It is expedient for us that one man should die for the people

Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him. But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, "What shall we do? For this Man works many signs. If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation." And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish." Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad. Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death.

Therefore Jesus no longer walked only among the Jews, but went from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there remained with His disciples.

- John 11:45-54

In recent readings, we have read the story of the seventh and final sign in John's Gospel, and that is the raising of Lazarus. On Wednesday, we read that Jesus was beyond the Jordan, in the place where John was first baptizing. This was because by now the authorities in the temple at Jerusalem seek to put Him to death for blasphemy. But He hears news from His good friends, Mary, Martha and Lazarus. The sisters send to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, He whom you love is sick." They live in Bethany, about two miles east of Jerusalem. Jesus proposes that He go there, but His disciples question Him because of the threat from the temple leadership. Jesus told them, "If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him." He said that Lazarus' illness was for the glory of God. Speaking of his death, Jesus said, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up." On Thursday we read of Martha greeting Him as He approached: "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died." He told her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world." Then He sent for Mary, Martha's sister, who came quickly to Him. In yesterday's reading, we read that Jesus was still at the place where Martha met Him, outside Bethany, when Mary came to Him. There were many who had come from Jerusalem and Judea, who were the followers of the leadership at the temple, to mourn with Martha and Mary. The mourners, weeping with her, followed Mary to Jesus, thinking she was going to the tomb. She said to Jesus the same words of her sister, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." Jesus was troubled and agitated and asked where they had laid Lazarus. "Lord, come and see," they said, and Jesus had tears on His face. The mourners from Jerusalem said, "See how He loved him!" And some of them said, "Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?" Lazarus was laid in a cave with a stone shutting it, and Jesus told them to take away the stone. Martha warned Him that Lazarus was dead for four days, and there would be a stench. Jesus told her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me." Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!" And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with grave clothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go."

Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him. But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did. The term "the Jews" is used in John's Gospel to denote the leadership in the temple at Jerusalem and their followers, who by now are determined to put Jesus to death -- even before the raising of Lazarus. This was decided for blasphemy, because Jesus had called Himself the Son of God.

Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, "What shall we do? For this Man works many signs. If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation." My study bible says, "The Jewish leaders acknowledge Jesus' signs and are concerned that the Romans will intervene militarily if a popular movement around Jesus gained momentum and threatens the established order." We know already they are concerned about His popularity, but now we get a flavor of a different situation, and that is the political one in which they find themselves. They are leaders under certain conditions of Roman political rule; they have authority over their own people, but it is under the colonial rule of Rome. A reasonable question under such circumstances also might arise to their minds that should Jesus prove to be a popular leader, the Romans might then turn to Him. At any rate, His popularity undermines their authority.

And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish." Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad. Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death. My study bible notes, "Caiaphas, being high priest of Israel, is given through his office the authority to speak prophetically. Caiaphas means only that the death of Jesus would spare the nation from Roman intervention. But the greater prophetic meaning of his words is that the death of Jesus will be for the salvation of the Jewish people and many others throughout the world."

Therefore Jesus no longer walked only among the Jews, but went from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there remained with His disciples. Jesus will avoid the leadership and Jerusalem until it is His time, His hour. His death is in His own hands, as He has repeatedly said.

