O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them

 

 "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.  And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:  I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.  Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.  O righteous Father!  The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me.  And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."

 

- John 17:20–26 

 

In our current readings, Jesus has just finished delivering His Farewell Discourse to the disciples (starting with this reading), and has begun praying what is commonly called the High Priestly Prayer (begun in this reading).  In yesterday's reading, Jesus prayed:  ""While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name.  Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.  But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.  I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.  I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.  They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.  Sanctify them by Your truth.  Your word is truth.  As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.  And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth." 

 

 "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.  And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:  I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.  Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.  O righteous Father!  The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me.  And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."   My study bible comments that those who will believe describes the Church in every generation, participating in the life and glory of the Trinity.  It says that Christians enjoy two kinds of unity:  with God and with one another, the latter being rooted in the former.   Ultimately, it says, the goal of Christ's prayer, and of life itself, is for the love of the Father to dwell in each person. 

 

 In these final verses of Christ's High Priestly Prayer,  Christ prays not only for the disciples before Him, but for all those who are to come to faith, "those who will believe in Me through their word" (that is, the word of the apostles).  His prayer is first for unity ("that they also may be one in Us"), and that this unity will convey that faith to the world ("that the world may believe that You sent Me").    The great theologians of the Church, such as St. Gregory of Nyssa, St. John Chrysostom, and others connect this unity to the gift of the Holy Spirit; that is, to grace.  But when we look closely at Christ's prayer, there are other elements also connected to this unity, and they are also gifts, that were given to the Son from the Father, and in turn are given to us.  Christ next speaks of the glory given to Him by the Father, and this, also, is linked to the Holy Spirit and to grace:  for, like unity, it is a gift from Father to Son, but also shared with the faithful.  Jesus links this glory with perfection in one, and so we understand it as redemption -- that is, a life lived according to grace.  But finally Christ speaks of love, the love of the Father shared with the Son before the foundation of the world, before all ages, before time.  Unity, perfection, glory, and love are inseparable.  They all exist within this bond of Father and Son, and Christ prays to extend them to all who have faith, who know the Father, and understand and perceive that Christ is from the Father.  Just as He prayed about many mansions, and going to prepare a place for His followers (John 14:2-3) so they may be together, here He prays that they may not only be with Him, but also to behold His glory given by the Father, from the Father's great love for the Son.  Jesus calls the Father righteous, giving us a hint about what constitutes true glory, but declares that "the world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me," once again separating a world of darkness -- unknowing -- from those who come to know and love God, and share in this unity.  Finally, there is the declaration of the Father's name, which is also linked back to love, a love of the Father for the Son, and which is shared fully with Christ's followers, those who will come in faith and through grace.   These words imply a unity between Creator and creature, made possible through the love of the Father, the Father's gifts to the Son, and those gifts shared with the faithful -- made possible with the gift of the Spirit and hence of grace.  They are mystical words which need a mystical perception to begin to understand, but they call us into a unity in which we may participate and share glory, redemption, the Father's name, and most especially the love that exists between the Persons of the Trinity.  While the prayer speaks of a unity that exists outside of time; that is, it may convey both a desire of Christ, and an outcome which will only find its fullness in the culmination of ages of this world -- it is also a prayer that is at work within and through time.  And we might catch glimpses of each of these things within our own faith lives, our deeper growing trust, an understanding of love and righteousness, and even glory or true value, and what it is to be a part of "the name" of the Father and the Father's house or "many mansions."  What is perhaps most remarkable is simply the concept present here in love, because this shared love is meant to be shared within a family, a home, "a name" -- meaning the house of God.   As creatures, and subject to time, we cannot comprehend how exactly all of this happens.  But we are capable of participating in it and experiencing it, however short such glimpses and perceptions are, however nuanced.  We can feel our deep loyalty to this name, this "house" or home of God the Father, Son, and Spirit, and we can feel our belonging.  When we call on God for help, we sense a deep love and trust, the same way a child senses love and trusts.  All these things are shared in the fullness of participation, and they are found in the fullness of this prayer by Christ.  It is a prayer for all the ages and beyond the ages; it may find the fullness of its answer when ages cease and even beyond time, but for now it is at work through time, and all of these things:  glory, worth, righteousness, love, and the unity found in these things can be experienced through the grace that works in us, the gift of the Spirit.  This is what our services and prayers are for, and Christ's prayer must be the most potent of all.  It is important that we understand the ancient concept of "perfect" which Christ prays here.  Note that He doesn't pray we "are" perfect, but that we may be made perfect in one.   This word for "made perfect" in the Greek is τελειόω, related to τέλος/telos, or "end."  Essentially it means literally brought to an end, completed.  It implies a work through time, a fullness of something, brought to its most complete point.  And this is what we are to understand in Christ's prayer; it is a fullness on the way to being most fully manifest, and through the fullness of time to its end point, known only to God.  This is what is at work in us, and how it is working, and so we must understand ourselves and our faith as works in progress, and works in love.  Christ's prayer is always working, no matter what things may temporarily look like from our perspective, and we can count on its potency and love. 

