And the Lord said: ” No one has ascended into heaven but He who was descended from heaven, the Son of man which is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man ascend, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God so loved the world that He begotten Son gave him, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. ”

Sunday Gospel text before the Exaltation of the Cross contains only five verses. It is one of the shortest texts are read as gospel in the Divine Liturgy on Sundays throughout the year. It is short, but as far as short as it is rich in teachings of faith foreshadowing power of the Cross, the Incarnation, the world’s salvation through the coming of the Son, about judgment. All these teachings were exhibited by Christ the Savior in a dialogue that I had with a ruler of the Jews, a Pharisee, a scholar, a teacher of law, named Nicodemus. But let us more fully the Gospel.

The dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus. A “theology of the sacrament”

One night, Nicodemus comes to Jesus secretly. A surprise visit to Christ the Redeemer. Nicodemus was afraid to come openly, precisely because it was decided in Israel to be expelled from the synagogue anyone who believes in Jesus and confess Him. So Nicodemus, a teacher of the law who teaches in the synagogue could not risk being thrown out of it.
He was a man of honor in Israel, a member of the Sanhedrin and therefore fear of compromising his to come at night, in secret, to Jesus. But it comes with good thought, not cunning. It is well-intentioned in his approach. He did not come to arrest him Jesus in word, and then expose him to the religious authorities of the people, but frankly, with good intentions, certainly having many questions for Jesus. We do not know if I managed to put them. Evangelist John, the only one who plays this episode, do not mention anything about it. He did just that, make a statement, to express a belief of his, on the person of Jesus, and nothing more. And here’s what I say: “Rabbi, we know that teacher come from God, for these miracles that thou doest nobody can do unless God is with him …” (Jn. 3: 2).
We see in his expression that speaks in the plural “we”. Do not say “know” that teacher come from God, but “we”. So is the original text, and could Nicodemus have not only expressed his belief but also others from Israel, the Jewish leaders who saw in Jesus a real rabbi.

Apparently Nicodemus never managed to ask him anything on Jesus, because He has before him a few truths and expose them. This dialogue was born a true theology. Here are the fundamentals of this “theology of dialogue mystery”: redemption, the Incarnation of Jesus, God’s love as motivation and sending the Incarnation of the Son, the possibility of saving a man who believes in Jesus.
The first problem is that of the Saviour Christ in dialogue with Nicodemus is born from above. Scribes and Pharisees Nicodemus, Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say: Unless a man is born from above, he can not see the kingdom of God” (Jn. 3: 3). Profound truth of faith! But it seems that Nicodemus did not understand too much of it, because it immediately puts a childish question of Jesus: “How can a man be born being old? Maybe can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb and be born? … “(Jn. 3: 4).

Seeing that does not understand, Jesus tried to explain what kind of birth it: “Truly, truly, I say to not be born of water and the Spirit, he can not enter the kingdom of God” (Jn . 3: 5). So he speaks about Christian baptism and its effect on the baptized. And to assure him the truth confessed Jesus adds: “We confess what I saw and what I’ve seen say” (Jn. 3, 11).
Nicodemus think of when it began to be troubled and puzzled. From here begins rounding him. And all this Jesus adds one thing, hard to understand his dialogue partner. Here’s what he says: “No one has ascended into heaven, but he who was descended from heaven, the Son of man which is in heaven” (Jn. 3, 13).

“What authority report to you?”

Jesus now presents his identity. He is the one who came from heaven and was incarnate and nobody, there has not ever come up, but only him who was sent down from the Father. With these words we think Nicodemus will be totally amazed. It will be said to Nicodemus: So you’re not just a teacher? Who I am still talking? Not a Rabbi? So You came from heaven? Then what authority report to you? As the highest authority for it was Moses. And Moses came from God and his word was at God, he will say, further, Nicodemus. So, what greater authority than Moses You can have? Jesus predicts his bewilderment. It shows the way in carrying forward the dialogue. He had to do now? Nothing else than to give Nicodemus a “key,” said former Metropolitan of Transylvania, Antonie Plămădeală, to solve the problem of the two authorities: one of Moses, guaranteed much and he as a teacher of the law knew very well, another of Jesus, which had now demonstrated. And then, Jesus brings Nicodemus his plan into understanding and appeals to Moses. Here’s what he says: “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must ascend the Son of Man, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (Jn. 3, 14) . What will be said and Nicodemus now? Why appeal to Moses? He wants to say, referring to Moses in an attempt to substantiate identity? But he can not, Nicodemus, a teacher of the Old Testament Law, have not guessed why Jesus made reference to Moses and the serpent lifted up by him. And then, that’s why Jesus made reference to the prophet who received the Law at Sinai. He wanted to convey something Nicodemus, and through him, and new ones today. What? The truth about the Cross and the power given to them by Him who died on it.