There's a very interesting book written by a man who began developing his theories as a professor of French literature, named Rene Girard. He wrote about scapegoating, comparing its use in pagan cultures and also through the Bible. There's a very interesting crux going on here in this scene, where Caiaphas, the high priest, speaking in his prophetic capacity, treats Jesus' death in the same way that we would popularly think of a sort of scapegoat: as one who will die or be sacrificed for the nation or the people. But in Caiaphas' view, Jesus is a criminal or an outsider who is shaking up the order of things, and threatening the established order which he seeks to preserve. This is a scapegoat mechanism of the type that Professor Girard would have observed at work in history. But the irony is in the transformation of this perspective through Christ -- as my study bible's note points out to us. Yes, Jesus will die for the people, for the whole world, for those of other folds He will gather into one flock. But it will not be in sin, as a criminal, regardless of the human point of view that may see Him that way. This sacrifice is a triumph upon the Cross, a triumph for all of us, for whom He is raised as a sign of God's love for the world. Jesus' death will be a sign, and continues to be a sign, not of violence and death, but of life, of Resurrection and hope. His is a sacrifice of salvation for the world, and it will be the death of the old order, of those who merely wish to preserve their own places. In the story of Lazarus, Jesus confronts death and wins victorious. So will His death on the Cross be a sign of His victory over death, and it is a victory for all of us - not for those who would use His death as a means of keeping their places. It's like a two-edged sword, a way of seeing life, of choices: how are we going to perceive what life gives us? How do we view Jesus' death upon the Cross? It will forever be a sign of hope, that whatever we think we see in this world, it doesn't mean that our limited perspective is the end of the story. Jesus has told His disciples - and we who follow - that we will have tribulation in the world, but to be of good cheer, for He has overcome the world. Every time we face a defeat by any form of death, of grief, of violence, of manipulation, of scapegoating, in any form a lie may come to us, we have something in which to believe which has triumphed over all forms of such machinations, and that is the Cross of Christ. He will share His spirit with all of us, and in that is the Resurrection and the Life. Let us remember to seek His way, His point of view, His life, in all that we do.

Lazarus, come forth!

Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him. Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, "She is going to the tomb to weep there." Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died." Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. And He said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to Him, "Lord, come and see." Jesus wept. So the Jews said, "See how He loved him!" And some of them said, "Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?"

Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days." Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me." Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!" And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with grave clothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go."

- John 11:30-44

In the past two readings, we've been focusing on the events surrounding Jesus' great friends, Mary, Martha and Lazarus -- two sisters and their brother. On Wednesday, we read that Jesus was told Lazarus was ill (Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick). At that time, Jesus was away from Judea and the threatening officials who by now wish to put Him to death. But when He heard of Lazarus' illness He told His disciples they should go to Judea and Bethany, where Lazarus and his sisters' home is. Jesus said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it." He delayed two days. Yesterday, we read that upon His arrival, Lazarus had been in the tomb four days. Bethany is about two miles east of Jerusalem. Martha went out to meet Jesus, while Mary sat mourning in the house with others who had also come to mourn Lazarus. Martha told Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You." Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha thought Jesus was referring to the final resurrection, but Jesus told her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world." Martha then went secretly to her sister Mary, and told her, "The Teacher has come and is calling for you." As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him.

Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him. Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, "She is going to the tomb to weep there." In John's Gospel, the term "the Jews" is used to denote the party of those who are against Jesus or rather with the leadership who opposes Him, and now threatens His life. All the people in this story are Jewish people. These mourners have come from Jerusalem, to mourn with Martha and Mary. They will be witnesses to what is to happen at Lazarus' tomb.

Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died." Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. And He said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to Him, "Lord, come and see." Jesus wept. So the Jews said, "See how He loved him!" And some of them said, "Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?" Mary echoes the words of her sister Martha from yesterday's reading. But this time, with Mary, Jesus' response is different. He sees all the mourners and Mary weeping. In the English, Jesus' groaning and being troubled can be perceived in one way as deeply sad and downcast. But in the Greek, the words give us a slightly different connotation: Jesus is agitated and disturbed to behold the sadness of Mary and the mourners; He is upset, even indignant, angry, as if what He experiences is somehow deeply wrong. To my mind, the very evil of the sadness and death with which humanity is burdened is exemplified here, and our Lord's response to it is appropriate to that understanding of the human condition. He expresses grief at the injustice of evil. He grieves, and weeps, with all of them. Jesus wept is the shortest verse in the bible. My study bible says, "As true man Jesus shows by example that weeping is the natural human response to death. As true God He shows compassion upon His creation when the soul is torn from the body." Again, we go to the Greek: these are silent tears running down His face. Above all, we know His love.

Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days." Again, in the Greek, Jesus' groaning is more akin to an expression of indignation or anger. The Resurrection and the Life is confronting death. My study bible says, "Jesus comes to the place of burial. A corpse that has by the fourth day begun to deteriorate is enough reason for Martha's warning. Embalming was prohibited in Judaism. The body was simply anointed with spices and other aromatic substances which would keep the stench of decomposition at bay for a time."

Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" My study bible notes, "The Savior responds to Martha's cautionary note by reminding her of His earlier words."

Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me." Again, my study bible helps with a note: "Again, we see the Evangelist's insistence on relating Jesus' dependence upon the Father for all His works. Jesus prays for the bystanders, that they may have the insight to see the glory of God in the miracle."

Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!" My study bible tells us, "Jesus' loud cry for all to hear is reminiscent of His earlier words, 'The hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth' (5:28-29)."

And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with grave clothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go." My study bible says, "That Lazarus came out bound in his linen graveclothes is interpreted by patristic writers as an indication that he will need them once again: he will eventually die. The Savior's grave linens, by contrast, were left in the tomb. He will have no more use for them, for He will never die again."

Perhaps it is a time to consider what is death. The body dies, but not the soul, but how are we to view death? What do the Scriptures say to us? Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life, as He has just told Martha (in yesterday's reading). Death and sin are related in Scriptural understanding. There was no death in the Garden; death came to the world as a result of the evil in the world. This is the picture that Scripture gives us. So, in this light, we can see death as evil, something which is not just, not fair, but which comes to all of us. In the Resurrection, says Jesus, some will go to the resurrection of life, and others will not, depending upon their own desires for life or death in these spiritual terms. But the great injustice of loss and suffering, being separated from loved ones, from life itself is a burden of evil in the world. As the Resurrection and the Life, Jesus makes His confrontation with death. God is revealed for all of us as the God of life, not merely against the death and deterioration of the body, but against everything that takes away what we call life in ourselves. Suffering and injustice are also against this life, lack and hurt and hunger, all forms of deprivation are forms of evil or death against this life. And Jesus' very life which He offers to us is characterized by love. He loves His friends, He loves us all; He shares with His friends the grief and anger at the death of their dear Lazarus, and He shares indignation for all of us at the burden of evil and death in the world. Salvation, and Christ as Savior, goes so far deeply under the surface of what we understand to be life and death. Christ offers us life in abundance. He offers us Resurrection. I say that life in abundance and Resurrection are far greater terms than what we understand by life after physical death, but rather terms that teach us about Christ's presence to us, His eternal presence, without limit and without time. Resurrection and life in abundance are qualities of His Person that are always present to us. His love is present to us. As He lived His human life in a world burdened with evil and sin, so He will lead us through this world, so that we, too, may be a part of that Kingdom even here in the world. There are all kinds of injustices with which we may have to contend, but the Savior has done it all before us. When we ask to live life His Way, we become a part of that force for life in the world.

,

Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died

So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away. And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. Now Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You." Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world."

And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, "The Teacher has come and is calling for you." As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him.

- John 11:17-29

In yesterday's reading, we began John chapter 11. Jesus has gone to the area beyond the Jordan where John the Baptist was first baptizing. This is after confrontation in the temple with the authorities, who now seek to put him to death for blasphemy. Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha are good friends of Jesus, and there is much love between them. They live in Bethany, close to Jerusalem. John's Gospel refers here to an event which it will report further on in a later chapter; that is, that Mary the sister of Lazarus is the one who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair. The sisters sent to Jesus, telling Him, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick." When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it." John tells us that Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, and when He heard the news, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. He then told the disciples they should go again to Judea. The disciples asked, "Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?" Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him." He told them, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up." Then His disciples said, "Lord, if he sleeps he will get well." However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him." Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him."

So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. My study bible says, "There existed a rabbinic opinion that the soul lingered about the body for three days, but from the fourth day on there was no hope of resuscitation." Therefore we conclude that this makes Lazarus' death a certainty; there could be no doubt about what was to happen.

Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away. And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. Again, my study bible explains the customs of the time: "Official mourning began on the same day as death and burial (immediate burial was necessary in warm climates). Weeping and wailing lasted three days; lamentation lasted the rest of the week; general mourning lasted 30 days following death. During this time mourners constantly came and went from the home of the deceased."

Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. Now Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You." As in Luke chapter 10, the two sisters Martha and Mary show different personalities. Martha is the one who is, as my study bible puts it, "busily responsible for the duties of hospitality." She goes out to meet Jesus. Mary is sitting in mourning in the home. My study bible notes, "Sitting is the correct posture when mourning and greeting mourners (see Job 2:8, 13; Ezek. 8:14)." The pressure is on Jesus from the ones who love Him: if He had been there, He's told by Martha, Lazarus would not have died.

Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." Martha believes Jesus is referring to the final resurrection. As so often happens in John's Gospel, Jesus' truth will unfold through the things His hearers believe He's saying.

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world." Here are two very powerful statements, whose impact for the Gospel can't be denied. It's the occasion of Jesus' seventh sign in John's Gospel, the final sign that will seal His fate with the authorities. But it's for the glorification and revelation of God, and here is the revelation: that He is the resurrection and the life. It is an occasion for another testament to faith, Martha's confession: "Lord I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world." Not only have the disciples confessed, but in John's Gospel, Jesus first reveals Himself to a woman who is also a Samaritan, and here it is His friend Martha who confesses. Through John, we know the Father is at work in men and women equally, and calls as His children each one of us.

And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, "The Teacher has come and is calling for you." As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him. It is not just Martha who greets Jesus in such an important meeting, but Mary is called by Him. She is the one, John has already noted (in yesterday's reading), who anointed Christ with fragrant oil before His death, wiping His feet with her hair. She's also the one that Luke told us about, who chose the "good part." She does not let duty or convention stand in the way of a call from the Lord.

Let's talk about the women in John's Gospel. It all seems to be here in this story, this final and seventh sign in the Gospel. There's a special relationship to women told all through it, and it's startling - even for today. The first person to whom Jesus revealed Himself as Christ was a woman, and a Samaritan woman at that! She led her fellow Samaritans to belief that Jesus was the Christ. Here we have the story of Martha and Mary, His good friends. He loved Martha and Mary and their brother Lazarus. The Gospel will also tell us of the many women who were a part of His ministry, and followed Him from Galilee. Many are called "Apostles to the Apostles." Through the other Gospels, too, we also know of these relationships to women and the place they held in His ministry, even to be the first to whom the Resurrection will be announced. But there's a very special woman connected to John the Evangelist, and that is the Mother of God, Mary, Jesus' mother. I can't help but feel her presence in the pages of John's Gospel, especially in its great emphasis on love. In today's reading and the readings surrounding this seventh sign, we will be able to understand much of the love between Jesus and His friends. Jesus is not a faraway Lord, but One who loves, and loves deeply, as we shall read in tomorrow's reading. Let us be grateful for the tremendous love we're given, the tenderness that is here, the relationships we're shown, and the true faith of those whose hearts are open to it.

Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick

Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick." When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it."

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. Then after this He said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again." The disciples said to Him, "Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?" Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him." These things He said, and after that He said to them, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up." Then His disciples said, "Lord, if he sleeps he will get well." However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him." Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him."

- John 11:1-16

In yesterday's reading, Jesus was once again at the temple in Jerusalem, and in confrontation with the leadership. The setting is the Feast of Dedication, or Hanukkah, festival of lights, and it is winter. They want to stone Him for saying that "I and My Father are one," declaring Himself equal and Son of God. Jesus asks, "Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of these works do you stone Me?" They replied to Him that it wasn't for His works, but for blasphemy. Jesus said, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, "You are gods" '? If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'? If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him." They sought again to seize Him, but He escaped from them. Then Jesus went beyond the Jordan to the place where John was baptizing at first. People said, "John performed no sign, but all the things that John spoke about this Man were true." And many believed in Him there.

Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. The scene is being set for Jesus' seventh and final sign in John's Gospel, the raising of Lazarus. What is to happen in this sign sealed the decision of the temple authorities to put Jesus to death. Bethany, points out my study bible, is on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives, about two miles from Jerusalem. It notes, "Lazarus is the same name as Eleazar (lit. 'God helps')." We note also an anomaly in John's Gospel: although the story of the anointing of Jesus' feet will be told later in the Gospel, the Evangelist assumes that the readers already know of this account. It tells us something about the love between these sisters and brother and Jesus.

Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick." When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it." Again there is emphasis on the love between this family and Jesus. This occasion will be for the glory of God, for the final sign of Jesus' ministry, a revelation of God's grace in the world.

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. Then after this He said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again." And again, this time explicitly, John teaches us of the great love between Martha, Mary, Lazarus and Jesus. Jesus stays two more days because Lazarus' death will be for a sign of God's presence, a revelation of God. Going to Judea means danger of the temple authorities who seek to kill Him.

The disciples said to Him, "Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?" We remember that in John's Gospel, the term "the Jews" is used to denote the leadership in the temple who oppose Jesus, and their followers. Everyone in this Gospel story is a Jew, including the family of Lazarus and Jesus' disciples.

Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him." Jesus has already said that "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." Therefore one thing we can conclude from this saying is that it is about walking in the light of His faith, His divine union with the Father, and His human acceptance of the will of the Father. He has all along said that His death is in His control, His power. John's Gospel has told us on more than one occasion that though the authorities have sought to seize Him, His hour had not yet come.

These things He said, and after that He said to them, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up." Then His disciples said, "Lord, if he sleeps he will get well." However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him." Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him." My study bible points out that sleep is often used to signify death. It also adds, "Thomas, if not with full understanding, speaks the truth: dying with Christ, in baptism and sometimes in martyrdom, will become the seal of Christian discipleship."

The stage is set for Jesus' final miracle or sign in John's Gospel, the raising of His good friend Lazarus. Lazarus is a powerful figure in the Gospel, not for his presence, but because of what will happen through his death and raising by Jesus. He is a good friend, a beloved friend, as we have read already and will read further along in this story. John the Evangelist doesn't just use the word friend, but also love. These people are great friends of Jesus, ones whom He loves, and they love Him. So our Evangelist is giving us the image of family - not by blood but by affection, by love. John is the one, the beloved disciple, who will be declared Mary's son by Jesus upon the Cross. I think it's really important that we understand the power of love in this Gospel, which is always present. John is the one who will also declare that God is love. So, before we go any further, let us stop and look at these people. They're only a handful of people, a small family of two sisters and a brother, and Jesus who loves them, and they love Him. But they are all linked in the greatest of stories, of dramas, one that will live for thousands of years in the hearts of others who love them. Thomas, in today's reading, doesn't quite understand, but we can hear also his love and his passion for his great Friend, and through Him, "our friend" Lazarus. Let us remember this love, and understand its root. It's the foundation for all that is to come, and what will unfold through God's love and its shared power in the world. Let us remember the foundation of faith.

If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe

Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, "Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of these works do you stone Me?" The Jews answered Him, saying, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God." Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, "You are gods" '? If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'? If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him." Therefore they sought again to seize Him, but He escaped out of their hand.

And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was baptizing at first, and there He stayed. Then many came to Him and said, "John performed no sign, but all the things that John spoke about this Man were true." And many believed in Him there.

- John 10:31-42

In yesterday's reading, we were at the end or aftermath of Jesus' discourse with the temple leadership in Jerusalem at the Feast of Tabernacles. Throughout chapters 7 through 9 of John's Gospel, events have taken place around and just after this feast. The leadership is left divided. Some said, "He has a demon and is mad. Why do you listen to Him?" Others said, "These are not the words of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?" John's Gospel returns us then back to the temple, to a festival three months later. It is the Feast of Dedication or Hanukkah, a winter festival. Jesus walked in the temple, and the leadership asked Him, "How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly." Jesus said, referring to His discourse to them earlier, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me. But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand. I and My Father are one."

Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, "Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of these works do you stone Me?" Jesus once again uses His works as witness - even as evidence against an accusation. What sin has He committed? For which work do they stone Him? We have seen six signs so far in the Gospel of John, the last being Jesus' healing of the man blind from birth at the previous Feast of Tabernacles.

The Jews answered Him, saying, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God." Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, "You are gods" '? If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?" My study bible says, "Jesus' question comes in response to the Pharisees' charge of blasphemy. What the Lord is saying, according to St. John Chrysostom, is this: 'If those who have received this honor by grace are not found with fault for calling themselves gods, how can He who has this by nature deserve to be rebuked?" Jesus is quoting from Psalm 82:6.