For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man

 

 Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.  For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.  For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will.  For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father.  He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.  

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.  Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.  For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.  Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth -- those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation."

 

- John 5:19–29 

 

Yesterday we read that there was a feast of the Jews (considered to be the Feast of Weeks, or the Old Testament Pentecost, commemorating the giving of the Law), and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.  Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches.  In these lay a great multitude a sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water.  For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.  Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years.  When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, "Do you want to be made well?"  The sick man answered Him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me."  Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your bed and walk."  And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked.  And that day was the Sabbath.  The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, "It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed."  He answered them, "He who made me well said to me, 'Take up your bed and walk.'"  Then they asked him, "Who is the Man who said to you, 'Take up your bed and walk'?"  But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place.  Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "See, you have been made well.  Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you."  The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.  For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath.  But Jesus answered them, "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working."  Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.

 

Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.  For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.  For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will.  For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father.  He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him."   Here Jesus expresses His unity with the Father, emphasizing and delving deeper into the very thing which the religious leaders condemn (in yesterday's reading, above).  That the Son can do nothing of Himself, my study bible says, proves that His every act and word is in complete unity with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  Christ's discourse to them here reveals that the Father and the Son are completely united in nature, will, and action.  So, the Son fully shares the divine attributes of both giving life and executing judgment. 

 

 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.  Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.  For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.  Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth -- those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation."  As Christ has just stated that one of the prerogatives of God, that of judgment, is also shared by the Son, here He affirms that Christ's judgment is based on faith ("he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me") and works ("those who have done good . . . and those who have done evil").  My study bible also comments on the statement, "The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God."   It says that the dead refers both to the spiritually dead, who will find life in Christ, and to the physically dead, who will rise in the general resurrection.  Christ will confirm this statement by raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:38-44) before He goes to His own death.  

