Turning to the Son

“Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him." 

(John 3:14-15)

As you probably can tell, I like taking pictures of flowers. It's fun to get down on all fours, at flower level, and take pictures from ground level. Of course, Carol gets a little embarrassed when everyone sees this geeky photographer contorting himself in front of everyone.

There's a special class of flowers that make for good pictures: heliotropic flowers. The name “heliotropic” means sun-turning. So heliotropic flowers are flowers that follow the sun through the day. In the morning these flowers will face the rising sun, and if you come back to them later in the day they will be facing the mid-day or afternoon sun.

Sunflower varieties (of which there are over 24,000, including daisies) are common heliotropic flowers. Poppies also turn toward the sun, as do daffodils.

I think it's really cool to see clusters of flowers all stretching toward the sun.

But you know what's really cool? To see people stretching for the Son. Just like Jesus said, “the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life in him.”

There's a story in the Old Testament, when Moses is leading the people through the wilderness. The people complained, as they were wont to do. So God sent some venomous snakes among them. The snakes bit the people, and people began to die. Moses made a snake-on-a-pole thingy, and whoever looked at the snake-on-a-pole thingy was saved.

That's the story behind Jesus' quote in the gospel according to John: “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” Of course, Jesus is referring to his being lifted up on the cross. To believe in Jesus includes the cross.

As I write this, the cross is front and center in my mind. We've just celebrated a beautiful (and cute!) Palm Sunday, with children marching in waving palm branches, and a boy being pulled down the center aisle of the church on a donkey. But I know that the joy of Palm Sunday quickly gives way to the conflicts between Jesus and the Temple officials during the week. And Jesus will be abandoned by his friends. And Jesus will be lifted up on the cross.

On your way to Easter, don't forget the cross. Turn your eyes upon Jesus, as he offers forgiveness to his killers. Don't look away from the cross as Jesus cries in agony, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Look upon Jesus as he says, “It is finished,” for that is the moment for which he came into the world—to finish his atoning sacrifice for our sins.

Keep your eyes fixed upon Jesus. Witness what divine love really is like.

And believe.

When flowers turn to the sun, they receive life.

When we turn to the Son—the One on the cross—we also receive life. Eternal life.