RBWords

     One of the major features of the Gospel of John is the use of encounters with particular figures to allow Jesus to "discourse" on subjects that come up in the encounter!  Sometimes the evangelist/editor gets involved as well.  The quotation above is a familiar one.  [The citation, John 3:16, often appears on a banner at athletic events on TV!]  But if one is reading the whole passage [3:1-21] carefully, we can see that not only Jesus and Nicodemus, but the "narrator" [and ourselves as audience] are on stage!  We begin with a description of Nicodemus, a Pharisee, who comes "at night" because of his fear of his fellow Pharisees.  However, he is curious about Jesus, and represents probably more than just himself.  Then we have the famous dialog about being born of water and the Spirit.  But then Nicodemus seems to go back into the shadows and Jesus continues with the image of Moses lifting up the serpent in the desert.   Then the narrator seems to come back because the grammatical person changes from first person to third person!  [I know, this is debated by the scholars!]

     What difference does this make?  As it see it, the situation is not the same if Jesus is speaking to us directly than if the narrator is speaking to us.  Yes, yes, it's all inspired by the Holy Spirit, but our participation in the scriptural "event" changes if we go from passive spectator to narrator, which is precisely what our baptism demainds of us.  We go from listener to preacher!  Those folks with the banner may irritate the people sitting behind them, but maybe some Nicodemus in the audience might pick up a coffee table Bible sitting in front of the TV, blow the dust off it and see what John 3:16 refers to!  I hope all of us will do that - even today!  AMEN