The attributes of God the Father are all well-known to the religious leaders to whom Jesus speaks.  That is, God's prerogatives of judgment, of knowing the heart, knowing and forgiving sin, and even the power of life itself.  But here, Jesus explicitly lays out His unity with the Father, and that it exists not simply in some form of identity or being in which Christ holds the same knowledge as the Father.  Rather, Christ is saying that God the Father's authority has been extended also to the Son, and that they are united also in their prerogatives.  As my study bible puts it, they are united in nature, will, and action.  Christ, as Son, shares the power of judgment, life, and resurrection.  He explicitly states that God the Father has "granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man."   This is not simply an incredible theological revelation regarding the Son.  It is also a deep and powerful revelation that Christ has been given authority to execute judgment because of the Incarnation; that is, "because He is the Son of Man."  So, while Christ, as a human being, has incensed the leaders with what they think is blasphemy in equating Himself with God, what He is actually stating here is that God the Father has given Him the authority of life and particularly of judgment precisely because He has become human, and fully shares life with us human beings.  It is, in effect, the Incarnation itself which has, in some sense, qualified Him for this authority.  It is Christ's very mission to us which seems to be the defining and guiding factor in this divine sharing of authority on the part of God the Father.  Therefore we should understand that this mission of love into our world, so that God the Son experiences life as one of us, becomes a defining reality for both the creation and the Creator.  It is this deep act of love, which will involve the ultimate sacrifice of His own life as a  human being, which confers the authority of judgment to Jesus the Son.  It gives us an absolute assurance that the very foundation of all creation, of all existence, is based on a justice that surpasses all law to be based first, last, and foremost  in love.  How precious are our lives are to God!  And how much does this seem to contrast with what we can sometimes see in our world?  Where life is cheap, where death comes easily, for the price of a few dollars, for empty-minded teenagers with handguns, for the worst forms of exploitation such as modern slavery and human trafficking, we should see the reality of the true denial of God and God's gifts of love and life to us all.   The sadness of easy violence, be it in settings of war, or just around the corner, makes our world so much less than what has gone into our creation as persons, by a God who loves us so much that He sacrificed His human life for us.  If God the Father gives all authority for judgment to the Son simply because He has lived as one of us, then consider with what love we are protected and held and even guided spiritually in our lives, if we would but reach to have access to it.  For we each are promised a Helper, and a guardian angel, and an entire communion of saints waiting to hear our prayers and to pray with us, even the Mother of God, Mary, who loved her Son and prompted His first sign to the world in John's Gospel (in this reading).  Let us call on that help in a world beset by things that deny the reality of God's great gift of precious life.  For God's love can reach everywhere, even to a heart that can't find love elsewhere in the world.  When Jesus says that "the Son gives life to whom He will," we should remember that He came so that we would have an abundance of life (John 10:10) -- and that this applies to wherever we need His help and wherever we are, in the here and the now, to revive us when we truly seek His way to live.

And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them

 "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.  And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:  I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.  Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.  O righteous Father!  The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me.  And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."

- John 17:20-26

In recent readings for this week, we have been going through Jesus' High Priestly Prayer, which He prayed at the Last Supper, just prior to the time He would be arrested (beginning with Thursday's reading).  Yesterday, we read that Jesus continued:   "I pray for them.  I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are yours.  And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them.  Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You.  Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.  While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name.  Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.  But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.  I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.  I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.  They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.  Sanctify them by Your truth.  As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.  And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth."

 "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.  And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:  I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me."  My study bible says that those who will believe includes the Church in every generation.  All the faithful participate in the life and glory of the Trinity.  It says that Christians enjoy two kinds of unity:  with God and with one another, where the latter is rooted in the former.  As we bear witness through our own capacity to reflect the light of Christ, so "the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me."

"Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.  O righteous Father!  The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me.  And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."   We hear in the prayer Christ's desire that all faithful "may be with Me where I am" so that we may behold His glory from the Father.  My study bible comments that the ultimate goal of Christ's prayer, and even of life itself, is for the love of the Father to dwell in each person.

