B112 - Lent 4 (Num 21:4-9, John 3:14-21)

Dorothy Lee joins us to unpack the themes and theology of John 3. We begin with the Numbers reading, looking at the people’s grumbling, the difficulty of transition, and the strange use of snakes as both punishment and redemption from punishment. Metaphorically, the lack of trust in God is poisonous for the community. John 3 picks up this remarkable imagery of snake healing and compares it to the cross. The emphasis is on (eternal) life and the paradoxical manner in which God gives life. Dorothy’s latest book is “The Ministry of Women in the New Testament”. We mention “A Wrinkle in Time”.