Behold 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 1:29-42

Yesterday we read the testimony of John the Baptist, when the leadership 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 and 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, "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 Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

 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."  My study bible notes that John's declaration of Jesus as the Lamb of God recalls Isaiah's "Servant of God," who dies for the transgressions of His people (Isaiah 53:4-12).  Christ, who is the true Paschal (Passover) Lamb, offers Himself for our deliverance from darkness and from death (1 Peter 1:18-19); as the Prologue of John taught, He is life itself.   This is the second day of seven reported at the beginning of John's Gospel, the start of Jesus' ministry.  St. John Chrysostom writes that Jesus came to John this second time so that John could make this declaration, and thereby stop anyone from thinking that Jesus needed baptism to wash away sins.

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."    That the Spirit remained upon Jesus is a sign that as Son He possesses the Spirit in His fullness from all eternity.  Christ did not receive the Holy Spirit at His Baptism.  Rather, John's vision reveals the truth that the Holy Spirit has always rested upon Christ.

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).  Jesus' first disciples had already been followers of John the Baptist.  They are Andrew; Simon, known as Peter, or Cephas; Philip and Nathanael (also known as Bartholomew),  who will make their appearance in tomorrow's lectionary reading; and an unnamed disciple, named by some patristic commentators as John, the author of this Gospel.  My study bible notes that it was a common literary device for a writer not to give his own name.  (See also Luke 24:13-35, the story of the encounter with the risen Christ on the road to Emmaus, in which only one of the two disciples is named). 

Jesus' ministry begins to unfold, with a kind of handing off from John the Baptist, the last of the line of Old Testament prophets, to Jesus, upon whom the Spirit rests eternally.  The Baptist, true to his calling, and his unfailing humility, not only recognizes Jesus as the Christ, but devotes his whole loyalty to His service.  Indeed, John testifies that he came baptizing with water in order for Christ to be revealed to Israel.  In John, we see an unparalleled response to the call of true vocation and how this works -- in which every element of his ministry corresponds to the working out of faith in the world, and support for the mission of Christ.  In the eyes of the Church, the Incarnation is the supreme event not only in all of human and worldly history, but even of the entire cosmos -- all of creation, in heaven and on earth.  That God would become human in order to reconcile humanity to God, enabling us to become children of God by adoption, is the greatest action of Creator after creation itself.  John's ministry of baptism in preparation for this event does not stop with the appearance of Jesus, but rather continues to support and serve the Incarnation through the events we read about in the Gospels and this transition in which John's disciples become the first disciples of Jesus.  Through all of these characters, the story of Christ's ministry into the world plays itself out and becomes a part of the fabric of creation, with each playing his or her own necessary role for its completeness and what it offers to each of us.  But John the Baptist remains for us exemplary in his living out of humility in the love of God.   As Jesus' ministry continues to unfold, we will further read of John and his deference to Christ.  John's mission and life is rooted in service to God, and within that mission of service is his testimony about Christ, as given to us in today's reading.  John says about Christ, "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."  As the Son is revealed to John by the One who sent him to baptize, so John is also compelled to testify to the world.  Each of us, in our own lives of faith, must understand our part in this drama as well, for Christ is the Christ for each of us, and we all have testimony to make in our lives.  There are all kinds of ways in which witnessing to faith takes place, and all kinds of ways that revelation may happen for every person.  But great saints like John the Baptist remain the models for Spirit-infused life, a seamless kind of flow of mercy received by the heart and given to the world in grace and truth.  John's actions give us the image of what it is to be pure in heart; there is no duplicity here, no double purpose, no selfishness.  There is only the truth he is given and which he gives to all.