In this prayer, frequently called the High Priestly Prayer, Jesus prayed first for Himself, then for the apostles, and finally for all those who will come to believe in Him.  We note first the tremendous unity He expresses.  Several times He prays "that they all may be one."  But each time, it is with a particular property of the relationship Christ has with the Father.  First, through the word given first from the Father, which He has given to the apostles and which they in turn will give to the world.  Next, through the glory which the Father has shared with the Son, and in turn the Son shared with His followers.   And finally, a depth of unity through love.  We note, also, how glory, perfection, and love are somehow united in Christ's prayer.  We are meant, in Christ's words here, not simply to participate in His life, but in the fullness of life in the Father as well -- a kind of unity not possible except through God's work in us, through grace and the life of spirit.  It is also at the Last Supper that Jesus teaches the apostles that He will pray to the Father and the Father will send the Spirit:  the One who "will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you . . . and testify of Me" (see John 14:16, 26; 15:26).  In this sense, we know that Father, Son, and Spirit all dwell in us and work within and through us to create a unity that is not possible except through this spiritual reality.  Through it all, there is an expression of deep love that is the true flavor or character of this unity.  Jesus wants us all to be with Him, He wants us all to be one with Him, but most of all He wants us to know the Father's love that He knows, and to be unified through that love.  In that love is, in fact, all the rest of our faith and its work in us.  It is that love that grows us in the spiritual life, in closeness to God, and more deeply toward the glory and the perfection of which He speaks in this prayer.   It is that love, in effect, that reveals to us the possibilities we contain for its expression, through the fruits of the spirit, through growth in humility, compassion, forbearance, and all the rest -- and into a capacity to discard and forego, even sacrifice, whatever it is that stands in the way of that growth.  This is the process into which He consecrates the apostles, and us in turn, which is revealed through this prayer.  It is this process which St. Paul reveals through his letters, when he teaches that "the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law (Galatians 5:22-23)."  But, knowing the true reality of Christ's prayer, St. Paul teaches as well that without love, there is nothing else.  In 1 Corinthians 13 St. Paul gives his beautiful sermon left to us on the reality of love, and how love ties all the rest.   St. John, our Evangelist, leaves us a letter in which he teaches that God is love (1 John 4:8).  In all this, there is something of which we can be certain, and that is the power of love as given to us as a gift, and working in us to reveal what love is and does, and teaching us how to dwell and live and to better express and know this love.  The mystical reality Christ teaches in His prayer is the mystical reality of love, which we can learn through faith.  If our childhood is imperfect, if those whom we know are not kind, if strangers do not stand to give us anything that is love, then we have no need to despair -- for love is a gift of God through faith, and we grow in that love and that unity through our faith.  This is the promise of Christ, and it is His prayer, for all of us, none excepted.  The life of Christ -- and of the Trinity -- is ultimately the life of love which contains all else.  As St. Paul says in summing up his chapter on the gift of love:  "And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love" (1 Corinthians 13:13).  These are the gifts we need for our life -- and through faith, and Christ's prayer, no one can take them away.  We are invited in to grow and participate "as one" in this life.  It is an open gift we have simply to receive and enter.  Our mystical union is always open; we just take the first step with faith and especially through prayer when nothing else is available.  Lent is the time for prayer, for making room for this faith to take root and a deeper hold within us, to exercise our capacity to choose for God, and to choose against whatever it is that gets in the way of our faith.  Let us take the time to make that room and let our lives grow in God's love.   As Christ reveals here, the world will not show it to us, but we must engage and grow with Him to learn and to know that love for ourselves.

I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them

 "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.  And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one; I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.  Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.  O righteous Father!  The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me.  And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."

- John 17:20-26

In our current readings, we are reading what is known as the High Priestly Prayer, whcih Jesus prayed at the end of the Last Supper.  See the first part of the prayer in Thursday's reading, "Father, the hour has come."  Yesterday we read that Jesus prayed, "I pray for them.  I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours.  And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them.  Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You.  Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.  While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name.  Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.  But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.  I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.  I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.  They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.  Sanctify them by Your truth.  Your word is truth.  As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.  And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth."

"I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.  And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one; I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me."  My study bible notes here that the Church in every generation participates in the life and glory of the Trinity.  Christians enjoy two kinds of unity, it says:  with God and with one another, the latter being rooted in the former.  Jesus is the glue here that seals us all together:  The Father is in Him and He in the Father, and He prays that believers may also be one in Them.  Note that Jesus prays also of this shared unity in glory, perfection, and love.

"Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.  O righteous Father!  The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me.  And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."  The key to all of Christ's ministry is love:  the ultimate goal of Christ's prayer, and of life itself, my study bible says, is for the love of the Father to dwell in each person. 

