of course, the church’s concern for people who are not its members doesn’t mean that we neglect those who are already members of the church. As the Word of God tells us: “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10). It’s not either/or, but both/and. We are at the same time concerned for our fellow members as well as those who are not members. Without that spirit of mission we become less concerned about others and more concerned about ourselves. We are here to serve as Jesus’ hands and feet and mouth to lift up people who are struggling; who need help and hope. In Christ Jesus, we have been blessed to be a blessing, always pointing others to the One who was lifted up on the cross that we may have life and have it abundantly (John 10:10).

Lutherans are usually very familiar with the words of Ephesians 2:8-9, which we heard in today’s Epistle lesson (Ephesians 2:1-10): “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” This is homebase for us. It’s all about the Second Article of the Creed, and the redeeming work of Jesus that comes to us as a gift; freely by grace alone. But let us not forget that verse ten follows here that tells us about the purpose for which Jesus has redeemed us: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” That word “workmanship” (ποίημα) can mean something which is made, a work, but it also has the connotation of “work of art” (Linguistic Key to the Greek New Testament, Fritz Rienecker/Cleon Rogers. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1980; p. 525). And that’s why Jesus was lifted up for each and every one of us: so that all who believe in him might be his “work of art,” his masterpiece. God is the Master Artist, shaping and molding each one of his children to display his patience, love, mercy and forgiveness; using our unique, God-given gifts to glorify God and serve our neighbor.

In our journey to resurrection and new life at Easter, may our Lenten Savior Jesus Christ be lifted up in each of our lives to the glory of his holy Name. Amen.