The fourth Sunday of Lent marks a halfway point for our Lenten journey. The gospel reading calls out attentions to the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus from the gospel of John, with its famous statement that “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” At times, we can see this citation on the bumper stickers when we get stuck in the traffic. In a sense, this is Jesus’ mission statement. He came to this world to save us. But to save us from what? One may answer to save us from sin and death. But what does it mean? The gospel reading begins with Jesus’ affirmation that the Son of man must be lifted up, just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert. He refers to a famous story of the people of Israel from the book of Numbers during their journey towards the Promised Land. As you may remember, having crossed the Red Sea they immediately entered the desert—a place without life. God allowed this to test their hearts and to see whether they would listen to him and trust his providence or not. However, they immediately started doubting about God, his love, and his power to save them. They began to grumble and rebel against God and Moses trying to stone him to death. They were ready to go back to Egypt, their place of slavery and oppression. But God would constantly respond to their rebellion with his generosity providing food and water they needed. But even with that—the miraculous food of manna, they would get fed up and tired. So, God allowed some small serpents to bite some of them to death. This situation of death made them recognize their sin against God. As they again cried out to God to save them, Moses made a bronze serpent and placed him on a pole. Anyone bitten by the serpents who looked at the bronze serpent would be saved from death and healed. I think this story of the people of Israel well describes our situation as well. At times, we also feel tempted to doubt of the love of God and to rebel against his will God and his plan for us. We might be tempted to think that he has done a mistake allowing certain situations in our lives. We do so, because like the people of Israel, we have been bitten by the poisonous serpents—the devil who doesn’t want us to follow the way of the Lord. But God has provided a medicine for us. As the bronze serpent became a remedy for the Israelites in the desert, so for us is the glorious cross of Jesus. Paradoxically, an instrument of death becomes a source of life. In every Eucharist we can partake of the fruits of this tree of life. This is the good news of the resurrection of Christ who has power to save us from the power of the evil one. This season of Lent invites us to discover again the power of God’s love for each one of us.