Nicodemus Comes to Jesus

1. And there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.

2. He came to Jesus by night, and says to Him, Rabbi, we know that Thou art a Teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs, which Thou doest, unless God be with Him.

3. Jesus answered and said to him, Amen, amen, I say to thee, Unless someone be born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

4. Nicodemus says to Him, How can a man be born, being old aged? Can he enter a second [time] into the womb of his mother, and be born?

5. Jesus answered, Amen, amen, I say to thee, Unless someone be born of water and the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the spirit is spirit.

7. Marvel not that I said to thee, you must be born from above.

8. The spirit blows where it wills, and thou hearest the sound of it, but thou knowest not whence it comes or whither it goes; so is everyone that is born of the spirit.

The previous chapter began with the transformation of water into wine. After this miracle, it is written that “this was the beginning of signs through which Jesus manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him” (2:11). Again, at the end of the chapter, when Jesus returns to Jerusalem for the Passover, it is written that “many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did” (2:23).

As this next chapter begins, we learn that the “many who believed in His name because of the signs” includes not only the disciples and many of the people but also a religious leader named Nicodemus (3:1). Like the disciples and others who have begun to believe in Jesus, Nicodemus is drawn to Jesus by His miracles. As we have said, miracles and signs can get our attention. This can lead to a sincere desire to know Jesus, not just as a miracle worker, but as a teacher sent by God. As this next episode begins, this aspect of faith development is pictured by a Pharisee named Nicodemus who comes to Jesus by night and says, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God because nobody can do the signs that You do unless God is with him” (3:2).

Although Nicodemus has been drawn by signs, he stays for instruction. Accordingly, Jesus begins by teaching about the necessity of spiritual rebirth. As Jesus puts it, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (3:3).

In coming to Jesus by night, Nicodemus represents each of us when we are, so to speak, “in the dark” about spiritual reality but long to be instructed. Immersed in worldly concerns and physical desires, we are unable, as yet, to understand the deeper, more abstract teachings about spiritual life. Because of this, we cannot “see” the kingdom of God. Nicodemus, who represents this aspect of ourselves, cannot understand what Jesus means. When Jesus tells him about the need to be “born again,” Nicodemus wonders about how this could be possible. “How can a man be born when he is old?” he asks. “Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” (3:4).

As long as we remain in this stage of concrete thinking, regarding all things in terms of the flesh rather than in terms of the spirit, we will be unable to comprehend the deeper truths of spiritual reality. Religious life will be seen as a system of material rewards and physical punishments rather than as a life on a higher plane of existence where we are no longer driven by selfish desires. This higher plane of life is called “the kingdom of God.” As Jesus puts it, in order to truly “see” the kingdom of God, we must be born again. That is, we must begin to think and live differently.

This new way of thinking and living begins by learning truth from the Word of God. Therefore, Jesus says to Nicodemus, “Unless one is born of water and the spirit, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (3:5). Just as physical water quenches our natural thirst, spiritual water, quenches our spiritual thirst. Just as water can cleanse the body, truth applied to life can cleanse the soul. Using the language of sacred scripture, Jesus is telling Nicodemus that his new life will first begin when he learns genuine truth from the Word of God. This truth will lead to the “birth” of a new understanding.

But that’s not all. Jesus also says that people must be “born of the spirit.” This means that as people live according to their new understanding, it will lead to a second birth, the birth of a new will. They will be born of the spirit. Old desires that used to dominate them will no longer do so. These lower desires will be subjugated, and subdued. Instead of being ruled by these lower desires, people will be led by new desires, desires that focus on serving others rather than gratifying self, desires that focus on giving rather than getting, desires that focus on doing God’s will rather than their own. To be “born of the spirit,” then, refers to the “birth” of a new will.

The birth of this new understanding and new will make up our new life. Whenever this takes place, we have been born both of “water” and “spirit.” In this new life, satisfying the desires of the flesh is no longer our primary goal. Instead, we begin to focus on fulfilling the desires of the spirit. Matters that pertain to the cultivation of the spirit become more important than matters that pertain to the satisfying of the flesh. As Jesus says to Nicodemus, “that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit (3:6). ¹

The wind blows where it wishes

As Jesus continues to instruct Nicodemus about the new birth, He says, “Do not marvel that I say to you, you must be born again. The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes” (3:7-8).

