Episcopal Church of the
Incarnation
The Fourth Sunday in Lent (B)
Numbers
21.4-9 Psalm 107.1-3, 17-22 Ephesians 2.1-10 John 3.14-21
Numbers
21.4-9
1) The name “Numbers” comes from the Greek title, which refers to the census figures given in chs. 1 & 26.
a) The title ignores that most of the book is narrative, poetry, and legal material.
b) Recurrent themes in Numbers are the dependence upon God of the priestly office, and the conflict between a priestly focus on the Lord and the people’s focus on daily wants.
2)
The story in this lesson provides an etiology for the
bronze serpent found in the
a) The serpent is here placed in the context of its original and proper use, with no reference to the offering of incense before it (i.e., to misuse which resulted in its removal).
3) The serpents are referred to as “burning” (sęrāpîm), from the root “to burn”. Cf. Isa. 6.2 and the reference to the “seraphim” witnessed in Isaiah’s vision of the Lord. The serpents cause a burning sensation on biting; the seraphim are bright “burning” beings.
4) The people die because of the serpent bites, with the serpents having been “sent” among them as a result of their murmuring against God. God then saves the people through the brazen serpent.
a) The connection is subject to layers of interpretation, with one being that being saved by gazing upon the image of the result of sin restores the person to a proper relationship with the Lord.
Psalm
107.1-3, 17-22
1) The entire psalm (43 verses) is a communal thanksgiving hymn punctuated by the refrain (found in this excerpt at v. 19) “They cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress.”
2)
The psalm as a whole recites the mighty and saving
works of God during
a)
Following the opening injunction to give thanks and
proclaim redemption, the psalm recites the troubles of
i) The verses selected focus on the injunction to offer thanks.
Ephesians
2.1-10
1) This letter was written by Paul, or by a disciple of his, to a wide audience; to people for whom evidence of worldly power was all too evident (cf. 6.12).
a) The letter is written to encourage its readers that they are “in Christ” and to worship, therefore, the Creator of the universe.
i) This same Creator has called those in Christ to be His children. He is their Father.
2) The believer was once dead but is now alive in Christ. This spiritual death was exemplified in how the non-believer followed the course of the world, living thus under judgment (cf. Rom. 1.18-32).
a) This judgment is manifested that non-believers follow the power of this world (personified as an evil spirit).
i) Cf. John 3.18 “... those who do not believe are condemned already ...”
3) Paul emphasizes that salvation is “present tense” (v. 5, “you have been saved”), and effected through the grace of God, not through any good works of the believer.
a) Good works result from the believer being saved, with salvation being the free grace of God.
b) The believer is saved by faith in God’s grace, and responds to this grace in how he/she lives.
John
3.14-21
1) This lesson contains what is perhaps the most famous passage in all of Scripture (John 3.16).
a) Notable, however, is the fact that this passage occurs in the context of Jesus teaching about the contrast between present salvation and present judgment.
2) God effects salvation by His means; thus, the Son of Man is “lifted up” as was the brazen serpent.
a) Just as the afflicted believer looked upon the serpent and was cured because in so gazing he saw and believed in God’s saving power, so the one who believes in the saving power of God, as evinced by His Son hanging upon the cross, is saved.
b) Salvation and condemnation are present tense.
i) Very important to note, however, is that condemnation is autonomous.
(1) Those who are condemned because they do not believe, and who love the darkness rather than the light, are condemned by their own act of will.
c) Salvation is effected through faith, not works, but works flow from salvation.
i) “... it may be clearly seen that their [those who believe] deeds have been done in God” (3.21).
3) Jesus teaches about the purpose of the coming of the Son, and about birth in the Spirit.
a) John includes an eschatology (teaching about the end of time) in which salvation is realized. Those who believe have eternal life.
b) Belief is in the Son. Here, as in the prologue (1.16, 18) the Son is referred to as God’s “only” Son.
i) In Greek the term is monogenēs (only-begotten).
ii) God is understood to be “giving” His Son in the death of His Son (cf. Gal. 1.4; 2.20; Rom. 8.32).