The Son of Man

JESUS said to Nicodemus: “No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.” For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

REFLECTION GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD. The Gospel is part of Jesus’ discourse with Nicodemus, a leading Pharisee, who came to Jesus at night with questions. Jesus declares that the Son of Man will “be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” Raised to glory at His cross and resurrection, Jesus will be the salvation of the world in the same way that a bronze serpent, mounted by Moses on a pole, brought healing to anyone who, bitten by a serpent, looked at it (cf Nm 21:9). The evangelist then reflects that God’s love for the world is so great that God gives His only Son, so that all who believe in Him may not perish but may have eternal life. God offers us His love through His Son Jesus Christ. But God has also given us the freedom, and respects that freedom, to accept or reject such offer of love. Believing in Jesus and putting His teachings into practice is accepting God’s love for us. This love eventually manifests itself in our relationship with one another. In this way, we Christians become true witnesses of the triumph of the cross in the world. The world will then realize that the cross is indeed a symbol of God’s love for us, because through the cross of our Lord Jesus we have been redeemed.

How do I respond to God’s love for me?