The most-preached verse in the Bible?

This Saturday is the 14th day in September. It’s Holy Cross day. On this day, the lectionary invites us to ponder John 3:13-17. In the English Standard Version, these verses span two sections, with the headings “You Must Be Born Again,” and “For God So Loved the World.”

Chow Kit is considered one of the less-safe places in Kuala Lumpur.[1] If, in a dark alley one night in Chow Kit, a stranger holds a knife to your throat and says, “quote a Bible verse, or you die,” what verse will you quote?

I think your choice will reveal much about you; will reveal why you think you’re alive; why you think you’re a Christian; and what you think is the way either to survive or to die well. What do you think it will reveal?

The meaning and purpose of life is something we seldom speak about. People like firemen, lifeguards, doctors, nurses, undertakers, encounter death daily. Yet even they seldom talk about death in relation to the meaning and purpose of life.

This Saturday’s reading lies within a report of a conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews.

John tells us Nicodemus came to Jesus at night, in the dark. John assumes his readers know the vast majority of Jews were at the doorway to death, under Roman occupation.

John tells us Nicodemus began the conversation by saying he recognized Jesus as “a teacher come from God.” Because of the “signs” Jesus did. As we’ve read over the past few weeks, Jesus was famous for his miracles.

John tells us Jesus immediately moved the conversation to “the kingdom of God.” Why do I say “immediately”? Because the sentence begins with “truly, truly.” This is John’s way of putting an exclamation mark, a signal of urgency, before he says something very important.

What is the kingdom of God? Why did Jesus bring it up? Could it be that Nicodemus came in the dark to avoid the spies of Caesar, the Lord, ruler, king, of Rome? Because he knew Jesus would speak of the kingdom?

“Kingdom” is a political word. A charged word. A dangerous word.

Jesus didn’t just mention God’s kingdom. He spoke about how to get into it. Jesus assumed Nicodemus wished to get both himself and others into it. Jesus said it wouldn’t be easy. He said it required being “born again.”

“Born again” was an uncommon term. It flummoxed Nicodemus. He responded with something which sounds silly to us. He suggested Jesus was saying Nicodemus had to return to the moment he came out from his mother’s womb and start his life all over again.

Nicodemus’ response sounds silly to us. But it wasn’t. It was just the way rabbis, teachers, carried out conversations. You say something, I respond with something which may sound silly. By doing so, I open an interesting way for you to explain what you mean.

Jesus explained. In a rabbinic way. He said the rebirth must be “by the spirit.” This is of course another thing which needs rabbinic explanation. Jesus explained which spirit he meant. He meant the Spirit of God.

But Jesus added that explaining the source of rebirth is as impossible as explaining where the wind comes from. You just know there’s a wind. You know because there’s evidence of its presence, for example, noise.

Jesus went directly to the point: You see a man doing miracle after miracle. You see him countering arguments of rabbi after rabbi. You know what the culture expects. You know what you must do. You must follow him as a disciple follows a rabbi. You must join him. Publicly.

If you don’t, and especially if you’re a ruler – a ruler aligned to the Roman power of the day, and you want to remain so – there’s only one thing left for you to do. You have to get rid of him. Get rid of the one who speaks of another kingdom, of another way of organizing and managing people.

Jesus’ message is stark: Nicodemus, if you’re not with me, you’re with those who will kill me.

But there’s a mystery to the killing. The killing will save from death, will give life. The killing by raising up, by nailing till dead by bleeding and exhaustion on a cross, will be as life-giving as the golden serpent Moses raised up. The serpent which saved the Israelites from certain death.

And the life given will be eternal life, contrasted with perishing. The key verse, the verse which many will quote in Chow Kit, is John 3:16,

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

I’ve written before about the serpent Moses raised up and about eternal life. You can read what I said by clicking these links: first, The Serpent, the Son, and Nicodemus; and second, Do you have eternal life?

One of the best-known writers among Christians is Max Lucado. After he published a book titled “3:16 The Numbers of Hope,” he was interviewed by Preaching Magazine. You can read the interview by clicking here.

During the interview, he said the world’s best-known evangelist, Billy Graham, said he’s spent his whole life trying to preach John 3:16. Then Lucado asked, “What better verse to dedicate your life to?”

What will you quote in Chow Kit? What verse is your life dedicated to?

Peace be with you.

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[1] Overall, Kuala Lumpur is a fairly safe city. But like all cities, there are areas where caution is advised. The website of Forever Vacation attempts to answer the question “Is Kuala Lumpur Safe to Visit?” Quora and Trip Advisor are among  sites which flag Chow Kit as less safe.