I am "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Make straight the way of the LORD'"

 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 and 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, "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 Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

- John 1:19-28

Yesterday, we read what is known as the Prologue of John's Gospel:   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 as 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 seen God at any time.  The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

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 and 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."  After the Prologue (yesterday's reading, above), John's Gospel shifts to the beginning of Christ's earthly ministry.  It begins with John the Baptist and his mission as herald, the one who is proclaiming the imminence of the Kingdom, telling the people to prepare for the Messiah, through a baptism of repentance.  Naturally, the priests and Levites come to question him, as the leadership will so often do throughout the Gospels, to understand what he is doing and who he claims to be.  The leadership, forming the Council with its parties and functional groups, is a kind of regulatory body of the faith and the community, and their role in the Gospels often seems to be just that, of powerful religious "regulators."  Particularly the Pharisees are seen to actively play this part, and they are the ones who send the priests and Levites to question John the Baptist.    In John's Gospel the term the Jews is used most frequently to mean the body of the leadership, and should be viewed as a kind of political term, as if to indicate a party, rather than all Jewish people.  All of the people in the Gospel, with very few notable exceptions, and including Jesus and John the Evangelist, are Jews.    With today's passage, the theme of the Gospel follows the echo of Genesis heard in the first verse, which starts with the words, "In the beginning."  We are given the first seven days of Jesus' ministry on earth in this first chapter and the beginning of chapter 2.  Today's entire passage covers the first day.  Here John the Baptist bears witness to the Light -- the Christ -- in the presence of the Jews (representatives of the religious leadership) who come from Jerusalem to question him.  This parallels the creation of light on the first day in Genesis 1:3-5.   Here John the Baptist gives his account of himself to the religious authorities, representatives sent by the Council:  He is a prophet but not the Prophet, the Messiah, whose coming Moses foretold (Deuteronomy 18:15-19).  Rather, he gives the picture of himself as the one prophesied by Isaiah, the one crying in the wilderness, who prepares the way for the Messiah.

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, "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 Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.  John's call to repentance in preparation for the day of the Messiah is a traditional one for prophets.  He baptizes for repentance, prefiguring and preparing people for the baptism of Christ which was to come (Romans 6:3-11).  My study bible says that John himself is a figure of the Law in that, like the Law, he denounced sin but could not remit (literally, to "put away") sin.  Both John and the Law point to the One who can remit sin.

Right from the beginning, those who form the start of Jesus' ministry are informed by the Spirit.  They speak of an understanding that the leadership is trying to grasp, but doesn't seem to be prepared for.   John the Baptist is considered by the Church in its tradition as the last and greatest of the Old Testament prophets.  All of the prophets were inspired by the Holy Spirit, in a mystical lineage sent repeatedly to the people to call them back to God, to repentance, each through their own unique roles in Jewish spiritual history.  But John the Baptist's role is unique in the sense that he is aware that an entirely new kind of baptism is coming, one for which he prepares the people, and one that will be given by the Messiah, the Christ.  This will form a kind of presence and giving of the Holy Spirit that is unprecedented.  Those among the leadership come to question John and to understand what he is doing, what role he thinks he plays.  Like Jesus' ministry to come, the members of the leadership, sent by the Pharisees, come to play their role as "regulators," questioning and finding out what they deem as lawful or unlawful, authoritative or not authoritative according to their own understanding as experts in the Law.  Also like Jesus' ministry, John the Baptist cuts a hugely impressive figure in his own time.  He was very widely revered as a holy man by the people, and many of Christ's first disciples will come from the ranks of disciples of the Baptist, guided by John himself to Jesus.  John fulfills completely the role assigned to him by God, living only for his mission and love of God, eschewing the norms of social life and even propriety, in favor of an extremely ascetic lifestyle of poverty.  Jesus Himself will point out the criticism of the leadership, which condemned John for his extreme asceticism and Jesus for the opposite .  But, as Jesus will reply, "Wisdom is justified by her children" (Matthew 11:18-19).  Let us consider how John the Baptist teaches us about the fullness of sainthood, in which each individual in the story of faith plays to fullness their unique role, and the powerful ways the Holy Spirit -- God at work in the world -- manifests that uniqueness.  The "regulators" come to question each seeming anomaly.  But without each of those unique saints, who seem to burst with the energies of God to make indelible impressions in their own time and place, the picture of faith is not complete, each contributing what is asked by God and fulfilling the possibilities of persona.  Paradoxically, this happens through a radical kind of humility and self-emptying love.  Such is the story for each of us, if we but take on that journey to play our own parts in this Kingdom. 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God

 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 as 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 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

On Saturday, we read the final passage in the Gospel of Matthew.  It told us that while the women witnesses to Christ's Resurrection were going to tell the disciples Jesus' message, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened.  When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, saying, "Tell them, 'His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.'  And if this comes to the governor's ears, we will appease him and make you secure."  So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.  Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them.  When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.  And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."  Amen.

