Even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life

Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did. But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.

There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him." Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, bur cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."

Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life."

- John 2:23-3:15

On Saturday, we read of Jesus' cleansing of the temple. It is the first Passover recorded in John's Gospel. Jesus saw those who sold animals for sacrifice, and the money changers. He made a whip of cords and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables. And He said to those who sold doves, "Take these things away! Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!" Then His disciples remembered a phrase from the Psalms: "Zeal for your house has eaten Me up." Some of the leadership in the temple asked Him, "What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?" Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." They thought He was speaking literally of the temple. But after His Resurrection, the disciples remembered Jesus' words, and knew He was speaking of the temple of His body. John's Gospel tells us, "And they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said."

Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did. But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man. This is quite an interesting little passage. We remember this is the first of three Passover festivals that John will report during Jesus' ministry. My study bible notes that scholars believe this is historically accurate. John tells us that there were many signs done by Jesus during the feast, but only reports the cleansing of the temple. Many believers followed Him because of the signs -- but Jesus doesn't trust this type of faith. He is looking for something different in His believers and disciples, not merely those who believe because of signs. This tells us something very important about our faith, what Christ wishes from us. My study bible says, "Jesus knew many were misreading His signs." But we recall His words about Nathanael, that he was "an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit." The kind of faith Jesus wants has little to do with visible proofs or show, and everything to do with a kind of faith in the heart, in the depths of who we are.

There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him." It's important that John's Gospel tells us that there are those among the Pharisees who do believe in Jesus. Here, Nicodemus comes to Him by night, so that he won't be seen by others in the leadership. Much later in the Gospel, my study bible points out, Nicodemus will defend Jesus' legal rights before the Sanhedrin. Then together with Joseph of Arimathea, he will help prepare and entomb Jesus' body, which my study bible calls "a bold public expression of faith." It notes, "According to some early sources, Nicodemus was baptized by Peter, and consequently was removed from the Sanhedrin and forced to leave Jerusalem." Joseph of Arimathea's presence here tells us that faith is open to all, that those capable of the type of faith Jesus seeks are to be found everywhere. Poised right after the previous verses, it gives us to understand that faith takes us one by one, making its own community out of wherever we are -- the division of Jesus' "sword of truth" cuts through all nominal worldly groups or belonging.

Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, bur cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit." Here we have an extremely powerful passage about baptism, and rebirth in Spirit. Jesus teaches of rebirth "in water and the Spirit" -- this is a clear description of baptism. Quite literally, the word we understand as "again" (in "born again") means "from above." While one may be tempted to read this passage in a purely "spiritual" vein, it's important, I think, that we note that Jesus speaks of both water and Spirit. Our faith, once again, is on display here. This isn't just about a mental conviction or understanding, and Christ is not in the world only in spiritual terms, but rather unites all things -- both "worldly" and spiritual. He is God and man, united as one, and so in baptism we have both the Holy Spirit and the element -- water -- that makes up the greater percentage of our world and our bodies. The world, created by God, is basically good, because it is God's creation. So the Holy Spirit, united to creation, is an image of God's kingdom on earth, united to creation. Our faith is incarnational; it is not separate in any way from who we are, just as Christ was one of us, not separate from who we are. But this mysterious reality takes place in a mystery, just as did the sign of water turned to wine inside the stone pots. It "cometh not with observation" -- but is truly the action of the Spirit within us. Jesus' analogy to the wind (in the Greek, the word for Spirit means wind, breath or spirit) teaches us something important about signs and the mystery of God's grace in the world: with us, in us, and yet still holy, beyond our full understanding.

Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven." Here, once again, is a passage packed with spiritual and theological meaning, upon which may rest the whole of our faith. Christ speaks of what He knows, of the place from which He comes. He is a witness to the reality of heavenly things. But here, in speaking of baptism and the action of Spirit, the rebirth through water and the Spirit, He speaks of "earthly things." Indeed, baptism is but the beginning of our lives in Christ.

"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." Jesus completes the picture of this fully incarnational power of His life and ministry in the world, by referring to the Cross. Jesus refers to the incident in which Moses lifted up his staff with a bronze serpent upon it, in order to cure the Israelites from the bites of poisonous snakes (Numbers 21:9). My study bible has a powerful note: "Christ will be lifted up on the Cross. As the believer beholds the crucified Christ through faith as Savior, the poisonous bite of that old serpent, the devil, and the bite of sin and death, is counteracted and cured. The moment of Christ's greatest humiliation becomes the moment of exaltation for completing His redeeming work." Christ unites the history of Israel with the vision of what is to come: His death on the Cross. Thus, the Cross becomes the powerful symbol of the ultimate transformation of our lives in this world. Jesus is not here only for the moments on the mountain tops, of which there will be plenty. But His exaltation and glorification also come in the moments this world offers us of deepest despair and darkness. The transfiguration of our lives -- God's saving action -- will work through all things, including the struggles we undergo with the darkness of the world. And this is the great light that shines for all of us, this fully incarnational reality of Christ's greatest triumph, and the symbol of the Cross's meaning for all of us. This agonizing death as a criminal becomes for all of us a moment of transcendence and saving power through the work of God in the world. Let us also note the depth of the incarnational power here: Jesus clearly uses the title "Son of Man" - twice - as the title for a heavenly person.

