Exaltation of the Cross September 14, 2008

Gospel, John 3:13-17   John 3:16 is perhaps better known by the mere citation numbers than any other text in the bible. What is true of the Son is true of the Father and the Holy Spirit. In saying that the Son was sent into the world not to condemn but to save, we must interpret the Father of the Old Testament in that same light. OT Texts which picture God as being angry, harsh and vindictive reflect people’s lack of understanding the true nature of God. Particularly in the earlier texts of the Old Testament, God seems to have limitations and reactions more common to our nature than the divine nature. God did not change, but people’s understanding of God did…particularly through the fullness of revelation revealed in Jesus Christ.

Reading 1, Numbers 21:4b-9  The word “saraph” means “to burn” and may have referred to some specific type of venomous snake whose bite caused a strong burning pain. The name would seem to indicate that most people suffered a painful reaction to the bite rather than death, but some people did die. The word “Seraphim”, which in the book of the prophet Isaiah refers to angelic creatures before the throne of God, comes from this same word. In that use, the fire is not a punishment but a sign of purification as, in similar manner, gold is proved in the refiner’s fire. One might wonder why God commanded Moses to make a bronze image of a serpent which, by looking at it, people would be healed. Does this conflict with the first commandment which says not to make graven images? No. The command against graven images is in context of people making such things as symbols of gods. Unlike the golden calf which the people fashioned at the base of Sinai, the saraph was not looked upon as a god but a reminder of the cause of their suffering. The people understood that God, not the bronze serpent, was the source of their healing.

Reading II, Philippians 2:6-11   In this marvelous text, possibly a hymn quoted by Paul rather than the work of his own hand, we have a statement of why the Son of God came into the world and how it was possible that he remained fully God in nature while taking on our nature at the same time. He came because we could not reach up and become like God. Despite centuries of revelation, people still didn’t understand the realities of God, so the Son became one like ourselves to show us physically what God is like. In doing so, it was necessary to “empty himself”. Philosophy considers things from their very core reality (essence) and the abilities or attributes (accidents) common to that reality. For example, most human beings can walk, talk, smell, and think. But what if a person lacks one or more of those abilities? He or she is still a human being. So it is with God. Associated with the core reality of God are attributes such as all-knowing, omni-present, not limited by time, etc. The Son of God emptied himself of all the divine attributes while retaining the divine nature. Thus, he was able to become one like ourselves “in all things but sin” (Hebrews 4:15), taking on the fullness of our human nature while retaining the essence of the divine nature.