 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.   Today's reading is called the Prologue to John's Gospel.  John's Gospel is the "spiritual" Gospel, if you will.  That is, it is the Gospel that gives us the theology and understanding of our faith.  These first two verses tells us so much about Christ.  In the beginning is an echo of the creation story of Genesis (Genesis 1:1), but it rather speaks more clearly about the Creator Himself.  Moreover, while Genesis spoke of the first creation, this Prologue reveals the new creation in Christ.  Was the Word (Greek Logos):  The Word is the eternal Son of God.  "In the beginning was" gives us existence without reference to a starting point.  That is, it emphasizes the Word's eternal existence without beginning.  My study bible defines Logos as possibly meaning "wisdom," "reason," and "action" as well as "word."  All of these are attributes of the Son of God.  That the Word was with God teaches us that the Word -- the Son of God -- is a distinct Person from the Father and also that He is in eternal communion with the Father.  That the Word was God teaches us that the Son of God is co-equal and co-eternal with the Father.  He Himself is God with the same divinity as the Father.

All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.  The Word is the co-Creator with the Father and the Holy Spirit (Genesis 1; Psalm 32:6,9; Hebrews 1:2).  He is not simply an instrument or servant used by the Father.  My study bible says that will, operation, and power are one in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Therefore, the heavens and the earth -- all of the cosmos -- are the works of the One who made them, while the Son is not made but is eternally begotten of the Father.

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.   One of the distinctions of God is that only God has life in Himself.  Therefore, the Word, as God, is the source of life, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  The life was the light of men introduces human beings as the receivers of the divine light.  As we participate in the life of the Son, we as believers become children of the light (12:36; Ephesians 5:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:5).  Moses saw the divine light in the burning bush (Exodus 3:2); the whole nation of Israel saw it at the Red Sea (Exodus 13:21); Isaiah saw it in the heavenly vision (Isaiah 6:1-5); and three apostles saw it at the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-5). 

And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.   According to my study bible, darkness indicates both spiritual ignorance and satanic opposition to the light.  Those who hate truth prefer ignorance for themselves and strive to keep others ignorant as well (3:19).  The Greek word that is translated comprehend means, like the English, both "understand" and "overcome" or "take in."  Therefore, darkness can never overpower the light of Christ, nor can it understand the way of love.

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.  The Gospel speaks here about John the Baptist (the Evangelist John was likely first a disciples of John the Baptist).  My study bible comments that Christ offers light to every person, but the world and even many of His own refuse to receive Him.  Therefore they can neither know nor recognize Him.  Those who accept Him have His light.  Right here also means "authority" and indicates that this is a gift from God, rather than an inalienable right.   Those who receive Christ become children of God by adoption (Galatians 4:4-7) and by grace inherit everything Christ is by nature.  To believe in His name, my study bible says, means to believe and trust in Him who in His humanity took the name Jesus as Word, Son, Messiah, and Savior.  Adoption as a child of God is not a matter of ethnic descent (of blood) as in the Old Testament.  Neither are we children of God simply by natural birth (that is, the will of the flesh), nor by our own choice (the will of man).  Rather, becoming a child of God is, according to my study bible, a spiritual birth by grace, through faith, and in the Holy Spirit.  This is accomplished and manifested in the sacrament of Holy Baptism (3:5-8); see Titus 3:4-7).

And the word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as 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.'"   My study bible tells us that the word became flesh clarifies the manner in which the Son and Word of God came to His people, pointing specifically to the Incarnation.  The Word became fully human without ceasing to be fully God.  Christ assumed complete human nature:  body, soul, will, emotion, and even mortality -- everything that pertains to humanity but sin.  He is God and Man in one Person, and thereby pours divinity into all of human nature.  Anything not assumed by Christ would not have been healed.  In the Old Testament, God's presence dwelt ("tabernacled" or "tented") in the ark of the covenant, and later in the temple.  Here, Christ the eternal Word comes to dwell in and among humanity itself.  His glory refers both to His divine power shown by His signs and wonders (2:11; 11:4, 40), and also to His humble service to humanity, shown most perfectly on the Cross (12:23-32; 13:31).  In both ways, Jesus reveals that He is the One sent from the Father.  Only begotten of the Father:  My study bible says that the Son has no beginning, but has the Father as His source from eternity.  He is called "only" begotten because there is no other born from the Father.  (The Holy Spirit exists eternally from the Father through a different unique mystery called "procession"; see 15:26).  Full of grace and truth:  This phrase qualifies both the Word and His glory.  Grace is Christ's uncreated energy that is given to us through His love and mercy.  Truth, my study bible adds, includes His faithfulness to His promises and covenants and to the reality of His words and gifts.