So, let's think about these powerful words and teachings here in this Gospel. We understand it to be written during a time of terrible persecutions for the Christian community. John, perhaps the youngest disciple, is an old man at the time of its writing. He was Jesus' "beloved disciple" according to a traditional understanding. He also became a son for Mary after Jesus' death. In times of persecution and difficulty, whatever those difficulties may be in our lives, let us remember this fully incarnational Savior and His life in the world. Let us remember this talk with Nicodemus about "worldly things." Those "worldly things" are the action of the Spirit in the world, the grace with which we are graced in order to live our lives in this faith, with Him. Through all things, the action of the Spirit is there. Like the wind, we don't know where it comes from; we can't predict where it's going. We can only see its effects. But we can live our lives in the kind of faith that takes root in all of our lives, in each moment, even in the darkest and most difficult of times -- perhaps most especially then. John has written to us about this light, that "the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it." Let us remember that to be born of water and Spirit is the beginning, that this faith is part of all of our lives, even the times that don't seem exalted and transcendent. The action of this wind, this Spirit, can work as God worked at the moment of triumph on the Cross, to turn our lives to witness, to something much more than we can see or know. The Cross defies all of our expectations and assumptions about God. Let us understand that the full effects of our faith are something we may never totally know in our lifetimes in the world -- and that a moment that seems neither like a triumph or exaltation may be just that!

Zeal for your house has eaten Me up

Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables. And He said to those who sold doves, "Take these things away! Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!" Then His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up." So the Jews answered and said to Him, "What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?" Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." Then the Jews said, "It has taken forty-six years to build the temple, and will You raise it up in three days?" But He was speaking of the temple of His body. Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.

- John 2:13-22

Yesterday, we read about the first sign in the gospel of John. It was during a wedding feast at Cana, at which were also Jesus' family, His mother and brothers, and His disciples. Prompted by His mother to do something when the hosts ran out of wine, Jesus first asks, "What does your concern have to do with me? My hour has not yet come." But later He instructed the servants to fill up the water jars, made of stone for reasons of ritual purity. Jesus then instructed them to draw some out, and give it to the master of the feast. When the master tasted it, he said, "You have kept the good wine until now!" John tells us: This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him. After this He went down to Capernaum, He, His mother, His brothers, and His disciples; and they did not stay there many days.

Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. It's quite interesting to note that in this beginning of John's gospel (we are only in the second chapter), events take place at quite a fast pace. On the first day, John the Baptist was baptizing beyond the Jordan near Bethany, and Jesus found disciples through him. On the second Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and found Philip and Nathanael -- Philip, Andrew and Peter are all from Bethsaida, we are told. On the third day, Jesus, His extended family and His disciples all attend a wedding in Cana of Galilee, to which they were all invited. They all went to Capernaum afterward, which is Jesus' Galilean headquarters for His ministry, and we're told "they did not stay there many days." Now is the Passover, the first Passover of which we'll read in John's Gospel (there will be three all together), and Jesus goes up to Jerusalem and the great temple for the feast.

And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. In John's Gospel, this is the first encounter Jesus has in the temple at Jerusalem. All the vivid miraculous events that we will encounter from now on in this gospel will be associated with religious feasts -- the major Jewish feasts. The Passover commemorates God's saving work on behalf of His People, the Israelites in Egypt. The angel of death "passed over" the homes of those whose houses bore the marks of the blood of the lamb. But Jesus finds sellers and buyers and exchangers of coin doing a brisk business in connection with the feast.