Jesus has already said that the new birth involves being born of both water and the spirit. In brief, being born of water is to learn the truth, and to be born of the spirit is to live according to that truth. Jesus now compares spiritual rebirth to the motion of the wind. Although we can hear the wind when it moves through the trees and rustles through the leaves, we cannot see the wind itself. Similarly, we can “hear” the Word of the Lord, but we cannot “see” the myriad ways in which God secretly leads us, inspires us, and regenerates us. Our part in the new birth is direct and clear: we must learn truth from the Word, and we must live according to it. That is, we must “hear” it and do it. Meanwhile, the work of God goes on, for the most part, in secret. This is the deeper work that is beyond our conscious awareness. As Jesus says, “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes.” ²

Jesus then adds, “So is everyone who is born of the spirit” (3:8). In the original Greek, the word that is used here for “spirit” is πνεῦμα (pneuma), which means “breath.” This verse, then, can be read as follows: “So is everyone who is born by the breath of God.” As we strive to live according to the truths of His Word, God guides us from within, leading us away from evil and into good. Moreover, He does this in ways that are beyond number, using means that we cannot possibly imagine. Secretly, gradually, and without our conscious awareness, God is continuously leading us out of lower states of self-love while leading us towards higher states of heavenly love. ³

Practical application

The words, “The wind blows where it wishes” remind us that God provides, protects, and cares for us in unseen ways, secretly leading us away from hell and into heaven. Even though we may be only faintly aware of God’s presence, protection, and guidance, He is nevertheless with us at every moment. Although we tend to say things like, “It came to me,” or “It popped into my head,” or “it dawned on me,” we could be saying, “God brought this truth to my remembrance” or “God inspired me to lend a hand.” As a practical application, be aware that the spirit of God is working within you, secretly guiding you to make right choices and perform useful actions. Just do your part, consciously learning truth and putting it into your life. The Lord will secretly do the rest. ⁴

Jesus Teaches Nicodemus about the “Son of Man”

9. Nicodemus answered and said to Him, How can these things be?

10. Jesus answered and said to him, Art thou a teacher of Israel, and knowest not these things?

11. Amen, amen, I say to thee, We speak that which we know, and testify what we have seen, and you receive not our testimony.

12. If I have told you earthly things, and you believe not, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

13. And no one has ascended up to heaven except Him who came down from heaven, the Son of Man, who is in heaven.

14. And even as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

15. That everyone who believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.

The science of correspondences

Jesus’ teaching about the new birth is beyond the comprehension of Nicodemus who says, quite simply, “How can these things be?” (3:9). In reply, Jesus says, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? Most assuredly, I say to you, we speak what we know, and testify what we have seen, and you do not receive our witness” (3:10-11). Jesus here uses the pronoun “we,” indicating that His teachings have their origin in both divine love and divine wisdom. Both divine love and divine wisdom testify to the fact that human beings are born natural with the capacity for becoming spiritual. But this can only happen for those who are “born again” through learning truth and living according to it. Those who refuse to do this, says Jesus, “do not receive our witness.”

Jesus then seems to express surprise that Nicodemus does not know these essential things. After all, Nicodemus is a teacher in Israel. As a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin, Nicodemus would have been regarded as a highly esteemed religious teacher. And yet, when it comes to spiritual reality, Nicodemus still has much to learn. Jesus puts it like this: “If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?” (3:12).

Nicodemus does not yet understand that Jesus is using the language of sacred symbolism to illustrate heavenly things. The stories that are described in the letter of the Word, the religious rituals, the festivals—even the names of people and places—all signify and represent spiritual realities. The Word is written in this way so that it might at first be understood literally. Then, gradually, as one becomes ready to receive, deeper truths are communicated through the same literal words. ⁵

For example, the ritual washings that are described in the literal sense of the Word represent, in the spiritual sense, the purification of the spirit; the fire on the altar that never goes out, as described in the literal sense of the Word, represents, in the spiritual sense, God’s steadfast love. In fact, every word that Jesus speaks and every parable that He tells, contain a deeper, symbolic meaning. As it is written, “Without a parable spoke He not” (Matthew 13:34; Mark 4:34). That’s because He knows that everything in the natural world corresponds to something in the spiritual world. This is the two-fold witness of sacred scripture. The letter and the spirit work together to reveal both the divine wisdom and the divine love of the One God. ⁶

For many years, the knowledge about the relationship between natural objects and spiritual reality was considered the highest of all the sciences. Over time, however, as people became less spiritual and more worldly, they began to focus on the natural object itself, rather than on what the object signified. Religious ceremonies that had once been full of symbolic meaning gradually lost their deeper significance. People began to go through the motions as a mere habit. Rituals became external acts without internal meaning. A statue depicting some attribute of God was worshipped as somehow having divinity in itself, rather than as an earthly symbol of a divine quality. This was the origin of idolatry—the worship of the natural object rather than the Creator Himself.