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.  To say that we have all received of His fullness confirms that God's grace can fill human nature to the extent of actually deifying it.  In Christ, my study bible writes, God's children become gods by grace (10:34-35) but without ceasing to be human.  A classic patristic analogy is of metal thrust into fire.   The metal takes on properties of fire such as heat and light, but it does not cease to be metal.  Therefore human nature is likewise permeated by God and can take on properties of the divine nature, without being divine in essence.  Grace for grace is a Semitic expression which signifies an overabundance of grace.

No one has seen God at any time.  The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.  That no one has seen God at any time indicates that no one can see the nature, or essence, of God, for to see God is to die (Exodus 33:20).  Only One who is divine can see God, and therefore the Son is the only One who can declare God.   My study bible says that this revelation of God's energies can be received by the faithful.  Moses saw the "back" of God (Exodus 33:21-23); Isaiah saw His glory (see Isaiah 6:1; John 12:41).

John's Gospel was the last to be written, most likely within the final decade of the first century after Christ.  My study bible gives the approximate likely date of AD 96.  From its distinctive orientation, right in its beginning, we can see the understanding of the early Church that had been developed by that time, and know that the theology upon which we stand was already firmly in place.  By the time he died, the Evangelist John was a very old man.  Tradition tells us that he was assisted by St. Prochorus in writing his gospel, and he was the leading figure in the Ephesus Christian community.  It is both interesting and important that the very "spiritual" or mystical orientation of John is clear and well-established.  It tells us that already by this time the Church had fully come to know the working of the Holy Spirit in its faith and mission, and the very presence of Christ with them.  This Gospel is not just a story about a Teacher and what He taught.  It is fully formed as the message of the Word who has come in the flesh in order that we might become like Him, and become children by adoption of "the true Light that gives light to every man coming into the world."  Whatever we are to understand from John's Gospel, it includes the full understanding that in this faith, in becoming Christ's disciples, we do not simply understand a concept or a set of reasons and codes.  We rather become part of a Light that has come into the world, and that light is the light not only of the world but of all existence.  It is the only Light that can give and share with us life itself.  Tradition also tells us that John the Evangelist (also called Theologian in the Eastern Church, one of only three to bear this title) gave us the Epistles of John and the Revelation.  Some scholars suggest that all were not written by John himself, but by disciples.  At any rate, it matters not what the actual mechanics were by which these books were produced:  their message and language are consistent in their powerful orientation both of a mystical understanding of Christ, and the message of love it bears.  John is called "the beloved disciple" (21:20).  It is he also who was assigned the tremendous honor and responsibility at the Cross for becoming the son to Mary, Mother of Christ (19:25-26).  What is born in love and discipleship is also a discipleship offered to us in love:  the sonship or adoption offered to all of us is one of full participation and communion, possible only through the divine working of the Logos who became a human being for us.  Right in the Prologue, we also understand there is a sadness to this love in its depths and the story of Christ:  "He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him."  As we read through John, let us consider the full offer of love that is made through the Gospel and its orientation of mystical union, shared in the Holy Trinity and extended to all through faith, full of grace and truth.

I am with you always, even to the end of the age

 Now while they were going, behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened.  When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, saying, "Tell them, 'His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.'  And if this comes to the governor's ears, we will appease him and make you secure."  So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.

Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them.  When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.  And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."  Amen.

- Matthew 28:11-20

Yesterday we read that, after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.  And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.  His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.  And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.  But the angel answered and said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.  He is not here; for He is risen, as He said.  Come, see the place where the Lord lay.  And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him.  Behold, I have told you."  So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.  And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, "Rejoice!"  So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.  Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid.  Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me."