"If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him." Therefore they sought again to seize Him, but He escaped out of their hand. Again, Jesus goes to His works which witness the presence of the Father with Him. Today's reading is all about witness and testimony.

And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was baptizing at first, and there He stayed. Then many came to Him and said, "John performed no sign, but all the things that John spoke about this Man were true." And many believed in Him there. Again we return to witnessing and testimony. The place beyond the Jordan where John was baptizing at first is a place filled with those who became John's disciples, who revered John the Baptist as a holy man. Through faith, they not only accept the witness of John, but they can also see that John's witness was borne out in the works of Christ: "All the things John spoke about this Man were true." John served God by serving Christ, the One of whom He said, "He must increase, but I must decrease" and "He who has the bride is the bridegroom." Christ serves the Father. Testimony and service go hand in hand, and both are received through faith, trust.

Today's reading tells us about witnessing. How do we receive witness? What gives us trust that testimony is true? Our hearts tell us so, through faith or through deceit. Luke's Gospel tells us that after Herod Antipas sent Christ back to Pilate for judgment, after mocking Him, Herod and Pilate became fast friends. So some may be locked in bonds of untruth, while others relate in truth. How do you receive witness? What is it that inspires your faith, your trust? If we look at the Gospel reading, if we look at the relationships here of the ones mentioned, John the Baptist and Jesus, then we look at what and Who they serve, what kind of people they are. Jesus we know as One who has declared Himself the Son, and said in the previous reading, "I and the Father are one." John served with humility despite his great following and wide fame in Israel as a prophet. So, the question becomes, what do you serve? And how do you witness to that service? John witnessed and Jesus as incarnate Man also witnessed: His works were witnesses to the Father's presence. Let us consider what witnessing is, its essence, and its power among us. Those with the capacity for faith will hear the Shepherd's voice and respond to true witnessing. How do you witness your faith, the working of God in your heart? All that we do may bear witness to Christ's presence within us and with us, to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. What's your witness? Who is it that you deeply desire to serve?

I and My Father are one

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

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

- John 10:19-30

In recent readings, Jesus has been speaking with the religious authorities after the Feast of Tabernacles. He healed a man blind from birth as He went out of the temple with His disciples. Later, the man was put out of the temple, and came to faith that Jesus was the Christ. On Saturday, we read that Jesus continued speaking with the religious leadership. He told them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers." He said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice and there will be one flock and one shepherd. Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father."

Therefore there was a division again among the Jews because of these sayings. And many of them said, "He has a demon and is mad. Why do you listen to Him?" Others said, "These are not the words of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?" The thing we understand from these verses is the division among the leadership (which is what is meant by "the Jews"). Some believe, some don't, some question. We know there are those who wish to put Him to death, and there are others who are His followers.

Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. John's Gospel takes us to the next feast in the religious calendar, so that Jesus is once again in Jerusalem. My study bible explains: "This encounter with the Jewish authorities in Jerusalem takes place approximately three months after the Feast of Tabernacles (ch. 7-9). The occasion of Christ's presence in Jerusalem is again a religious festival, the Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah), the festival of lights. This Feast commemorates the rededication of the temple to the God of Israel after the Seleucid king, Antiochus Epiphanes, desecrated the temple in 167 B.C. (see 1 Macc. 1-4). The leaders of Israel's past are commemorated, many of whom were literal shepherds." We remember that at the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus has spoken of Himself as the light of the world, and the Good Shepherd.

And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon's porch. Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, "How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly." There are many ways in which Jesus has already clearly answered them, and many signs which also testify. These constant questions, with their hidden accusations, are meant to cover up, not to find truth.

Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me. But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand." Jesus points to His works (such as the healing of the man blind from birth, and the healing of the paralytic at an earlier festival). But Jesus' real defense here goes beyond simple proofs and even His signs. It is faith. His resting place is in His faith, in the faith that is shared by His sheep. And that's the place He goes to explain Himself. They don't understand because they are not of His fold, not given by the Father. He has said before that "He who is of God hears God's words." But they don't really want to hear, and His concern is with the sheep He is bound not to lose, but to gather: "neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand." The Father, His Father, greater than all, has given them, "and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand."