This is the world into which Jesus came, a world that had lost the ability to see spiritual reality in terms of natural imagery. Because it was part of Jesus’ mission to restore the science of correspondences, He spoke in figurative language, using metaphors, parables, similes, and symbols to convey higher truths. This is no less true in this episode. Jesus has been consistently using earthly symbols to help Nicodemus understand spiritual reality, that is, heavenly things. ⁷

As Jesus continues to instruct Nicodemus, He now uses one of the most significant metaphors in the Word. Jesus refers to Himself as “the Son of Man.” The term, Son of Man, signifies the divine truth accommodated to human understanding. Jesus says, “No one has ascended to heaven except He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man, who is in heaven” (3:13). This is symbolic language. It means that the divine truth, which has its origin in heaven, must descend to humanity, even to the most natural level of our understanding and existence. In the fullness of time, the infinite, incomprehensible wisdom of God took on “flesh,” clothing itself in the language and images of everyday life so that finite people could understand infinite wisdom. The Son of Man, then, is both the Word accommodated to human understanding, and Jesus Himself who spoke those words. As it is written in the divine prelude to this gospel, “The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us” (1:14).

Lifting up the Son of Man

Jesus has just told Nicodemus that the Son of Man is the only one who has descended from heaven. This refers to the divine truth which is originally “in heaven” and then comes down from heaven as the Son of Man to teach us. It is important, however, that the divine truth that comes to us in earthly language be “lifted up.” That is, we must acknowledge its divine origin, strive to understand its deeper meaning, and, most importantly, put it into our lives. This is to “lift up the Son of Man.” As Jesus puts it in the next verse, “Even as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up” (3:14).

Jesus, as always, is speaking in parables. This time, He is referring to a parable already given in the Hebrew scriptures. It’s the well-known parable about the lifting up of the bronze serpent. The story takes place at a time when the children of Israel were wandering in the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land. Displeased about how long it was taking, and tired of eating manna every day, they murmured and complained bitterly against Moses and against the Lord. As a result of their murmuring and discontent, they were bitten by fiery serpents, a bite that brought death to many. As a way of healing them from the bite of the serpent, the Lord commanded Moses to attach a bronze serpent to an upright pole. Then, as it is written, “when anyone looked at the bronze serpent, he lived” (Numbers 21:9).

In the most literal sense, this is a story about simple faith. The Lord commanded Moses to attach the bronze serpent to a pole and lift it up. Then the people were told to look at it, and miraculously, they were healed. Simple obedience produced the miracle of a complete healing.

More deeply, the serpent lifted up on a pole represents the Lord’s coming to us, at first, at our lowest level of understanding. A serpent that crawls on the ground represents the natural, physical level, the level of the senses. When Jesus says that He has “come down from Heaven” as the “Son of Man,” He is referring to the descent of divine truth which comes to earth in a bodily form and in human language. This is Jesus Christ who comes to us as a human being on the plane of our senses so that He can be seen, heard, and touched. This is called the Lord’s “Divine Natural.” It is the body that He took on while in the world so that He could be among us in human form, meet us where we are, and speak to us in words that we can understand. ⁸

As we have mentioned, the story of the brazen serpent can be read as a simple story about how the Lord can heal us when we obey His Word. As we go deeper, however, we discover that there is much more to the story. We begin to see that the deadly bite of the fiery serpent represents the burning flames of selfish love, the intense heat of anger, and the feverish pursuit of worldly goals. Whenever we are caught up in these unquenchable fires, represented by the murmuring and discontent of the children of Israel, there is a good chance that we, too, have been bitten by “fiery serpents.” There is, however, an antidote. As we lift up the Son of Man by looking to His teachings and applying them in our life, He, in turn, lifts us up and heals us of our spiritual infirmities. As Jesus says, “Even as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (3:14-15). ⁹

For God So Loved the World

16. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that everyone who believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.