 Now while they were going, behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened.  When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, saying, "Tell them, 'His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.'  And if this comes to the governor's ears, we will appease him and make you secure."  So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.  My study bible calls this an absurd lie.  Christ's disciples were afraid and had gone into hiding.  Moreover, most of them would go on to suffer terrible persecution and martyrdom.  That they would willingly endure such sufferings over a known fallacy is simply not worth consideration. 

Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them.  When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.  And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth."  This declaration means that the authority that was Christ's by nature in His divinity is now possessed by His glorified human nature.  My study bible says that this human nature has now trampled the final enemy -- death (1 Corinthians 15:20-28).

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; . . .."  This command is called the Great Commission; it is the Lord's final commandment given on earth.  It is to be lived out in the Church until His Return.  My study bible tells that to make disciples cannot be done in the strength of man, but rather only in the power of God.  The power of the Resurrection therefore isn't for Jesus Himself alone, but it is given to all believers for Christian life and mission. 

" . . . and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."  Amen.   This is a solemn promise that Christ Himself is present in each believer and in the Church always.  This is true both personally and in the Holy Spirit.  Neither can be separated from the other.  To the end of the age doesn't indicate that we will be separated from Christ at the end of the world.  As is often heard in the refrain of prayers, He is with us now, and forever, and unto the ages of ages.  Amen.

My study bible tells us that where Christ is, so is the Holy Spirit.  John's Gospel reports that Jesus tells the disciples at the Last Supper, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him" (John 14:23).  Therefore what we are to understand is the depth of faith:  to love Christ, to keep His word, is to invite the indwelling of Father, Son, and Spirit.  This is not our job, but is the work of grace and the promise of Christ.  It is something we can count on, in which we therefore trust -- as faith is akin to trust.  The Greek word for faith is indeed the word that means "trust."  We trust in His promises, we count on the things he says He gives us for our support and sustenance.  In this we walk and take our certainty, our confidence in our own mission in the world, given by Him.  There may be many ways in which church outreach seeks to make disciples, but all of them must start with this as the first thing:  the reliance on the promise of Christ that "lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."   Without this reliance, we fail in our mission, because we fail truly to understand the real nature of our faith, a reliance and dependence upon God.  We also fail to understand God's true nature, that, as Spirit, God dwells within and lives with us, and we are able to grow in spiritual virtue as we, too, possess a spirit given by God.  This is a basic understanding of growth in spiritual virtue and in a life of prayer, without which we do not have the relationship that we need and rely on with God.  Furthermore, Jesus gives us one more clue in this ongoing, synergistic life with God.  He commands the disciples that are to "make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you . . .."   That baptism is an integral part of discipleship furthermore cements this need we have for reliance on God, for it is the gift of the Holy Spirit that enables us to truly do this work, to know and understand His commands, to allow into the depths of the heart the indwelling of Father, Son, and Spirit so that we may live as He asks us to live.  So many are tempted to simply say that our faith is replicated through a series of conscious "good works" or principles which we can intellectually extrapolate from His teachings.  But our faith isn't merely an intellectual exercise.  It is in the fullness of who we are and how we live, and moreover, indwells in the depths of the heart,  engaging body, soul, and spirit in each of us.  Without this mystical completeness, we don't truly live our faith.  We can't experience the promise of what it is to worship in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).  We don't really know the fullness of discipleship.  Our faith engages us as full, whole persons, created in God's image.  Without this spiritual understanding and engagement, we don't "get it."  We aren't fully there with Him.  Let us remember and rely on His promise and His indwelling, with us "always, even to the end of the age."  Amen.

Rejoice!

 Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.  And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.  His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.  And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.  But the angel answered and said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.  He is not here; for He is risen, as He said.  Come, see the place where the Lord lay.  And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him.  Behold, I have told you."  So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.

And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, "Rejoice!"  So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.  Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid.  Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me."

- Matthew 28:1-10

Yesterday we read that, at Jesus' crucifixion, many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, were there looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.  Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus.  This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.  Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him.  When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed.  And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb.  On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, saying, "Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise.'  Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, 'He has risen from the dead.'  So the last deception will be worse than the first."  Pilate said to them, "You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how."  So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard.

 Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.  And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.  His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.  And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.  My study bible calls this earthquake a sign of our Lord's great victory over death, which foreshadows the general resurrection of all humanity.  It notes that the angel does not roll back the stone to let the Lord out.  In His glory, Christ could pass through solid rock (John 20:19).  Instead, rolling back the stone allows the witnesses in to see that He is already risen.

But the angel answered and said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.  He is not here; for He is risen, as He said.  Come, see the place where the Lord lay.  And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him.  Behold, I have told you."  So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.  These women are the first witnesses to the supreme event in all history:  the Resurrection of Christ and the destruction of death.  My study bible notes that the angel refers to Christ as the One who was crucified, which teaches us not to shy away from His death, but rather to glory in the Cross (1 Corinthians 2:2; Galatians 6:14) -- as it is the weapon Christ used to destroy death and the trophy of His victory.  St. Paul tells us, "If Christ is not risen, your faith is futile" (1 Corinthians 15:17). 

And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, "Rejoice!"  So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.  Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid.  Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me."  The first word of the risen Christ is "Rejoice!" followed by "Do not be afraid."  These women are called "Apostles to the Apostles" as it is they who are sent to give Christ's brethren the message to go to Galilee where they will see Him.

"Rejoice!" is the first message of the risen Christ.  The second is also important for us, "Do not be afraid."  Together these messages make up the gist of our faith, and what it is to live the faith of Christ.  In Greek, this word -- this command, really -- is used also for formal greetings.  Indeed, it is the first word of the Annunciation, the first word in the story of Christ.  The first word of Gabriel to Mary (Luke 1:28)  is often translated as, "Greetings"  or "Hail."   It is "Ave" in Latin.  But in Greek it quite literally is a command to "Rejoice!"  It is the identical word Christ says to the women here; the one difference is that to Mary at the Annunciation it is singular, and here to the women it is plural.  In Greek, it is also linked to the word for grace, as is the word "charism."  Even the word Eucharist ("give thanks") has this root at its center.  We rejoice for the gifts of God, for God's grace -- and remember that this is literally a command to be joyful.    If we think about it, each of these commands come from a sense in which the reality of this world is stood on its head.   Jesus, their Teacher, has just been crucified.  But His followers are commanded to rejoice and to not be afraid.  This is the word of our faith to us.  We are to take joy in the grace that fills our lives through faith, and to reject fear in the face of the courage to live that faith in our worldly lives.   In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches that we are the light of the world.  He tells us, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."  But light, or illumination, also comes through this command to rejoice, or to "be joyful."  The joy-infused life of faith is truly a gift of grace.  At the Last Supper, just before His crucifixion, John's Gospel tells us that Jesus says to the disciples, "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full."  And then, in His next sentence, He says, "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you" (John 15:11-12).  To bear this joy and this love is how we shine the light of illumination into the world for all to see.  We are not to be afraid, but to live our faith, to live that joy and allow it to reflect God's light into the world.  It is ours by grace; let us follow as He commands!

And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb

 And many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, were there looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.

Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus.  This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.  Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him.  When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed.  And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb.

On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, saying, "Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise.'  Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, 'He has risen from the dead.'  So the last deception will be worse than the first."  Pilate said to them, "You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how."  So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard.

- Matthew 27:55-66

Yesterday we read that from the sixth hour until the ninth hour (that is, from noon to three o'clock in the afternoon) there was darkness over all the land during Jesus' crucifixion.  And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"  Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, "This Man is calling for Elijah!"  Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink.  The rest said, "Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to save Him."  And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.  Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, an the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.  So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, "Truly this was the Son of God!"

And many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, were there looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.  According to my study bible, most patristic commentators teach that Mary the mother of James and Joses is the Virgin Mary, who was in fact stepmother to James and Joses (see 13:55; compare Mark 15:40, 47).  According to Theophylact's summary:  "James and Joses were sons of Joseph by his first wife.  And since the Theotokos [the Greek title for the Virgin Mary, meaning "God-bearer"] was called the 'wife' of Joseph, she is rightly called the 'mother' of his children, meaning 'stepmother'." 

Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus.  This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.  Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him.  When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed.  And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb.  For Joseph of Arimathea to ask for the body of Jesus from Pilate is a very bold public act.  According to Luke 23:50, he was a member of the Council.   Particularly considering his wealth and potential loss of social status, his faith is remarked on as exceeding or overcoming any fear.   According to my study bible, Jesus is buried in a new tomb so that no suspicion might later arise that another had risen instead of Christ.

On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, saying, "Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise.'  Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, 'He has risen from the dead.'  So the last deception will be worse than the first."  Pilate said to them, "You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how."  So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard.  Inadvertently, the chief priests' and Pharisees' efforts to discredit Christ and His followers work to affirm the Gospel account of Resurrection.  By making the tomb secure and setting the guard, the mystery of the Resurrection simply deepens.

In this time period of the days immediately following Jesus' death, it's as if a huge hush is felt over the Gospel account, a great quiet has settled.  Things begin to fall into place, a kind of work that comes together in surprising ways.  Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Council and a wealthy man, who is secretly a disciple of Christ, boldly comes forward publicly and asks for the body of Christ from Pilate.  A new stone-hewed tomb was something costly enough so that it is what only a rich man could generally afford.  But this new tomb made of rock only serves to eliminate the possibility that Jesus' body will be exchanged or mistaken with another.  Once again, the workings of the leadership who wish to destroy Jesus' movement and to discredit His ministry, simply work to put into place an unshakable faith in His Resurrection.  By themselves sealing the stone on the tomb, and setting a guard to keep watch, they eliminate all obvious sources of doubt in the story of Resurrection for His followers.  Everything seems to work to simply fall together, like a kind of clockwork that happens in mysterious ways, all unexpected and unplanned.  We can simply imagine the state of His followers.  The apostles themselves seem to have scattered, and these particular players in the story of Jesus take up their roles:  the women who keep watch, Joseph of Arimathea who has up until now been a secret follower of Christ, even the guards sent by the chief priests and Pharisees.  The story of Jesus is not yet finished, and it will take these various players of so-called "small roles" to make the greatest and most stupendous chapter that will live for thousands of years beyond its time.
 

Truly this was the Son of God!

 Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land.  And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"  Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, "This Man is calling for Elijah!"  Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink.  The rest said, "Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to save Him."  And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.  Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, an the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.  So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, "Truly this was the Son of God!"

- Matthew 27:45-54

Yesterday we read that as Jesus and the soldiers came out from the Praetorium, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name.  Him they compelled to bear His cross.  And when they had come to a place called Golgotha, that is to say, Place of a Skull, they gave Him sour wine mingled with gall to drink.  But when He had tasted it, He would not drink.  Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet:  "They divided My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots."  Sitting down, they kept watch over Him there.  And they put up over His head the accusation written against Him:  THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.  Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and another on the left.  And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, "You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself!  If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross."  Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, "He saved others; Himself He cannot save.  If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him.  He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, 'I am the Son of God.'"  Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing.

 Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land.  And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"  Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, "This Man is calling for Elijah!"  Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink.  The rest said, "Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to save Him."   The sixth hour to the ninth hour is between noon and three o'clock in the afternoon.  The prophecies of Zechariah and Amos tell us of this phenomenon of darkness in "that day" (Zechariah 14:6-7, Amos 8:9).  The words of Jesus tell us something important:  He is praying.  These are the first words of Psalm 22, which tells the story of the Crucifixion.  My study bible warns that if we don't understand that these words begin the Psalm, the words, "Why have You forsaken me?" could be misinterpreted as a cry of despair.  The truth is here that Jesus has taken on our nature fully, experiencing our alienation from God in His humanity.  He knows our suffering and distress.  But He does not despair.  He speaks these words, my study bible says, in the name of humanity, completely identifying with us in our condition, for in his divinity, He is never forsaken by the Father.  Indeed, the Psalm itself tells the story of terrible distress and suffering for a human being, but also of response by God, and praise.  Those nearby fail to recognize the prayer; they believe He is calling for Elijah, who was prophesied to return at the time of the Messiah (see 11:12-14, 17:12).