When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables. And He said to those who sold doves, "Take these things away! Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!" This act of cleansing the temple takes place in the other Gospels during Holy Week, but John places it at the beginning of Jesus' ministry. St. John Chrysostom believed that Jesus cleansed the temple twice, at the beginning and the end of His public ministry. What we can assume by this reading is that Jesus comes to fulfill the Old Covenant, and also to create a new one, and establish a new kind of worship. It is also - as in the synoptic Gospels - an act of authority belonging to the Son, to Jesus' authority as Messiah. In this act we find a vivid statement about the power of faith and prayer, their central role in all forms of worship and relationship to God. It is this faith relationship that Jesus seeks to expand and establish as the central piece of religious life for all believers, the heart of all liturgy ("the people's work"). The commercialism in the temple helps to separate the people, in some sense, from this true business of the temple. It is particularly penalizing to the poor. My study bible notes that this act, coming at the beginning of His ministry in John's gospel, establishes that Jesus' ministry is not like that of the prophets -- to renew the Old Covenant. Instead, it is an institution of a new kind of worship altogether.

Then His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up." It's interesting that we see the action of faith in the disciples; they recall a verse from Psalm 69 (Psalm 69:9). If we read the whole of the Psalm, it refers to one who is humiliated and persecuted because of his great love of God, and an identification with God. In the Psalm's later verses we read more that is relevant to this scene of cleansing, "I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving. This will please the Lord more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hoofs. The poor will see and be glad—you who seek God, may your hearts live!"

So the Jews answered and said to Him, "What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?" We remember that "the Jews" in John's gospel refers to the leadership of the temple. This is a reasonable question, on its face, as to Jesus' authority -- who can take the authority to cleanse the temple but the Messiah?

Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." Then the Jews said, "It has taken forty-six years to build the temple, and will You raise it up in three days?" But He was speaking of the temple of His body. Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said. Jesus does refer to the great sign of His identity: His Passion, Crucifixion, and Resurrection. But of course, this is done in a subtle way. John reports that the disciples remembered this after Jesus had risen from the dead. Of course, the temple leadership cannot understand what He is talking about, the reply is for the disciples and those who will believe. The leadership replies referring to the rebuilding of the temple by Herod the Great, which was begun in 20 B.C.

We have intersecting layers of faith at work in this story. John refers us not only to the time he's reporting, this first Passover at the beginning of Jesus' ministry, but also to the faith of the disciples, and what they recall after Jesus' death and Resurrection. We see the contrasting levels of faith in the leadership and the disciples -- the leadership scoffs and has no idea what He can mean. In the next chapter, we will find one Pharisee who also becomes a believer, and who will play a heroic role in the events that come to pass immediately after Jesus' death. So, in addition to the layers of spiritual reality, of relatedness and faith that we find so far in John's Gospel, we also are introduced to a sense of time as something that intersects in different ways than the way we normally experience it. Faith intersects various points and experiences in life, so that, looking back, we see connectedness where originally there was seemingly none. The disciples recall the words of the Psalmist and know they apply to Jesus. Later they will recall, after His death and Resurrection, what He said to them here in this scene at the first Passover of John's Gospel -- "and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said." Memory and time interconnect in ways outside of our linear sense of time, in this Gospel -- which poetically is not written as the other three, called the synoptic Gospels. John gives us a powerful sense of the ways in which faith works. In today's case we must also apply the experiences of God and faith both to the ancient Israelites during the first Passover in Egypt, and to those who struggle and are divided through a temple system which has come to include the commercialism Jesus seeks to cleanse in order to restore the relationship of prayer front and center. He is the fulfillment of the Law, and yet He is also here to establish New Covenant of faith. Let us consider, then, the nature of our own faith -- how do different experiences in our lives connect into the growth and realization of our faith? How do the things you learn shed light on various aspects of faith you may not have understood at a certain point but can reflect upon now? "Memory" will always play a great role in the life of faith, as we also are taught to "remember God" -- recalling our minds to God in prayer and relationship. So the times of our lives and our experience of faith -- and with one another in faith -- can move us toward a greater understanding of God, a deeper relatedness within our lives, a greater wholeness as we learn to "devote ourselves and our whole lives to God." Time may intersect for us in ways that connect moments of seemingly unconnected experiences. Let us consider, then, the moments of our lives, our encounters with faith in prayer, in worship, and with one another that may bring us to a greater wholeness in God. Let us count them as John shows them to us, as events that may mysteriously link to reveal to us a deeper sense of who we are, and how we live in God, and in God's rest. Christ opens up for us a new sense of that worship, and what it is to rest in God.

You have kept the good wine until now!

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine." Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it." Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. Jesus said to them, "Fill the waterpots with water." And they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them, "Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast." And they took it. When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. And he said to him, "Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!" This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him. After this He went down to Capernaum, He, His mother, His brothers, and His disciples; and they did not stay there many days.