17. For God sent not His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

18. He that believes in Him is not judged, but he that believes not is judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

19. And this is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were wicked.

20. For everyone committing evil hates the Light, and comes not to the Light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

21. But he who does the truth, comes to the Light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they have been worked in God.

For God so loved the world …

As Jesus continues to instruct Nicodemus, He says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (3:16). This well-known verse needs to be understood in its proper context. Jesus has just compared Himself to the bronze serpent set up on a pole in the wilderness. Historically, this has been regarded as a prophecy about Jesus’ crucifixion—that He would be crucified on a wooden pole, and all who looked to Him would be saved from their sins.

But there is another way of looking at this. The bronze serpent who is attached to a pole and lifted up can also represent the earthly sense of the Word being raised up so that the heavenly sense might be understood. In this regard, then, whether we are speaking about the bronze serpent being lifted up in the wilderness or the Son of Man being lifted up in a world that is barren of truth, we are speaking about the power of the Word when it is “lifted up” in our minds. This is what can happen within us when the literal truths of the Word are seen in higher light and applied to our lives. It can heal us from “the bite of the fiery serpent”—the false ideas and feverish desires that would otherwise destroy us. ¹⁰

To “believe in the only begotten Son,” then, is to believe the truth that Jesus teaches. It must be emphasized, however, that belief is much more than intellectual assent. To truly believe is to live according to what we believe. Only then does faith become real. And if we do so, living according to the truth that is given to the world through Jesus, we are saved. This then, is the deeper meaning of the words, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” In this context, God’s “only begotten Son” is the divine truth that proceeds from the Father’s love. In other words, out of the fullness of His love, the Father has given us divine truth so that we might learn it, live according to it, be born again, and have everlasting life. As Jesus says, “Whoever believes in Him,” meaning whoever believes and lives according to the divine truth, “will not perish, but have everlasting life.” ¹¹

As Jesus continues to instruct Nicodemus, He makes it clear that the truth is given to bless us, not to condemn us; it is given to show us the way to heaven and to protect us from the misery of hell. If, however, we refuse to live according to the truth, we condemn ourselves to lives of misery. As Jesus puts it, “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (3:17-18). ¹²

The “name of God,” as we have mentioned, is much more than a literal name. This phrase stands for everything good and true that proceeds from God and is intended for our happiness. If we choose to reject the many qualities that God freely bestows upon us—peace, joy, and love, for example—we condemn ourselves to lives of anxiety, sadness, and hatred. This is not something God does to us. We do it to ourselves. He did not come into the world to condemn us, but rather to bless us. He did not give us the truth to convict us of sin, but rather to show us the path to heaven. ¹³

The light of truth has come into the world

As we have pointed out, the literally minded people of Jesus’ day had great difficulty understanding abstract thought. As we have seen, when Jesus told Nicodemus that he must be born again, Nicodemus said, “How can an old man be born a second time. Can he go back into his mother’s womb?” Similarly, it would have been difficult, if not impossible, to teach the people of that era about how truth proceeds from good in the way that light proceeds from the heat of a fire. Nor could they understand how the infinite love of God could come to earth in human form to give His people the light of truth. Instead, Jesus spoke in terms of a Father in heaven who sent His Son to earth, and as a King who sent His Son to rule in His place. ¹⁴

In the literal sense of the Word, then, the relationship between God and Jesus is compared to the relationship between an invisible Father and a visible Son. According to the literal sense, the invisible Father in heaven sent His Son to earth to give all people the light of truth. This light was given so that people could be led out of darkness. If taken to heart and lived, this truth would set them free from hatred, selfishness, greed, and—especially—the domination of evil spirits. ¹⁵

Unfortunately, not everyone wants to live in the light of truth or be liberated from the domination of evil spirts. Some people find strange comfort in complaining, criticizing, and harboring resentment. Some simply prefer the darkness. Rather than resting in the light of truth, they rest in the darkness of falsity. As Jesus puts it, “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (3:19).