In the book of Numbers chapter. 21 1-9 recounted a time when the Hebrew people on the way to the Promised Land, murmur against God, reproaching Moses out of Egypt: “We have brought out of Egypt to kill us in the wilderness? That there is neither bread nor water, and soul to us was disgusted with this meager food “(Num. 21: 5). God is angry with murmurers and punishes them by sending poisonous snakes that biting them, killing them.

The people repent before God for their sin, and when Moses at the command of Yahweh, rises on a pillar, a bronze serpent. And advises people that whoever will be bitten by poisonous snakes to look at the bronze serpent and thus be saved. Here the Lord’s command: “And the Lord said to Moses,” Make a snake and put it on a pole; and that every man will bite şerpească touched by will look at it, shall live. ” So Moses made a bronze serpent and put it on a pole; and if a serpent bit any man, that looked at the bronze serpent and live “(Num. 21: 8-9). And so people escape the punishment.
Telling them this event, Jesus brings to light now, Nicodemus that He is the Son of God and that as the bronze serpent was lifted up on the pole, so he will be exalted post cross, and all those bitten by snake -diavol on Him will not die. But not only will not die but have eternal life.

St. Cyril of Alexandria sees personified in the serpent of old sins that have the same deadly bite. Here’s what he says: “For sin means snake bitter and murderous people who struggle the whole human race on earth, biting in many ways the soul of every man and flowing and he venom of many kinds of evil.”
So brazen serpent of Moses gave earthly life; Jesus lifted up on the cross gives eternal life. Cross with crucified on it becomes life-giving world. But one thing is clear: in order to have life, it’s not enough to look only at the Cross and Jesus crucified on it, but should and believe in its power. So, in the Old Testament healed only those who looked at the snake. The snake as rescue tool exists, but those who did not want to see him die. The exalted Christ on a cross can be seen by anyone, but only those living who believe in Him.

That’s how deep was this dialogue of Jesus with Nicodemus and how hard it will be for the teacher to intuit message Hebrew words of Jesus.

Cross – a sign of worship of Christ

The cross of Jesus was honest, dedicating himself a true Christian worship since the first century. In Philippians, written sometime around 54-55, at Ephesus, the Apostle Paul reminds heartache and tears in the eyes of some who behaved as enemies of the cross of Christ. Here’s what he says: “Many whom I have spoken often (ie those contestants of the Sacrifice of Jesus), and now tell you weeping, behave as enemies of the cross of Christ; Their end is destruction “(3, 18). So, the end does not believe in the Cross and contempt is ruined.

Holy Cross conviction that carries within itself a power that no one notices it, even despise, which condemns irrevocably, causes discomfort Apostle soul alarming. Take a stand against those who disregard the power of the Cross leads to the conclusion that, at the time the epistle, in Christian worship Holy Cross had a special place. These texts form the basis Cross New Testament worship practiced by Christians since the second half of the first century.

The same Apostle Paul in Galatians confesses that between Christians of his day, there were some who were persecuted for the cross of Christ (6, 12). This proves that the cross was honest in his time as a sign of Christian identity authentication. In this regard, the Apostle says, “But I do not praise me be me than in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ …” (Gal. 6, 14). “Praise” of which the Apostle speaks is nothing less than his full identification sign with the gospel that he preached and was centered on the Cross, that the sacrifice of Jesus on it. Apostle conveyed the message that the Christians was that crucifixion Christian Galatians to the “world”, understood as the reality of sin is operated, Cross and her assumption.

A cult of the Cross was already in the Christian community in Corinth at the time the Epistles of Apostle sent some preserved, others lost. Cautionary statement: “The word of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but for us we saved it is the power of God “(1 Cor. 1, 18) expresses some preaching apostolic, which had at its center the veneration of the Cross, understood as saving power for those who believe in it and scandal those who are stumbling, seeing in it only the “madness” of a God who allowed His Son to die in shame them (1 Cor. 1: 22-25).
The writer of Hebrew tells us that Jesus “for the joy set before him endured the cross, disregarding the shame them” (12: 2). This anticipated joy eschatological cult Cross accompanied the early Christians in their full identification with Christ. This is exactly what the Apostle Paul told the Galatians Christians, seeking private interpretation of what he felt the Lord sacrificed his experience: ‘I have been crucified with Christ; and I’m not the one who live, but Christ who lives in me … Not that I loved and was gave himself for me “(Gal. 2, 20).
So its power all who share our honor. With this power arm ourselves with this power walk in the world, this power guarding the highways and sanctify our homes. Cross protects and eternal slumber of our loved ones, so their guards at the tomb.

Mark yourself with the sign of the cross whenever you start your journey to be your shield and defense to travel! Everywhere, day and night, do not start any work until you have not marked with the sign of that power. Cross is not a sign some. Therefore, do and sign over babies in the cradle, which still can not do it and that this power to protect them, to grow big and help them to become, later, true Christians. This is the sign and power that accompanies us and that we overcome every obstacle and any distress arising in our way.

Source: ziarullumina.ro