- John 2:1-12

In yesterday's reading, we recall that Jesus has selected some of His first disciples. Through John the Baptist, He has met several followers of John: Andrew, Philip, Nathanael, and (we presume) the author of this gospel, John Zebedee. Jesus had already met Andrew and the anonymous disciple, and through them, Simon whom He named Peter. Yesterday, we read of Jesus' meeting first of Philip, and then Nathanael. Jesus told Philip, "Follow Me." But Nathanael asked Philip, "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" when he was told about Jesus. As Nathanael came toward Him, Jesus said, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!" Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." Nathanael answered and said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" Jesus told Nathanael that he would see many greater things than this -- and then promised to them all: "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. We note that we have several events in the beginning of John's gospel that are happening very swiftly. On the first day, we read of the testimony of the Baptist regarding the One who is to come. The next day, Jesus is baptized and His identity revealed to the Baptist; later on, the Baptist stands with two of his disciples, and says of Jesus, "Behold the Lamb of God." Later, one of these disciples, Andrew, finds his brother Peter. On the second day, Jesus wishes to travel to Galilee. The gospel tells us that Andrew and Peter are from Bethsaida -- and so is Philip. Jesus finds Philip, and then Philip found Nathanael. Today's reading is about the third day, the wedding in Cana of Galilee. We can assume that this was an affair of extended family and relationships -- including these disciples. All, John is careful to note, were invited. As we have commented in each of the readings so far in John's gospel, relationship and relatedness play a central role in this ministry. My study bible notes that the setting of a wedding is very important: "In the Old Testament, marriage feasts symbolize the union of God with His bride, Israel." We note also that we are in Galilee, largely Gentile territory. These are important clues about Jesus' ministry.

And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine." Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come." Wine is a symbol of covenant, essential to a marriage feast. My study bible points out that Jesus is not insulting His mother by His reply -- rather, He's asking her, "What does this have to do with you and me?" "Woman," it notes, is a title of respect. "My hour" is the hour of self-revelation -- full and public disclosure of His identity, which my study bible says is primarily the time of His "glorification" -- His Passion, death, Resurrection, and Ascension. But, of course, we must note once again the importance of relationship. His mother, who knows Him best of anyone at this point, is the one who prompts Him. He has already gathered to Himself several disciples; perhaps this is a factor in her prompting. And, we recall, the anonymous disciple, whom we presume to be the author of this gospel, has had by the time of its writing a special relationship to Mary: he is the one who will take on the role of son and caretaker after the Crucifixion.

His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it." Despite Jesus' reply, she knows Him well. In all things, the gospels teach us that the Mother of God (an honorary title of the Church) has accepted Him, loved Him, and fully accepted the role given her at the time of the Annunciation. She, also, has faith in Him.

Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. The waterpots are made of stone for reasons of ritual purification: stone would not contract impurity in accordance with rabbinical teaching. My study bible suggests the number six -- one less than the fullness of a perfect seven -- perhaps symbolizes the old dispensation.

Jesus said to them, "Fill the waterpots with water." And they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them, "Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast." And they took it. When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. And he said to him, "Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!" Jesus' first act of ministry, after choosing several disciples, takes place at this wedding feast as a great symbol of His New Covenant that He is bringing to the world. We are in Gentile territory. The change from water to wine is the effect of the Christ, the Logos -- a symbol of covenant, and of fullness, in contrast to the six waterpots of stone, representing the Old Covenant. In Christ, the law is fulfilled, bringing a new dispensation: which comes to both Jew and Gentile. It is the action of grace.

This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him. After this He went down to Capernaum, He, His mother, His brothers, and His disciples; and they did not stay there many days. John's gospel has been called the Book of Signs, because Jesus' miracles are carefully referred to here as signs. They are signs not only of Jesus' identity but also of His kingdom and what He is bringing into the world. In keeping with the symbolic language of numbers, the signs in this gospel will be seven. A sign is something that points to a reality beyond itself. My study bible says that Jesus' signs point to "the mystery of the Incarnate God at work in His mighty and saving acts; the kingdom of God being inaugurated by Jesus. The disciples see His glory -- His divine power which reveals that He comes from the Father -- and are strengthened in their faith in Him." We note once again the relatedness that permeates this writing; from the wedding, everybody goes to Capernaum (Jesus' Galilean headquarters): He, His mother, His brothers (which likely means extended family -- as it does today in the Middle East), and His disciples. That they did not stay there many days again gives us a feel for the swiftness of this ministry -- a kind of sign of the swiftness with which this kingdom will take root in people's hearts.