Light, as a symbol for divine truth, needs little explanation. Just as the natural light of the sun lights our way so that we do not stumble or go astray, the spiritual light of divine truth shows us the way to a heavenly and useful life. Light, however, is not welcomed by those who operate under the cover of darkness. Therefore, Jesus adds, “For everyone practicing evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God” (3:20-21). It should be noted that Jesus says, “he who does the truth,” not just “he who believes the truth.” ¹⁶

This is where Jesus ends His discourse with Nicodemus. Even if we, like Nicodemus, at first understand only a little of what Jesus is saying to us, we sense that there is something great and wonderful about Jesus’ words. Nicodemus, then, in asking our questions for us, comes to represent that part in each of us that is drawn to the light, even in the darkest night of our understanding. Like Nicodemus, we each, in our own way, are drawn to Jesus, sensing that He is a teacher “come from God” and that if we live according to the truth that Jesus teaches, “we shall not perish but have everlasting life.” ¹⁷

A practical application

John 3:16 teaches that God so loved the world that He sent His Son—the divine truth—into the world so that we could understand it, live according to it, and thereby have eternal life. This is what it means to “lift up the Son of Man” or “look upward” to the truth that leads to eternal life. While we cannot give eternal life to anyone, we can each be life-givers in our own way. The doctor who goes to work each day out of a love for healing, the teacher who goes to work each day out of a love for seeing students learn, the lawyer who goes to work each day out of a love for justice, the waiter, the landscaper, the carpenter, the caregiver, who go to work each day out of a love for serving—no matter how mundane or exalted the task—are each being life-givers in their own way. Whether you are a surgeon doing a heart transplant, a cashier offering a friendly greeting to a customer, or a barista serving up a hot latte with a smile, you are being a life-giver. As you lift up others, you will also be lifting up the Son of Man. ¹⁸

The Testimony of John the Baptist

22. After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea; and there He tarried with them, and baptized.

23. And John also was baptizing in Aenon, near Salim, because many waters were there; and they came, and were baptized,

24. For John was not yet cast into prison.

25. Then there was a question from the disciples of John with the Jews about purification.

26. And they came to John, and said to him, Rabbi, He that was with thee across Jordan, to whom thou bearest witness, behold, He baptizes, and all come to Him.

27. John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, unless it be given him from heaven.

28. You yourselves testify for me that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before Him.

29. He that has the bride is the bridegroom, and the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices with joy because of the bridegrooms voice; this my joy therefore is fulfilled.

30. He must grow, but I [must] become less.

31. He who comes from above is above all; he that is from the earth is from the earth, and speaks from the earth; He who comes from heaven is above all.

32. And what He has seen and heard, this He testifies, and no one receives His testimony.

33. He that has received His testimony has sealed that God is true.

34. For [He] whom God has sent speaks the sayings of God, for God gives not the Spirit [to Him] by measure.

35. The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.

36. He that believes in the Son has eternal life; but he that believes not the Son shall not see life, but the anger of God remains on him.

As the next episode begins, we find that Jesus and His disciples have traveled to the land of Judea “and there Jesus remained with them and baptized” (3:22). John’s disciples are wondering about what is happening. Therefore, they come to John and say, “Rabbi, He that was with you across Jordan, about whom you bore witness, behold, He baptizes, and all come to Him” (3.26). John replies, “I am not the Christ. But I have been sent before Him. He must increase, but I must decrease” (3:28-30). The letter of the Word, represented by John the Baptist, precedes the spiritual sense of the Word. Over time, however, as the spiritual sense increases, the literal sense must decrease. As the spiritual sense of the Word is “lifted up,” the literal sense is seen as a divine container of the truth, but not the truth itself, even as the body contains the soul but is not the soul. ¹⁹

Not only does John the Baptist see Jesus as the Christ, but he also sees himself as “the friend of the bridegroom,” and as the one “who rejoices with joy at the bridegroom’s voice” (3:29). In referring to himself as the friend of the bridegroom, and to Jesus as the bridegroom, John is suggesting something about the relationship between himself as the literal sense of the Word and Jesus as the spiritual sense of the Word. At a wedding, the bridegroom has a more significant role than the friend of the bridegroom. Similarly, the spiritual sense of the Word has a more significant role than the literal sense. And yet, they are “friends.”

