My Redemption
in the Cross of Christ
Num 21:4b–9; Ph 2:6–11; Jn 3:13–17 (Sep.
14th/ C)
“By your Holy Cross, You have redeemed
the World.”
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Triumph of the
Cross. The recovery of the cross by St. Helena in 326 brought joy to celebrate it
throughout the Church. The evangelist John’s account of the Old Testament story
(Num 21:4-9) brings fulfillment of God’s saving plan in Jesus’ crucifixion. On
their journey through the wilderness, the people of Israel bitterly complained
against God. To punish them, God sent a plague of deadly serpents. The people
repented and cried for mercy. God instructed Moses to make an image of a
serpent and to hold it up on a pole. Those who looked upon the serpent were
healed. In later times, the brazen serpent became an idol in the days of
Hezekiah, and that was destroyed because people were worshipping it (2 Kgs
18:4). The Jews themselves were confused whether they were forbidden to make
images. Thus, the rabbis explained it this way: “It was not the serpent that
gave life. It was God who healed them.” The healing power lies not in the
brazen serpent. It was only a symbol to indicate God.
The evangelist John uses this story to present Jesus lifted
on the cross as the brazen serpent, and people should turn their thoughts and
believe in him for eternal life. The Greek verb “hupsoun” means “to lift
up” in English. It is used of Jesus in two senses: (1) being lifted upon the
Cross (Jn 8:28; Jn 12:32) and being lifted into glory into heaven (Act 2:33;
Act 5:31; Phil 2:9). These two are inextricably connected. It is inevitable to
have glory without the cross. There is no victory without struggle. There is a
phrase that speaks of “believing in Jesus” (Jn 3:16) in the Gospel. It means at
least three things. Firstly, God loves and forgives all whom he created.
Secondly, he sent his only son, Jesus, to give us everlasting life through his
death and resurrection. Thirdly, whatever Jesus says is true, and we should
believe it.
We need to understand the phrase “eternal life” (Jn
3:16). If we enter into eternal life, what does it give us? It gives us peace
with God. It gives us peace with men. It
enables us to see men as God sees them. It gives us peace with life. God is
working all things together for good. We may not understand life any better,
but we will no longer resent it. It gives us peace with ourselves. We are more
afraid of ourselves than of anything else. We know our own weakness. We know
the force of our own temptations, tasks, and the demands of our lives. But now we
know that we are facing it all with God. It is not we who live but Christ who
lives in us. There is peace founded on Christ.
The deepest peace on earth is certainly a shadow of
the ultimate peace which is to come. It gives us hope and a goal to travel. It provides
a life of glorious wonder here and yet, at the same time, a life in which the
best is yet to be. The Triumph of the Cross is the Triumph of Jesus Christ. The
deeper meaning of the Cross is presented in Jesus’ “kenosis,” meaning “emptying”
himself. The word “whosoever” in the phrase “whoever believes in him (3:16) employed
here brings meaning that in the Divine compassion, there is no limitation,
restriction, or condition prescribed by Divine wisdom, which can exclude the
meanest or the vilest. God the Father always rejoices in searching out those
who have strayed, and he welcomes them home with open arms. Every penitent
believer enjoys the incomparable gift of salvation by looking to Jesus on the
Cross. The intercessory prayers of Our Lady of Sorrows will surely be our
support in our struggle for victory.
“Through you the world is redeemed by the blood of the Lord” (Divine Office).
Thank you. I really enjoy reading your weekly reflections.
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