John 3:16 is arguably one of the most well-known verses in the entire Bible. But before John 3:16 is John 3:14 where Jesus says, “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must be the son of man be lifted up. ” A call back to a rather bizarre story about a time when God’s people were being attacked by fiery serpents, and in the chaos of this moment, Moses lifted a pole and told everyone to look up – revealing a bronze serpent that healed them. Their source of pain becomes their source of healing.
Watch below our weekly Lenten meditation, In the Wilderness, where we reflect on God’s call to reorient ourselves in the wilderness.