The conversion of water to wine teaches us something extraordinary about Jesus, and also about ourselves. It's symbolic of the transformation that takes shape in so much of Christian understanding: it prefigures (according to some Church Fathers) the Eucharist. It also teaches us something about what is to come in the next chapter, the mystery of being "born again" of Spirit. And in a different and subtle way, it also teaches us about the transformation that creates relationship: Jesus' disciples are included with His family. All of this is included in our ideas about Covenant, and we must remember that Jesus is here to declare the presence of a kingdom, into which all of us are invited. Without a word, without any form of show, the transformation of water to wine takes place inside the stone jars, and it is the best wine according to the master of the feast -- it should have been served first! We are given a great secret, a hint of what happens "in secret" and in silence, perhaps without a word, without a great show, the mystery of the holy reality, the presence of the kingdom. In ourselves, we are also transformed, and we are brought into relationship. It's not up to us to explain or to make happen ourselves. It doesn't come with observation. It is subtle. Like the example of Mary, we accept by faith. Let us remember His Covenant within us, and the sign we are given of water transformed to wine. So it is with us, in us. Can you simply accept?

An Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!

The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, "Follow Me." Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote -- Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!" Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." Nathanael answered and said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe? You will see greater things than these." And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."

- John 1:43-51

In yesterday's reading, John the Baptist has "recognized" Jesus because of the knowledge he was given; he said, "Behold! The lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" And he bore witness, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God." John then introduced some of his disciples to Jesus. They were Andrew, and presumably, John the author of this gospel (who is not named). The Baptist says, "Behold the Lamb of God!" The two disciples heard Jesus speak, and stayed with Him the whole day. Andrew then found his brother, Simon Peter. He said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said: "You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas" (which is translated, A Stone).

The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, "Follow Me." Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote -- Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." In yesterday's reading, we observed the role that relationship and relatedness play in this gospel. John the Baptist's disciples are introduced to Jesus through the Baptist, and they in turn bring one another to Jesus. In this case, in today's reading, Philip and Nathanael are also presumed to be disciples of the Baptist. Jesus' call to "Follow Me" is a command -- perhaps, like the other disciples of John so far in the gospel, Philip also recognizes John's pronouncement that Jesus is the Lamb of God, the Messiah. But we don't know what it was to behold Jesus in person; we simply can't calculate the impact that He had on people in His public ministry. At this time, we can presume Jesus is quite consciously choosing disciples; hence, His call to Philip: "Follow Me." In yesterday's reading, Jesus pronounced Simon "Cephas" or Peter (from the Greek Petros), meaning Stone. He is the knower-of-hearts, and we can presume that in His divine origin as Logos, the connectedness with the spiritual power that revealed to John the Baptist Jesus' own identity. So, we have relatedness on deeper and deeper circles of spiritual reality. And once again, in this story, one disciple finds another and brings him to Christ. Philip found Nathanael. But Nathanael stands in great contrast to Philip. Philip immediately responded to Jesus' command, "Follow Me," as written in the gospel. But here we have Nathanael, who asks (responding to a sort of popular prejudice), "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Nathanael must "Come and see" for himself.

Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!" Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." Nathanael answered and said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe? You will see greater things than these." Jesus once again acts as the figure of the knower-of-hearts. As Logos, as Creator, as the One in whom is all Wisdom, Reason and Truth, Jesus knows who we are, more deeply than we know ourselves. Jesus' statement is a grand compliment, about the truthfulness and straightforwardness of Nathanael (who will also be known as Bartholomew). It is in some ways parallel to the naming of Simon as "Peter." Nathanael asks "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" responding to popular assumptions -- but he is capable of great faith. My study bible says, "No deceit implies a pure heart which is capable of recognizing Christ." So here we have again, a process of mutual recognition: what the Creator knows is something that, in relationship, must also stir the creature. And it is this capacity for faith that seals relationship, all throughout both Old and New Testaments. Faith, often associated with the heart in the language of the Bible, is a kind of perception, for which we bear a responsibility to respond. Nathanael's response to Jesus is an immediate confession of faith.

And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man." Here Jesus addresses the group -- the "you" is plural. He is in some way assigning them identity, teaching them who they are, who they will become. These are the things to which they will bear witness themselves. My study bible has a lengthy note here, which touches on several elements in this statement: "In ancient Jewish thought, the Son of Man is a mysterious being of heavenly origin who is to usher in the Kingdom of God (see Dan. 7:13-14). Jesus is this One. . . . In Old Testament prophecy, Jacob dreamed of a ladder connecting earth and heaven, upon which the angels of God were ascending and descending (see Gen. 28:12-15). Jesus -- the Son of Man - is 'Jacob's Ladder,' man's access to God . . . In His Incarnation, God and man are united." So, in this introduction to Jesus in John's gospel, we have the beginning of the fullness of this story. He is Jacob's Ladder, as my study bible points out; He is the Lamb of God who stands in for us, our Intercessor. But also, in the signs which John's gospel will witness for us, as incarnate Son He both bears witness and inaugurates the Kingdom of God on earth. The Cross, my study bible also notes, will be set up on earth like Jacob's ladder, reaching toward heaven, as Christ bears human nature so that it is raised to heaven. He is our Reconciler -- and in His promise here to these disciples, ultimately, they and all things are promised to be a part of that reconciliation.