And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.  My study bible comments that Christ's death was voluntary to the very end.  Even on the Cross, His life could not be taken from Him against His will.  He accepts death on the Cross not to receive the Father's punishment on our behalf, nor is this a satisfaction of the Father's need for blood-justice (does God demand such things?).  Rather, by entering death as divine Son of God, He is able to destroy this last enemy -- death itself (1 Corinthians 15:20-28).  As Son, He has entered fully and completely into humanity, even into death, in order to transfigure everything for us by bringing His full divinity into our human experience.

Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; . . ..  The veil that separated the Most Holy Place from the rest of the temple was a symbol of the separation between God and man.  Christ's death, my study bible explains, opens the presence of God for all people, giving human beings access to that which is the most holy of all:  God Himself.  In many Eastern churches, there is a curtain between the altar and the nave, which is drawn open during liturgical services in order to emphasize this communion with God, which was at one time sealed off from humanity and is now available to all who approach in faith.

. . . and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, an the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.  My study bible says that completeness of the salvation won by Christ is signified in the resurrection of the saints from the Old Testament.  This guarantees the promise that was given to Ezekiel, that God can and will one day open the graves of all mankind (Ezekiel 37:1-14).  The saints entering the holy city, my study bible adds, is an icon of resurrected humanity entering the heavenly Jerusalem (Hebrews 11:10, 12:22-23; Revelation 21:2-22:5). 

 So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, "Truly this was the Son of God!"  The centurion, who is a Gentile, witnesses the dominion over nature present with Jesus, my study bible comments.  He acknowledges Him, therefore, as the Son of God.  By tradition, we know this soldier as St. Longinos.

Why this end?  Why this result?  The death of Jesus is a powerful story of sacrifice and heroism, of love, and finally of the cruelty that the world will hand out even to the most innocent among us -- to the One who is most innocent of all and without sin.  This is the story that we are given for our faith.  How are we to understand it?  We can look around at our world and see the cries for vengeance all around us, when someone is left out, loses out on a job, perceives that someone else has gotten what they want.  The Gospel tells us that Pilate understood that Jesus was delivered over to him because of envy (27:17-18, see Saturday's reading).  In some sense, it is fitting to understand this punishment meted out with its not-quite-so-well-hidden motivation of envy, as envy is the archetypal sin of evil.  We're told that the devil envies humanity, as humanity was created by God just so that this story of the Christ could be told -- Creator coming to creature and becoming one of us so that we may become "like Him."  Our collective sin is on display in the treatment of our Lord, our injustice and vengeance.  But Jesus does not take on this sin simply to show us that we are sinful.  The crucifixion, and indeed the Cross, is all about transfiguration, redemption.  He not only challenges the narratives of the world by His death, but challenges our very understanding of ourselves.  What are our lives really all about?  What are they for?  Is our place in the world all that we are?  He asks us what justice is.  His death on the Cross begs us to ask of ourselves what we can achieve if our sense of ourselves does not also include mercy.  He shows us our blindness, and perhaps most of all calls us more deeply to faith than any single event or action in human history -- because without Him, we don't really know at all what we do (Luke 23:34).  But beyond any of those things, Jesus goes through death for us, as an act of love, and transfigures death forever.  He asks us also to take up His cross, and to follow Him, because our lives may also become acts of exchange and transformation:  the false for the true, sin for redemption, death for life.  He opens us up to God, to a kind of communion not possible without the Cross, by completely becoming one of us and even experiencing death for us.  Jesus' transfiguring power is the ultimate call of hope when there is no hope, of life where we think life cannot be.  In the Orthodox Church, the hymn of Resurrection says that "by death, He tramples death."  What does this mean, but that the very things given to us by evil are used by God to destroy evil.  By His death, He destroys death.  In taking on the sin of the world, He offers us transfiguration, cleansing, redemption -- and the same becomes true of our own suffering through injustice and cruelty.  Only God could have such power to transform and transfigure, to change our suffering into something that gives life, to show us the way first to redeem our own lives with beauty even through suffering.  With faith, we may transcend whatever the world will give us, the way that He does, and return to the world His glory, His love instead.  This is the story of Jesus.   In John's Gospel, He tells Nicodemus, "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 3:14-15).  He offers us the answer of life, the only answer of life even in the face of evil and death.  This is the answer that only He can give to us.