the Spirit Creates

 Here are some thoughts on this coming Sunday's gospel:

Gospel: John 3:14-21

[Jesus said:] 14“Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

 16“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

 17“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. 20For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. 21But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.”

This Sunday, we will continue to see how the Holy Spirit desires to alter us. In this gospel text, it is through God’s creativity. 

God created the world and everything in it, declaring it good in Genesis. According to Bible commentator Gail Ramshaw, “By ‘world,’ kosmos, the evangelist means both the place and the time in which God’s salvation is unfolding” (sundaysandseasons.com). That has to be the here and now and the future. 

According to Pastor Brian Stoffregen, world:

… often refers to the “people associated with a world system and estranged from God” (Louw & Nida).

• The “world” hates Jesus (7:7; 15:18).

• The “world” hates & persecutes the followers of Jesus (15:18-19; 16:33; 17:14)

• The “world” is unable to receive the Spirit of truth (14:17)

• The “world” does not know the Father (17:25)

And yet it is the “world” that God loves (3:16).

• Into the “world” God sends Jesus (1:9, 10; 3:17, 19; 6:14; 9:5, 39; 10:36; 11:27; 18:37).

• Jesus takes away the “world's” sin (1:29).

• Jesus is the Savior of the “world” (4:42).

• Jesus gives life to the “world” (6:33, 51).

• Jesus conquers the “world” (16:33) Into the “world”

• Jesus sends his followers (17:18) (Brian Stoffregen, crossmarks.com)

The very world God created and declared good rejected God. Jesus came into the middle of the chaos to re-create and make new God’s creation. We not only have the privilege of experiencing God's new creation, but we too are God's new creation. 

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