In this introduction to John's gospel, this first chapter, we have so many elements of promise in such short and succinct readings. We have so much to think about, it teaches us so much, and there is so much more to read and to think about. One thing is certain, and that is the interrelatedness of all beings in Christ. No matter what level of perception we may have, Christ calls to us, He calls to the heart. He knows us there, He recognizes us, and we bear a capability through grace to recognize Him. But there is a part of ourselves that bears responsibility to this promise, this grace. It all depends on how we respond to it. One thing seems quite clear from today's reading: in the Israelite indeed, who is without deceit, we have a clue as to how to nurture this capacity within ourselves. It is a straightforward nature, one capable of valuing truth and truthfulness -- that is a kind of purity from the inside to the out, an honesty of depth. It is also linked to a capacity for mercy, as grace itself is mercy. We don't get to real faith by fooling ourselves, or by not involving our very beings, the center of ourselves, the heart. Relationship involves all of what and who we are, and it will always call upon us to go deeper into that giving of ourselves to it. Jesus calls us from the deepest place we know, and our spiritual lives will really involve that deeper and deeper call. Are you ready for that journey? Can you respond to the call? "Follow Me," He said to Philip -- and to each of us.

The Lamb of God

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.' I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water." And John bore witness, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God."

Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!" The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, "What do you seek?" They said to Him, "Rabbi" (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), "where are you staying?" He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where He was staying and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour). One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said: "You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas" (which is translated, A Stone).

- John 1:29-34, 35-42

In yesterday's reading, we were introduced to John the Baptist, and his role as Forerunner -- the one prophesied by Isaiah to announce to the world the presence of the Christ. John quoted Isaiah, in speaking about himself in answer to questions from priests and Levites sent by the Pharisees. He said, "I am 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Make straight the way of the LORD, "'as the prophet Isaiah said."

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.' I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water." Today's reading introduces us to the person of Jesus, the Logos or Christ, the Messiah incarnate as human being. My study bible points out that "John's naming Jesus publicly as the Lamb of God recalls Isaiah's 'Servant of God' who dies for the transgressions of his people (Is. 53:4-12). Christ, the true Paschal Lamb, offers Himself for our deliverance from darkness and death (1 Pet. 1:18, 19)." John the Baptist introduces us, as well as his own disciples, to Jesus. In this way, the Gospel of John unfolds, introducing us to the characters that make up this story, and that give us the fabric of faith to which we are being invited and introduced. It is important that we understand relationship and community in this context; as believers, our journey of faith is one of relatedness. John the Baptist teaches us what he knows, and gives us his perspective in his own journey of faith: He knows the Christ is preferred before him, and was before him. He tells us, "I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water." He was given the understanding that his baptism was in preparation for this revelation, to prepare the people for Him. Jesus appears in the gospel as He appeared to John, the One who is in fulfillment of the understanding he was given, the anticipation for which he was baptizing the people. It is faith that gives us our relatedness, our capacity for recognition, and for understanding.

And John bore witness, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God." Again, John the Baptist bears witness to his own experience of faith. In this case, to the revelation of Jesus as Christ. "He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'" Jesus' identity is revealed to the Baptist, and we read through John Zebedee's gospel, the testimony of the Baptist. In this testimony, we are privileged to read the experience of faith, as it led John, the Forerunner.

Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!" Again, the Baptist uses the phrase from Isaiah. It is important that we understand the significance of the Lamb as image. In the tradition of the Law, the lamb as perfect sacrifice was identified with the people, with worshipers. Christ here is named in a particular way; as John's gospel has unfolded to us, we understand He is Creator, Logos, and yet He comes to participate not only with us, but as us. He will be the Lamb of God who stands for all us before God.

