Part 5: The 'Old Testament Era' Setting of John 3 Moves from Moses to Joshua, and then to David
◆ The Appearance of Nicodemus
When reading chapter 3 of the Gospel of John through the lens of a “heliocentric theory,” the eras of Moses, Joshua, Samuel, and David become visible in the background. Compared to John chapter 1, which only covers the era of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (see Part 3), and John chapter 2, which only covers the era of Moses (see Part 4), the era shifts significantly in John chapter 3.
Nicodemus appears in John chapter 3.
John 3:1 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council.
The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke write nothing about Nicodemus. Nicodemus is a figure who appears only in the Gospel of John. This alone should make it clear that the Gospel of John is a completely different book from the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. As I have written many times in this series, the Gospel of John depicts the “Jesus of Heaven” who transcends time and space, while the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke depict the life of the “Jesus of Earth.” Beyond the framework of a biography of an earthly life (geocentric theory), it was precisely because of the perspective of the “Jesus of Heaven” (heliocentric theory), who governs the grand history from the Old Testament to the New Testament, that the appearance of Nicodemus was necessary. I suppose.
Now, since Nicodemus is an expert in the Law, in John chapter 3, the “giving of the Mosaic Law” is layered first. Jesus speaks to this Nicodemus about the Holy Spirit, but that is because the Gospel of John is a book with a multi-layered structure that overlaps the “Old Testament era” and the “Apostolic era.” The “Jesus of Heaven” conveyed the word of God through the Holy Spirit to the prophets during the “Old Testament era” and to the disciples during the “Apostolic era.”
I plan to explain the “Apostolic era” in detail after I have finished explaining the “Old Testament era.”
◆ From the Giving of the Law to 40 Years of Wandering in the Wilderness
The people of Israel, who escaped Egypt led by Moses, were given the Law by God. This is the so-called “giving of the Mosaic Law.” When we speak of the Mosaic Law, the “Ten Commandments” in Exodus chapter 20 are famous. However, the Law given to the people of Israel is a vast one that spans from Exodus to Leviticus and even Numbers. This “giving of the Mosaic Law” might be called the pinnacle of the faith of the people of Israel in the “Old Testament era.” If the people of Israel had walked with God without complaining, one could say that the relationship between God and man was at its best. However, that did not happen.
The people of Israel turned their backs on God. They cried out just before entering Canaan, the promised land.
Numbers 14:1 That night all the members of the community raised their voices and wept aloud.
2 All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness!
3 Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?”
4 And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”
God was angry at this unbelief, and the people of Israel ended up wandering in the wilderness for 40 years.
◆ Moses Lifting Up the Serpent in the Wilderness
The reason Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness was also triggered by the people of Israel complaining.
Numbers 21:4 They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way;
5 they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!”
6 Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died.
Terrified, the people of Israel pleaded with Moses.
Numbers 21:7 The people came to Moses and said, 'We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord to take the snakes away from us.' So Moses prayed for the people.
God heard Moses' prayer and instructed him to lift up a bronze snake, and by Moses doing so, the people of Israel were saved.
Numbers 21:9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.
Regarding this, Jesus said to Nicodemus:
John 3:14 'Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up.'
'So the Son of Man must be lifted up' refers to Jesus being nailed to the cross.If you believe in Jesus, who died on the cross to forgive sins, you are given eternal life.
John 3:15 'That everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.'
John 3:16, which follows these words of Jesus, is called the 'Bible within the Bible', and is considered to be the central verse that expresses the teachings of the Bible in a single sentence.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
◆ The Reference Point of 'John 3:14 = Numbers 21:9'
The overlap between Numbers 21:9 and John 3:14 is clear to anyone's eyes and leaves no room for doubt.
Numbers 21:9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.
John 3:14 'Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up.'
Therefore, John 3:14 becomes the 'reference point.'Because of this reference point, we can understand that the appearance of Nicodemus in John 3:1 is the 'giving of the Law of Moses,' and it also becomes clear what the next verse, John 3:22, indicates.
◆ The Event of 'Crossing the Jordan' in the Book of Joshua
According to Deuteronomy, the book following Numbers in the Old Testament, Moses died just before entering Canaan, closing his 120-year life. Then, Joshua became the next leader.
Joshua led the people of Israel across the Jordan River, and they were finally able to enter Canaan, the promised land.
Joshua 3:6 Joshua commanded the priests, 'Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people.' So they took up the ark of the covenant and went ahead of the people.
17 The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, and all Israel passed by on dry ground, until all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan.
John chapter 3 indicates this event of the 'crossing of the Jordan' in verse 22.
John 3:22 After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized.
Since Joshua was also a prophet who received the Spirit of God (the Holy Spirit), 'Jesus of heaven' was within Joshua.The fact that Jesus moved with his disciples from 'the other side of the Jordan (1:28),' where John had once been baptizing, across the river to the 'Judean countryside' on the west, represents exactly the moment Joshua and the people of Israel crossed the Jordan River to enter Canaan (Judea) from the wilderness.
It may be difficult to notice at first glance that John 3:22 represents the 'crossing of the Jordan.' However, as mentioned above, because there is the reference point of 'John 3:14 = Numbers 21:9' where Moses lifted up the serpent, we can understand that 3:22 is the 'crossing of the Jordan.'
◆ From the 'Era of the Judges' to the 'Era of the Kings'
The people of Israel, led by Joshua into Canaan, the promised land, began to settle there. And John chapter 3 proceeds at high speed from the Book of Joshua to the Books of Samuel, like a roller coaster going down a slope.
John 3:30 'He must become greater; I must become less.'
On the surface, this is what John the Baptist said about Jesus, but hidden behind these words is the event where the 'Old Testament Era' shifted from the 'Era of Samuel' to the 'Era of David.'
Samuel is known as the 'last of the judges' and he anointed David. Thus, after Saul, the first king, David became the second king, and then David's son Solomon succeeded him as king. In this way, the descendants of David and Solomon inherited the kingdom. In other words, the era shifted from the 'Era of the Judges' to the 'Era of the Kings.'
Therefore, 'He' in 'He must become greater' in John 3:30 refers to David, and 'I' in 'I must become less' refers to Samuel.
◆ The joy of fitting the jigsaw puzzle pieces together
How do we know that John 3:30 indicates the transition from the 'Era of the Judges' to the 'Era of the Kings'? It is because in John chapter 4, the era has already shifted to the era of the Books of Kings (John chapter 4 will be explained in detail in the next installment, Part 6).
If John 3:22 is the era of the Book of Joshua and John 4:1 is the era of the Books of Kings, then John 3:30 must inevitably be the era of the Book of Judges, the Book of Ruth, or the Books of Samuel. Among these three books, applying the Books of Samuel is the most appropriate.
In this way, in the process of deciphering the Gospel of John, you can experience the 'joy of fitting the jigsaw puzzle pieces together.'
Since there is an absolute reference point of 'John 3:14 = Numbers 21:9,' the eras before and after become clear one after another.
I hope you will also look forward to the 'Era of the Books of Kings' starting from the next installment, Part 6.
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(*Due to being busy with work and family caregiving, I will not be replying to comments. I am very sorry, but please understand this in advance. Thank you for your understanding.)