We have all heard the phrase "God is love" at one time or another (see 1 John 4:7-8).  But Christ's words here in the High Priestly Prayer really exemplify and elaborate for us the truth of this statement.   Love begins with the Source of all things, God the Father.  But Jesus' prayer sums up true communion in Him:  the love of God the Father, present in Christ whom the Father has sent, also dwelling in each believer, makes unity of the whole.  This is a love that is in itself perfection, and leads us to perfection and true glory.  It is that which glues and holds all together, against which even the gates of hell cannot prevail.  St. Paul writes, in Romans 8, "For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."  This is the experience of one converted, who has found the truth of Christ's words in the prayer for himself, and preaches that love to all who may come to know it for themselves.  We may not completely understand the impact of such love on those who lived two thousand years ago, but each person in every generation needs to experience it for themselves.  Christianity is an experiential faith, a communion that is not simply an intellectual concept or a utopian dream.  It is a living faith made of persons and in the Persons of the Trinity, Father, Son, and Spirit.  Above all, it is a reality of love that is present for each one.  As human beings, we all strive toward the true fullness of love, but that fullness is present for us to dwell within us, to teach us, to grow in us, so that we may share in the true glory of God and also shine that light into the world.  This is His truth and His word that may dwell within us and among us.  In chapter 16, Jesus tells His disciples at the Last Supper, "Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me."  John's Gospel (and also the Epistles that bear his name) gives us the fullness of God who is love,  in whose love we are invited to participate and welcomed in communion.  Like Christ, to experience this love is to know that we are never alone.  That communion remains the balm for a world always in need of what it brings to each one, and to all of us.  To deny the presence of that which seeks to tear us away from love is futile; we can see the "worldly" all around us.  His sacrifice, the greatest love of all, is made for each.  Of this we can always be assured, in the darkest of times when we need it most.

The bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world

 "Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."  Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."

Therefore they said to Him, "What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You?  What work will You do?  Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"  Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven.  For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."  Then they said to Him, "Lord, give us this bread always."

 And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life.  He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.  But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe.  All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.  For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.  This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.  And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day." 

- John 6:27-40

Yesterday we read that when evening came, Jesus' disciples went down to the sea, got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum.  And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them.  Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing.  So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid.  But He said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid."  Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.  On the following day, when the people who were standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except that one which His disciples had entered, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone -- however, other boats came from Tiberias, near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks -- when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.  And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, "Rabbi, when did You come here?"  Jesus answered them and said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.  Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."

 "Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."  Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."   Here is an extraordinary statement about faith:  that faith is the work of God.  Anyone who has struggled to truly live a life of faith in Christ at each turn and choice in life knows it is a labor or work indeed.

Therefore they said to Him, "What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You?  What work will You do?  Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"  Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven.  For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."  Then they said to Him, "Lord, give us this bread always."  The people return again to a material demand, even though He has just fed the five thousand in the wilderness from a few loaves of bread.  They quote from the Scriptures, the story of the Exodus.  The people's request, "Lord, give us this bread always" echoes the request of the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well in chapter 4, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw."

 And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life.  He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.  But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe.  All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.  For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.  This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.  And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day."  From statements like this, we gain our understanding of theology.  Jesus speaks of His own will.  Christ has two natures, divine and human.  Therefore, He has two wills, divine and human.  The Sixth Ecumenical Council, held at Constantinople (AD 680-81), proclaims these two wills of Christ do not work contrary to one another, but rather "His human will follows, not resisting nor reluctant, but subject to His divinity and to His omnipotent will."  Over and over again we have observed in John's Gospel this essential reality:  that Christ and the Father are united, they are one.  And it is in that original unity that we, too, are raised through faith in Christ.  Here is the statement of mission:  that He has come to claim His own, and to lose nothing that the Father has given to Him, even into everlasting life and Resurrection.

Jesus asserts His unity with the Father, not for the first nor the last time in the Gospel.  It is a truth repeated over and over again, and it is the essence of the identity of Christ.  But there is a greater truth for us here today, and that is teaching how we, too, are a part of this unity.  We are a part of the mission He's been given by the Father.  He has come into the world as Son and heir, to claim what belongs to Him.  That is, all that is His.  And what is particularly indicated here are those who have faith in Him; that is, specifically, "everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him."   These will be raised with Him, even to the eternal life that is His.  He says, "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out."  But there is more to this statement than the faithful who are given to Him by the Father.  He has come down from heaven as the bread sent by the Father that "gives life to the world."  This isn't just about life that comes to each believer, but a life for the whole of the world, even creation, because what has come down from heaven, sent by the Father, has assumed a life in the world, and thereby brought the Kingdom into the world.  This is the essence of our understanding of Christ:  that heaven has assumed life in the world, so that the life of the world may be raised with Him.  Whatever is touched by His life brought into the world has a kind of potency to it that we can't limit.  This bread of life isn't merely a bread that brings us life; it is rather a kind of food that has absolute life in itself -- whatever is fed by it has an unlimited source, a kind of life that can't even be defined by our terms.  Just as Christ is united with the Father, so we become united by our faith in Christ so that this life can also be given to us.  Our work in this plan is faith, "that you believe in Him whom He sent."   Let us work the work of God, even as we find the infinite ways His life in us calls us to do so.