When these two senses of the Word, the literal and the spiritual, come together, the literal sense is indeed the “friend “ of the spiritual sense. This is because the literal sense precedes the spiritual sense, supports the spiritual sense, and contains the spiritual sense. When these two senses are seen as one, the wisdom within the Word shines through the letter, bringing joy. As John puts it, he “rejoices with joy because of the bridegroom’s voice, and his joy is fulfilled” (3:29). ²⁰

As John the Baptist continues to testify about Jesus, he says, “He who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all” (3:31). John’s words describe the difference between the literal sense of the Word, which speaks of people, places, and earthly events, and the spiritual sense of the Word, which speaks of heavenly, timeless matters such as faith, hope, and love. John the Baptist, like the literal sense of sacred scripture is “of the earth and speaks of the earth.” He, therefore, represents the literal sense of the Word. But the spiritual sense of the Word, like Jesus Himself, comes from heaven and is “above all.” ²¹

It is clear to John that everything that Jesus says is from God. As John puts it, “For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand” (3:34-35). When understood spiritually, this means that divine love (the Father) has come to earth as divine truth (the Son), who will have all power (all things have been given into His hand). It is at this point that John makes a most powerful appeal to believe in the truth that Jesus is teaching. As John puts it, “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life.” He then he adds a cautionary note, saying, “He who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (3:36).

Understanding the “wrath of God”

John the Baptist, as we have pointed out, is “of the earth” and therefore has an earthly understanding of spiritual reality. He therefore speaks about “the wrath of God”—a familiar theme in the Hebrew scriptures. For most people, belief begins with a general idea that all things come from God, and that God not only rewards, but also punishes. The so-called “wrath of God,” so often mentioned in the Bible, is an appearance accommodated to the state of the people. ²²

As we have said, there is a difference between the spiritual sense of the Word, which is its heavenly meaning, and the literal sense of the Word, which is its earthly meaning. The literal sense reflects the beliefs and attitudes of the day, especially the idea of a punitive, angry God. But the spiritual sense is quite different. When the Son of Man is lifted up, that is, when the Word is read in the light of its higher meaning, it can be seen that the Son of Man is the divine truth. And in the light of that truth, it can be understood that God is ever merciful, forgiving, and unceasing in His love. It is from that great love, called the “Father,” that He gives us the truth, called His “only begotten Son” so that we might be protected from evil and experience the blessings of heaven.

The spiritual sense of the Word teaches that God, who is pure love and pure wisdom, can never be angry, punishes no one, and casts no one into hell. We do this to ourselves by the choices that we make. Just as the literal sense of scripture must decrease and make room for the spiritual sense, this must also happen in each of our lives. As we learn spiritual truth, and apply it to our lives, our old nature must decrease so that a new nature might increase within us. In other words, our old understanding and our old will must decrease so that a new understanding and a new will might be born and grow in us.

True belief

Throughout this chapter, it has been frequently repeated that whoever believes in the Son has everlasting life. When Jesus compared Himself to the bronze serpent that was lifted up in the wilderness. He said, “Even so must the Son of Man be lifted up that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (3:15). One verse later, it is written that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (3:16). And the chapter concludes with the words of John the Baptist who says, “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life. But he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (3:36).

When these statements are understood apart from the internal sense and separated from other teachings, a reader might understandably conclude that belief is the only thing necessary for salvation and that the wrath of God abides upon all who do not believe. As we have mentioned, this is where faith begins for some people, but this is not yet genuine faith. True faith emerges when the fear of God’s wrath is replaced by an appreciation for God’s love. True faith emerges as the selfish desire to obtain glory, honor, and wealth is replaced by the unselfish desire to serve our neighbor. True faith emerges when we clearly see that faith is not faith until it is united with charity, that truth is not truth until it is united with goodness, and that wisdom is not wisdom until it is united with love.

While the literal sense seems to imply that belief is the only thing necessary for salvation, the spiritual sense teaches that belief, faith, and truth only become real when lived. In the language of sacred scripture, if we choose to live according to the truth taught by the Son—loving God and practicing charity toward the neighbor, “we will not perish, but have everlasting life…. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” ²³

A practical application

Your belief is important, even essential. But belief without action is not belief; and faith without charity is not faith. Neither belief by itself, nor faith by itself, can bring heavenly life. In the end, it’s not your belief that matters, nor your faith, or even your understanding, no matter how high it might be raised. Rather, it’s all about your life, and how you lived it. Did you put your beliefs into action? Did you practice your faith? Did your understanding lead you to being kinder and more considerate of others, less self-absorbed, less inclined to get upset, and more inclined to forgive?

A powerful, accurate, belief system, is vitally important, but only when it becomes the basis for how you live your life. In brief, if you genuinely believe something, you will live according to that belief. This might be a good opportunity to reflect on your beliefs. What do you truly believe? And, more importantly, how do those beliefs show up in your life? ²⁴

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