Wednesday of Second Week of Easter, April 17,2007

Scripture: Acts 5:17-20. Psalm 34. John 3:16-21. Lectionary # 26

John 3:16 is one of the greatest passages in the New Testament and it
brings many Christians great consolation in the supportive and affirming
love of God. We are all created good. Made in the image and likeness of
God. As we mature we need to make sure we continue that goodness in our
love for one another and for God. We need to also love ourselves as God
wants us to do in honesty and humility and truth. Our John 3:16 text
inveighs even some of our sports programs on T.V. as we see signs with it
posted by someone or holding it up during a baseball game or a football
game. Of course, that took place a few years ago, now those signs no
longer appear! The text is worth meditating upon even without its former
publicity. "God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that
everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life."
Jesus is teaching this in his discourse with Nicodemus a searcher of the
truth. John the Evangelist is then putting this as his narrative
commentary on the section dealing with baptism by water and the Holy
Spirit. The sacramentalism of the Fourth Gospel appears throughout the Book
of Signs (John chapters 1-12). I also noted how the Evangelist comes back
to the themes he gave us as an overture in the Prologue of his Gospel (John
1:1-18). This is apparent in the following verse: " And this is the
judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness
rather than light for their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the
light and do not come into the light, so that their deeds may not be
exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be
clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God." (John 3:19-21
parallels John 1: 9-13 of the Prologue). Thus the Evangelist takes us back
into his beginning chapter as he contrasts the light as believing in God
and the One he sent with darkness as refusing to believe in God who loves
us so much that he sent his only begotten Son. John will continue to press
the point of believing in the Person of Jesus all throughout his first
twelve chapters. It is thus a Gospel of decision and commitment to the
plan of God seen in the Incarnation. This leads to the profound statement
of the Prologue: "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us." This is
the Incarnational theology of John which highlights the history of
salvation for Christian believers. We then are ready for the final book of
John from chapters 13-21 which are all about the love of God through the
love called AGAPE that Jesus demonstrates by giving his life for all
humankind. Amen.