The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, "What do you seek?" They said to Him, "Rabbi" (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), "where are you staying?" He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where He was staying and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour). One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said: "You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas" (which is translated, A Stone). Here we see relatedness in many forms, and once again, how it works through faith. Jesus' first disciples come through John the Baptist, and are originally John's followers. The first mentioned is Andrew, and, somewhat mysteriously, another unnamed disciple. This is probably the author of this gospel himself, as it was traditional not to name oneself. Their first question is to ask, "Rabbi, where are you staying?" Let us think of the relatedness of hospitality, of strangers who come together and are united by something other than blood or other forms of kinship. It is suggestive of the words we read in the beginning of John's gospel: "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." These first followers in turn find and bring others; here is mentioned Andrew's brother Simon, whom Jesus "recognizes" and names Cephas or Peter in English (from the Greek, Petros), meaning A Stone. In Christ's recognition of Peter we also find the deepening nature of relatedness, and of faith. Much later on, Jesus' glance toward Peter will tell us so much more of understanding and recognition.

We find in the opening of John's gospel so much that is interesting in terms of the illustration of our faith, and its unfolding in relationship. Something deep within us leads to deeper understanding, and to recognition, and in turn we are recognized. Jesus "names" Peter as a form of recognition, of Creator to creature but more -- as Teacher to disciple, and yet even as friend to friend, brother to brother. Christ is the knower-of-hearts, the One who knows us more deeply than we know ourselves. After the coming of the Holy Spirit, Peter will indeed show himself to be that rock, but until that time we will meet a Peter with that capacity, and yet so much of the exuberant and emotional, who will rely on himself for his own strength, when it is in the capacity for faith that his true identity as Rock will show. Peter is like all of us -- may we be named by Christ for who we can be in Him, in faith, in the Spirit, in relationship to God and to one another. May you be blessed with that recognition, and the relatedness that faith can bring. It will always bring new revelation, an unfolding. John's gospel introduces us to that faith, to the brothers, the friends. May it unfold for you, as well, as a continual journey. Christ is the Lamb of God through whom it all unfolds, for each of us, and who brings us to one another.

"Make straight the way of the Lord," as the prophet Isaiah said

Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" He confessed and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ." And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No." Then they said to him, "Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?" He said, "I am

'The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

"Make straight the way of the LORD, "'

as the prophet Isaiah said."

Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees. And they asked him, saying, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose." These things were done in Bathabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

- John 1:19-28

In yesterday's reading, we read John the Evangelist's introduction to the Christ. It is a theological understanding of Christ as Logos or Word, and John's testimony as to his witness in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. See In the beginning was the Word. In today's reading, we are introduced to John the Baptist, and the Baptist's testimony of himself. John was an extremely important figure, revered widely as a holy man in his own time. Many of Jesus' apostles were followers of John before they became followers of Jesus.

Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" As noted above, John the Baptist was widely considered a holy man. He baptized a baptism of repentance in preparation for the Messiah, the One who was to come. His popularity was such that it is natural the priests and Levites would come to ask him about himself. In John's gospel, the term "the Jews" means the leadership of the temple. It is essential to remember that John the Evangelist, like all of Jesus' immediate apostles, was himself a devout Jew. At the time this gospel was written, persecutions of Jesus' followers were widespread in the synagogues and hence in the diaspora of the Jewish community, in addition to harsh Roman persecution.

He confessed and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ." John clearly teaches that he is not the expected Messiah, in a time when many are looking for a savior for Israel. Christ is the Greek word for "Anointed One," the Messiah.

And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." It was prophesied that Elijah would return before the Christ, the Messiah. In the gospels, Jesus refers to John the Baptist as the return of Elijah in spirit.

"Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No." The Prophet refers to the prophesy given by Moses in Deuteronomy 18: "The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear . . . 'I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him' " (Deut. 18:15, 18).

Then they said to him, "Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?" He said, "I am 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Make straight the way of the LORD, " ' as the prophet Isaiah said." John refers to himself as the one prophesied by Isaiah, who will come before the Lord, the Messiah, and announce His presence in the world. John is called the Forerunner for this reason. He quotes from Isaiah 40:3 to express his identity to the priests and Levites.

Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees. And they asked him, saying, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose." These things were done in Bathabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. The Pharisees are a strong ruling party in the leadership of the temple. In other gospels, John the Baptist is scathing in his reply to their presence at the site of his baptisms, asking them, "Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" John's is a baptism of repentance in preparation for the Messiah, for the coming of the Lord.

In the gospel of John, the portrait of John the Baptist is one of extreme humility. This is consistent with the other gospels, and the statements of John the Baptist we read in which he refers at all to himself. In all things, he defers to Christ. This is the characteristic of humility, a deferral to Christ -- and it is what we are given repeatedly to understand about John the Baptist. The Baptist is also considered the greatest of the Old Testament prophets, and is referred to by Jesus as such. His great popularity in his own time suggests to us why the Pharisees would send priests and Levites to ask him about himself -- but in all things, he defers to the One who is to come, who is in fact present in the world. And this example of tremendous humility is what we must take with us when we examine our own faith. In all things, John the Baptist defers to the Christ. As great a figure as he cuts among the people, John is humble before the One for whom he baptizes. So, his invitation to baptism is also an invitation to the people to prepare for the Christ, to put everything aside and behind them in preparation for the One who is to come. Can we do the same thing in our own hearts? Do we put everything aside to "make straight the way of the Lord?" This is our job each day. Humility is not a concept highly valued in our world, but before the Christ, this is our attitude. This is how we must hold our hearts in preparation for the Lord, the One who is, in fact, present in our world. How do you prepare? How do you make straight His Way in your heart?