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me

 Therefore there was a division again among the Jews because of these sayings.  And many of them said, "He has a demon and is mad.  Why do you listen to Him?"  Others said, "These are not the words of one who has a demon.  Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?"

Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter.  And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon's porch.  Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, "How long do You keep us in doubt?  If You are the Christ, tell us plainly."  Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe.  The works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me.  But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you.  My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.  And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.  My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand.  I and My Father are one." 

- John 10:19-30

In our recent readings, Jesus has been at the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem (beginning in chapter 7, with this reading).  He has had extensive dialogue and confrontation with the leadership.   On the last day of the Feast, they attempted to stone Him.  As He passed from the temple As He passed from the temple,  He met a man blind from birth whose sight He healed.  The leadership questioned both the healed blind man, and later Christ Himself.  In Friday's reading, Jesus spoke again about His identity, and His mission.  In Saturday's reading, He taught, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.  But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.  To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.  And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.  Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers."  Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them.  Then Jesus said to them again, "Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.  All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.  I am the door.  If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.  The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.  I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.   I am the good shepherd.  The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.  But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and fleas; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.  The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep.  I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.  As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.  And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.  Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it up again.  No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself.  I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.  This command I have received from My Father."

Therefore there was a division again among the Jews because of these sayings.  And many of them said, "He has a demon and is mad.  Why do you listen to Him?"  Others said, "These are not the words of one who has a demon.  Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?"   My study bible says here that those who respond in faith to Christ are not merely impressed by the signs, but they perceive the holiness of His words.  John's Gospel opens up our eyes, as well, to the true texture of this movement, and of faith. There are those who respond, and those who do not -- and John reveals also the divisions among the people as well as the leadership.

Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter.  And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon's porch.  From chapter 7 up until this point, the events unfolded at the Feast of Tabernacles, an eight day autumn harvest festival, which is the Feast of the Coming Kingdom and commemorates the time Israel dwelt in tabernacles (or tents), led by Moses.  Here events begin at the winter festival.  The Feast of Dedication took place approximately three months after the Feast of Tabernacles (7:1-10:21).  It is also known as the "Festival of Lights" (and as Hanukkah).  This festival commemorates the rededication of the temple in Jerusalem after the Seleucid King Epiphanes desecrated it in 167 BC (see 1 Maccabees 1-4).  At this festival, says my study bible, the leaders of Israel's past were commemorated, many of whom were shepherds themselves.

Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, "How long do You keep us in doubt?  If You are the Christ, tell us plainly."  Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe.  The works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me."  Once again members of the religious leadership in Jerusalem surround  Christ and demand to know plainly His identity.  My study bible says that both what Christ told them and the works He had done have already answered their question.  Only the Messiah could open the eyes of the blind (as part of prophesy) or perform the miracles that bear witness to Him.  In addition, only the Messiah could speak to the hearts of people as did Christ (see 7:26, 9:21).

"But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you.  My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.  And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.  My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand."  The phrase as I said to you indicates these are the same Pharisees whom Christ addressed at the Feast of Tabernacles three months earlier (10:1-5).  Jesus once again denotes the deeply personal qualities of the Son:  His sheep hear His voice.  He knows them, and they follow Him.  He has come to give life abundantly (see Saturday's reading, above), even eternal life.   And those who are His remain His; through the power of the Father, no one is able to snatch them away.

"I and My Father are one."   Jesus reveals Himself as fully God.  To be one means one in nature or essence.  The plural verb are, my study bible points out, means two distinct Persons, but confirms at the same time a continuous unity. 

