NO CONDEMNATION IN CHRIST JESUS

Jesus must have known that this Pharisee who had come to him by night was sincere in his quest. Something must have rung true from the heart of this “teacher of Israel” as he said to our Lord, “We know You are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs You are doing if God were not with him.” Although Jesus had questioned how Nicodemus could understand things from above, He nevertheless honored his desire to know by telling him heavenly things as He presented to him the Good News of who He was and His mission in the world.

As a Jew, and especially a Pharisee, Nicodemus knew very well the stories of Moses and all the events of the wilderness wanderings of Israel. So when Jesus said, “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life,” Nicodemus knew that scene in the Book of Numbers. In his mind he no doubt recited the story.

“They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!”
Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died.
The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.
The LORD said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.” (Numbers 21:4-9)

Somehow I believe Nicodemus got the point. I’m certain he didn’t fully understand it, but Jesus was saying that, in Him, God provides a Means of salvation and eternal life for all who otherwise are already condemned to a death sentence because of their sin. By pairing His being lifted up with Moses lifting up the bronze snake in the desert, Jesus gave Nicodemus a wonderful insight into the matchless grace of God. Just as anyone who was bitten by the snakes and destined to die could, by looking upon the bronze snake Moses lifted up, live and not die, so too, anyone who is already condemned to death because of their sin can by believing on Jesus Christ have eternal life and not die. So too, as in the desert, those who refused to look upon the bronze snake died from the venom already in their veins, those who refuse to believe on Jesus Christ are already condemned to die. John 3:16 tells us why God did this.

Some believe that the Scriptures are incorrect to continue the quotation as if verses 16-21 are Jesus’ words. They feel the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus ended with verse 15 and 16-21 are John’s words. I disagree with that opinion. The word “for” that begins verse 16 is a continuation of what goes before and connects to what comes after. The declarations that precede verse 15 prompts the question “why?” that is answered in verse 16, and elaborated on further in verses 17-21.

“For God so loved the world” are the opening words of the complete Gospel in one verse. With the greatest words ever delivered to the world Jesus explains why God sent Him, His one and only Son, to provide an escape from a sentence of certain death for a sinful world. In verse 18 Jesus says the world “stands condemned already.” According to John’s report it seems that Nicodemus never said another word, but you can be certain he listened with rapt attention as Jesus, whom he recognized as a “teacher who has come from God,” spoke to him of heavenly things.

Jesus continues with the explanation that God had not sent Him into the world to condemn the world. The condemnation of the world had already taken place. The sentence had already been pronounced and now sinners awaited a certain death. But because God loved the world He sent His only Son that though Him the world might be saved. Sin was condemned and its victims would share that sentence of death, just as those in the desert, with the venom of death already coursing through their veins, were also destined to die. Just as Moses lifted up the bronze snake in the desert so that those destined to die could look upon it and live, God sent Jesus to be lifted up so sinners, condemned to die, could believe on Him and not die, but have eternal life.

As this is written it is Palm Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week. On Good Friday we will remember that day and the time when Jesus was lifted up that we might look to Him and live. It was upon a Roman cross just outside the city walls of Jerusalem that He bled and died so that “whoever believes on Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners...,” Paul writes to young Timothy, and prefaces the statement with, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance.” (I Timothy 1:15)

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2)

Thanks be to God!