In the beginning was the Word

Photo copyright Anni Jones Photography

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.'" And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

- John 1:1-18

Dear readers,

Today we begin readings from the gospel of John. I have taken a short break during the Christmas season. Appropriately, we begin again with "In the beginning."

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. "In the beginning" is a phrase that takes us to the start of creation. The Word is "Logos" -- in the Greek, meaning both wisdom and reason, as well as word. There is nothing without Him, through Whom all was made that was made. It is Christ who was with God before all creation.

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. Here we have the next quality of this Creator, the Logos. In Him is life, and that life is the light of men. My study bible points out that we participate in this light by participating in the life of Christ: "By seeing and participating in Christ's life believers become light and the children of light. Moses saw this light in the burning bush (Ex. 3:2), Isaiah saw it in his heavenly vision (Is. 6:1-5), and Peter, James and John saw it on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matt. 17:2)." Therefore we can consider that this very life that is the light of man is enlightening to us by participation in it and with it. That which has spoken all things into existence, together with the Father from the beginning, is also with us. But the darkness neither understands nor overcomes or takes in that light ("comprehend" in all its senses is a very good translation for the original Greek). The darkness is that which opposes the light. My study bible says, "the Word freely offers light to all . . . Darkness will oppose the light, yet cannot defeat the light."

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. John the Baptist is the man referred to here. His importance in the Scriptures and for the early Church and the apostles of Christ cannot be denied. He was the greatest of the prophets, sent to bear witness of the Light. Appropriately, Jesus' baptism was celebrated in many churches on Sunday, and today we start with "In the beginning" -- both of Christ's identity as Logos, and His public ministry as Jesus Christ.

That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. Here we have a mystical reality and the promise and actualization of union on many levels. The true light was incarnate in His creation, as human being. He was in the world, His creation, but His own didn't know Him. He came to give us light, that we may be led by His light which is life itself. But to each who receives Him is given the right to become children of God, children of that light, who may be born through it, through God. In this paragraph, we have several distinct notions of being and meaning and manifestation on mystical terms: the true Light which gave life to the world became a part of this created world, but the world did not know Him. Neither did His own, prepared through the Law and the Prophets, receive Him. But through grace, whoever receives Him is God's by adoption, which is offered to all. This mystical rebirth becomes the keystone of faith.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.'" And here is the great statement of the witness, the author of this gospel, Jesus' disciple John, who has also by Tradition given us several other books of the New Testament, each consistent in this message of witness to power and truth, and love. John the Evangelist says, "And we beheld His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." He refers to John the Baptist again by name, and to the Baptist's own testimony as witness.

And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. John the Evangelist testifies for all witnesses when he says, "And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace." This is the revelation of Christ, incarnate as human being, the grace and truth that He offered to the world and offers to us every day. The great prophet Moses, revealer of God's law to ancient Israel, is the other prophet mentioned, but Christ Himself was born as man in order to reveal grace and truth, that which comes from the Father and is of God, a mystical reality possible only for He who is God. This beginning reading ends also where it began, in a mystical reality, that the Son is in the bosom of the Father.

John's gospel teaches us, right from the beginning, of the mystical reality of our faith. This is not merely a story about a man who lived in the world, who was good, who taught us things we needed to learn and to think about for ourselves. This mystery is about participation in the life and the light of God, that which was from the beginning with God. The Son, who is light and life, and who will declare Himself so in John's gospel, is here in the flesh not only for those who will bear witness, but for those who come later -- to offer that light and life to all of us, to each of us, that through faith and participation in His life and light, we may also become sons of God by adoption. This powerful mystical reality sets us in a place of relatedness that goes deeper than any relationship of blood, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but is of God. God, who was before the beginning, in the beginning, and ever will be, our Creator and creator of all things, comes into manifestation of spiritual and mystical truth more deeply than anything we know, as deeply as anything we are or hope to be. Can we live this mystical reality? Can we "receive" it, as we receive Him? This is the promise. John is the witness, and he writes for us all, calling us toward that light. Can we receive life and light?