Jesus reveals the unity of faith:  it is a unity of persons.  There are the divine Persons of the Trinity, and there are the persons who are the sheep.  The sheep are dependent upon Christ and grow in Him for an abundance of life, even an eternal life.  The Son and Father are two Persons, but one in essence and unity.  John's Gospel gives us a picture of the growth of the understanding of the Church, and the depth of love and relationship given by Christ in His words and teaching.  John also reflects the early Church's experience of the work of the Third Person of the Trinity, God the Holy the Spirit.   We are given deep insights into faith and meaning.  St. Paul speaks also of the unity of faith in the Letter to the Ephesians (see Ephesians 4:11-16), when he speaks of the Church as one body having many members, each with their own part but working as one and growing to the unity of what it means to fully mature spiritually in Christ, the true fullness of personhood.  Each of these teachings gives us insight into the fullness of faith as a unified power, coming from the Father, but bringing growth to each through this depth of relatedness, of love.  We read Christ's words about each sheep.  In Saturday's reading (above), Jesus says of Himself as the good shepherd, that the sheep hear the voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.  Those who know Him and respond to His voice are each called by name; that is the true personal identity -- and He leads those who hear Him into the fullness of what that means.  In today's reading, He makes clear His total unity with the Father, and His sharing in the power of the Father to hold and keep each one that is truly His.  No one can break that bond.  Again, in the Letter to the Ephesians, St. Paul says that we are led "till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up i all things into Him who is the head -- Christ" (Ephesians 4:13-15).  John's Gospel lays all the groundwork for this understanding, stating clearly the power of God and the work of the Son, and the relationships between Father and Son, Good Shepherd and sheep.  May we be blessed with that understanding and the fullness of the faith in the knowledge of His love and truth.  That is where we begin for real life and the fullness of that life.

The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live

 Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.  For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.  For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom he will.  For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father.  He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.  Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.

Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.  For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.  Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth -- those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation."

- John 5:19-29

On Saturday, we read that there was a feast of the Jews (considered to be the Jewish Pentecost, or the Feast of Weeks), and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.  Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches.  In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water.  For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.  Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years.  When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, "Do you want to be made well?"  The sick man answered Him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me."  Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your bed and walk."  And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked.  And that day was the Sabbath.  The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, "It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed."  He answered them, "He who made me well said to me, 'Take up your bed and walk.'"  Then they asked him, "Who is the Man who said to you, 'Take up your bed and walk'?"  But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place.  Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "See, you have been made well.  Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you."  The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.  For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath.  But Jesus answered them, "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working."  Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.

Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.  For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.  For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom he will.  For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father.  He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.  Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life."  Jesus continues His discourse on the unity of the Father and Son and Holy Spirit.  The Father and Son, as Jesus expounds on the topic, are completely unified in nature, will, and action.  Here, Jesus states that the Son fully shares the divine attributes of both giving life and also executing judgment.  He teaches that judgment is based upon both faith (v. 24, "He who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me"), and also works (at the end of today's reading, in verse 29, "Those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation").  Jesus clearly links faith in the Son to faith in the Father -- the refusal of one is the refusal of the other.

Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.  For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.  Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth -- those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation."  My study bible says that the dead (in "The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God") refers both to the spiritually dead, who will find life in Christ, and to the physically dead who will rise in the general resurrection.  In John's Gospel (11:28-44), this is confirmed by the seventh sign given, the raising of Lazarus from the dead, before Jesus goes to His own death.  These verses are read at the Orthodox funeral service, affirming their truth for all who fall asleep in faith.

