Bản chất của tội lỗi đã làm cho chúng ta xa lìa Thiên Chúa và quên đi cái mục đích thật sự của chúng ta trong cuộc sống. Nguồn gốc của tất cả mọi sự thật và những cái đẹp trong cuộc sống của chúng ta là chính nơi Thiên Chúa mà chúng ta có thể được hiệp nhất với Ngài trong niềm vui vĩnh cửu.
The cross of Christ broke the curse of sin and death and won pardon, healing, and everlasting life for all who believe in Jesus, the Son of God and Savior of the world.
Because he spoke this way, many came to believe in him. John 8:30
Jesus had been teaching in veiled but deeply profound ways about Who He was. In prior passages, He referred to Himself as the “bread of life,” the “living water,” the “light of the world,” and He even took upon Himself the ancient title of God “I AM.” Furthermore, He continually identified Himself with the Father in Heaven as His Father with Whom He was perfectly united and by Whom He was sent into the world to do His will. For example, just prior to the line above, Jesus states clearly, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I AM, and that I do nothing on my own, but I say only what the Father taught me” (John 8:28). And it was because of this that many came to believe in Him. But why?
As John’s Gospel continues, Jesus’ teaching remains mysterious, deep and veiled. After Jesus speaks profound truths about Who He is, some listeners come to believe in Him, while others become hostile to Him. What is the difference between those who come to believe and those who ultimately kill Jesus? The simple answer is faith. Both those who came to believe in Jesus and those who orchestrated and supported His murder heard the same teaching of Jesus. Yet their reactions were so very different.
The same is true for us today. Just like those who heard these teachings for the first time from Jesus’ own lips, we also are presented with the same teaching. We are given the same opportunity to listen to His words and either receive them with faith or reject them or be indifferent. Are you one of the many who came to believe in Jesus because of these words?
Reading these veiled, mysterious and deep teachings of Jesus as they are presented in the Gospel of John requires a special gift from God if these words will have any impact upon our lives whatsoever. Faith is a gift. It’s not just a blind choice to believe. It’s a choice based on seeing. But it’s a seeing made possible only by an interior revelation from God to which we give our assent. Thus, Jesus as the Living Water, the Bread of Life, the great I AM, the Light of the World, and the Son of the Father will only make sense to us and will only have an effect upon us when we are open to and receive the interior light of the gift of faith. Without that openness and reception, we will remain either hostile or indifferent.
Reflect, today, upon the deep, veiled and mysterious language of God. When you read this language, especially in the Gospel of John, what is your reaction? Ponder your reaction carefully; and, if you find you are any less than one who has come to understand and believe, then seek the grace of faith this day so that our Lord’s words will powerfully transform your life.
My mysterious Lord, Your teaching about Who You are is beyond human reason alone. It is deep, mysterious and glorious beyond all understanding. Please give me the gift of faith so that I may come to know Who You are as I ponder the richness of Your holy Word. I believe in You, dear Lord. Help my unbelief. Jesus, I trust in You.
Opening Prayer: Lord, your condemnation of the Pharisees reminds me that my actions have consequences. Prepare my heart to receive the message you have for me today and help me to rid myself of anything that keeps me from loving you.
Harrowing Distinctions: Christ told the Pharisees that they would die in their sin and would not be joining him in heaven. “I have much to say about you in condemnation,” Jesus told them. Any of the believers listening to this exchange would likely have shuddered listening to the fate of the Pharisees. The Pharisees, however, seemed to miss the import of Christ’s words. “Who are you?” they asked. Living for the world, being of the world, belonging to the world truly blinds us to the presence of Christ in our lives. Faith in the great “I AM” raises us above worldly concerns and unveils the mysterious workings of Christ on our behalf. Lord, help me to believe!
In the Gospel reading we see Jesus in a dispute with the Jews. His listeners refused to listen to his message: they especially could not understand him when he talked about his Father in heaven. He warns them that those who persist in their sins will die and that, to be freed from sin, they must believe in him. Indeed sin and salvation are the story of our lives: we see both elements at play in our personal narratives. But it is our salvation that God desires the most: it is for our salvation that Christ came.
Jesus alludes to the bronze serpent in the desert which cured those bitten by the serpents sent by God to punish the Israelites for their lack of trust: "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He." Just as the Israelites were saved from the serpent bites by looking at the bronze serpent, we are saved by looking at and believing in the crucified Chris.
The lifting up of the bronze serpent on a wooden pole points to Jesus Christ being lifted up on the wooden cross at Calvary, where he took our sins upon himself to make atonement to the Father on our behalf. The cross of Christ broke the curse of sin and death and won pardon, healing, and everlasting life for all who believe in Jesus, the Son of God and Savior of the world. While many believed in Jesus and his message, but, many others, including the religious leaders, opposed him. Some openly mocked him when he warned them about their sin of unbelief.
It's impossible to be indifferent to Jesus' word and his judgments. We are either for him or against him. There are no middle ground or neutral parties. The words of Jesus echoed the prophetic warning given to Ezekiel (Ezekiel 3:18 and 18:18) when God warned his people to heed his word before the time is too late. God gives us time to turn to him and to receive his grace and pardon, but that time is right now.
The essence of sin is that it diverts us from God and from our true purpose in life. When Adam and Eve yielded to their first sin of disobedience, they literally tried to hide themselves from God's presence (Genesis 3:8-10). That is what sin does; it separates us from God, who is "all loving" and "merciful" and eager to receive us. When God calls us to turn our gaze and attention towards him, do we try to hide ourselves from his presence with other distractions and excuses that keep us from seeking him and listening to his voice?
If we could not recognize his voice when we heard his word, we would have the opportunity to recognize him when he is "lifted up" on the cross. Jesus pointed to the atoning sacrifice of his life on the cross as the true source of healing and victory over sin and reconciliation with God. The sacrifice of Jesus' life on the cross is the ultimate proof of God's love for us. Jesus invites each one of us to accept him as the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Our time here in this present world is very limited and short, but how we live it today has consequences not only for the present moment but for our eternal destiny as well. Which direction is our life headed in right now? Think about it !
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