Coming are a series of Gospel readings, starting today, we cant reflect in light of Good Friday and Easter. In a way of saying, reflect based on the fact that things have happened, and now they make more sense because of Good Friday and Easter.

The main theme of John chapter 3 is being ‘Born Again in God.’ There are two main characters in it, Nicodemus and Jesus. Nicodemus a Pharisee is much impressed by Jesus’ ministry, but has a few doubts and reservations, so He has quietly come to discuss things with Jesus. Jesus informs him directly that to understand things of God one needs to be born again. Nicodemus foolishly assumes Jesus is speaking of physical rebirth.

Jesus chides him, because Nicodemus himself is a spiritual teacher and guide, has misunderstood His words as referring to the physical, when both their ministries were to do with the Spiritual. Truly, says Jesus, for dying/foolish humanity, the only source of hope and life can be found in the story of the Exodus, where the Israelites were bitten by serpents, and God provided a remedy for them to stay alive, i.e. to look at the bronze serpent mounted on a pole, and believe in God their Saviour. Similarly, a time comes when humanity to save themselves from eternal damnation will have to look, believe and put their trust in whom they will have rejected and crucified.

Note that the main topic of conversation which was started by Jesus is Rebirth, which he has not touched on as yet. He has rather inserted another thought. The thought being the opposing idea of willful sentencing someone to death, and as yet, that very person becoming Saving Grace, like the Serpents incident in the Exodus story. What Jesus is doing here is challenging Nicodemus to think differently by placing difficult ideas before him. First, simple idea was Rebirth, which Nicodemus misinterpreted. Then Jesus is tells him that truth can only be discovered by those who seek and desire it. Similarly, those who desire to understand God and His ways, need to look to God and be inspired by Him. For this one needs to give up ones own ideas… i.e. one needs to die.