That "the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live" is a very intriguing statement.  First of all it is an interesting understanding of time that is given here.  The hour is coming indicates a future action, but Jesus adds that it now is, meaning the time is here -- somehow this is a very present reality.  We must pay attention, is the message.  It gives rise and echoes what we say in making the sign of the Cross, an affirmation of faith in the Holy Trinity:  "now and ever."  The tenses change again within the same verse, when we read that the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God (future tense), and in the Greek, the tense switches back to past, as if to say those who heard -- and then to future again, will live.  I would posit that the switching "times" tells us something powerful about the nature of Judgment and of time itself within this context, that will hold up in the Gospels and in Jesus' teaching about "end times" -- that we don't know exactly when this time is, nor what it looks like.  Indeed, when speaking of Judgment and the end of the Age, Christ's words switch back and forth between events that are close to happening and events that are quite distant in the sense that "of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only" (Matthew 24:36).   His words suggesting that the hour is coming, and now is suggest a great mystery, and also the mystery of time, which is the prerogative of God as well.  There are overlapping realities here, that exist both in our time and the present, and in the future when time takes on a different nature, an eternal time.  All of this is to say that Christ both shares in this mystery as Son in the fullness of unity with the Father, and also that those present -- even standing before Him or reading these words -- must pay attention.  The time begins here and now for faith and judgment.  We can't separate either one into a time in the future that doesn't also apply right this moment.  The unity of Father and Son extend to more than the divine prerogative over time, but right down into each and every heart.  So much so, that without faith in One, one refuses faith in the Other.  The Son is God's gift to the world, given for the life of the world.  Do we hear His words calling to us?  They are always there, always present to us.  We can hear them at any time, or we may choose to refuse them at any time.  But He is always present, and so is this reality that He brings with Him, the choice to love God, to hear His voice, to live in faith and work the works for faith in our lives -- and for our lives, even for the life of the world. 

The Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel

 Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.  For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.  For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will.  For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father.  He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.  Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.  For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.  Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth -- those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation."

- John 5:19-29

Yesterday, we read that there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.  Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches.  In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water.  For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.  Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years.  When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, "Do you want to be made well?"  The sick man answered Him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me."  Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your bed and walk."  And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked.  And that day was the Sabbath.   The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, "It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed."  He answered them, "He who made me well said to me, 'Take up your bed and walk.'"  Then they asked him, "Who is the Man who said to you, 'Take up your bed and walk'?"  But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place.  Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "See, you have been made well.  Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you."  The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.  For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath.  But Jesus answered them, "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working."  Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.

 Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.  For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.  For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will.  For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father.  He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him."  Jesus begins the discourse on the nature of the relationship between Father and Son.  The first thing we understand is His total dependence, as Son, upon the Father.  This is not only unity of power but also unity of will.  The will of the Father and of the Son are rooted in love, and the nature of this power is life itself.  Jesus immediately links the power of life with Judgment:  all judgment is given to the Son, and thereby the power of life is also in the Son.

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.  Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live."   My study bible says that the dead refers both to the spiritually dead, who will find life in Christ, and to the physically dead, who will rise in the general resurrection.  The great sign of this will come as the seventh sign in John's Gospel, the raising of Lazarus from the dead (11:38-44).  Jesus connects His word with Him who sent Me, the Father.  In this sense, His word is the offer of life itself.

"For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.  Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth -- those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation."  The judgment that has been given to the Son also rests in the fact that He is the Son of Man.  As Incarnate Son, fully human and fully divine, and having experienced human death, the risen Christ will have all authority for judgment.

Jesus speaks of His relationship with the Father.  As Son, He shares unity with the Father (and the Holy Spirit) in nature, will, and action.  He speaks of love as the basis and essential "glue" of this relationship:  it is the Father's love for the Son that creates such unity:  He shows the Son all things, and in turn the Son is completely dependent upon the Father.  It reminds us once again that the Son has been given to the world in order to bring the gift of life to the world - out of love for the world (John 3:16).  But this gift is ultimately bound up with the judgment, and it depends, really, on how we respond to the gift.  The gift of life is in the words He's given from the Father, which are given to us.  How do we respond?  Jesus will live His life as human being, experiencing the worst the world has to give, the struggles we face, even death -- and that is one of great suffering, enormous pain, anguish, and humiliation.  And not absent from that death is the uncertainty of how we will respond, what will happen to His followers, the pain of His disciples, and those who love Him and watch from a distance, including His mother.  He knows what human life is about, and life in this world.  He is here to offer us life itself, an everlasting life.   It all depends on how we respond to this offer.  In Luke's Gospel, Jesus asks, "When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?"  Life and death are in His hand, and the words of life are given to us.  All of it is tied up with the love of the Father and the unification of Father, Son, and Spirit.  But so much depends on us.  One may wonder, how great is that love that waits upon our return?