"I and My Father are one." My study bible says, "Responding to their question, Jesus reveals Himself as fully God: one means one in nature. . . . The verb are indicates two Persons. They are always distinct, but united in essence, will and action." His fullness is revealed here; Jesus speaks boldly and completely about His identity to the leadership.

Jesus doesn't spare any words anymore, He doesn't pull His punches. He is out with the full truth about His identity. "I and the Father are one." This is a statement that will have strong effects, repercussions from the leadership. But He doesn't hide. He stands in the light. He reveals fully His identity. This is at a time when Israel was going through great turmoil, under the colonial leadership of the Romans. But local matters are left to local authorities: there is the temple, and there is also a king who serves Rome. It is a time of questioning. Where is the leader who will emerge? How will that leader lead Israel back to its former greatness and independence? There are all kinds of ways in which one can imagine that happening, all kinds of "leaders" who would tell people where their salvation lies. But there really is none like Jesus. He is a Messiah without an army, the Christ who leads as a single man speaking out in the temple about His identity, His relationship to the Father, and His mission. He will enter into Jerusalem on a donkey, not in a chariot. Yes, He has performed many signs. But how can such a Man lead Israel to its glory? He will be lifted up on a Cross for the whole world, where many others outside of this fold may also become people of God -- for God so loved the world. Jesus' defense of Himself doesn't exist in proofs, but rather in faith. He gathers whom He gathers for those are given by the Father. The Father is at work in us and in our hearts. Therefore we take care not to be blinded by the things that get in the way of that love, things like envy and the kind of pride that blinds us to the change we need to make to see more clearly. Let us rest in that faith, so that we may see and be known to ourselves as we are known to God, who knows the hearts of everyone.

I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers." Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them.

Then Jesus said to them again, "Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice and there will be one flock and one shepherd. Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father."

- John 10:1-18

In yesterday's reading, Jesus is at the temple in Jerusalem. We have just read of His time at the Feast of Tabernacles, in which He preached, "I am the light of the world" and "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink." In the recent readings, He has just healed a man blind from birth. The leadership, who seek to have Jesus arrested, and even sought to stone Him but failed, try to disprove this miracle of sight. It occurred as He passed out of the temple, evading those who sought to stone Him. He taught, "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." His disciples had asked who sinned -- the man or his parents -- that he was born blind? And Jesus told them it was neither, but for the glory of God. In yesterday's reading, the leadership called the parents of the healed man, to ascertain whether he was really blind from birth. The parents, afraid of the leadership, said, "We know that is is our son, and that he was born blind, but by what means he now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know. He is of age; ask him. He will speak for himself." This was because the leadership had agreed that anyone confessing faith that Jesus was the Christ would be put out of the temple. They then asked the formerly blind man himself to take an oath, saying, "Give God the glory! We know that this Man is a sinner." He answered and said, "Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know; that though I was blind, now I see." They asked again, "What did He do to you?" The formerly blind man said, "I told you already, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?" The leaders told Him that they were disciples of Moses, but didn't know where Jesus was from. He said, "Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from, yet He has opened My eyes! Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind. If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing." They answered and said to him, "You were completely born in sins, and are you teaching us?" And they cast him out. Jesus heard he was cast out, and found the man Himself. He asked him if he believed in the Son of God. "Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?" said the man. Jesus taught, "You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you." Then he said, "Lord, I believe!" And he worshiped Him. Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind." Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, "Are we blind also?" Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, 'We see.' Therefore your sin remains."

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep." Of today's entire passage, my study bible notes, "Jesus' conversation with the Pharisees continues. . . . Christ tells the Pharisees that they, not the blind man, are alienated from God. They are blind, and false shepherds of God's people." Of these verses, it notes, "This parable of salvation uses the symbolism of the shepherd and his flock." From this we receive all our notions of leadership in the Church. What is a bishop but a shepherd? What then, is a good shepherd, and who is the real Good Shepherd? To my mind, this parable depends so much on the sheep, on us. Earlier in John's Gospel, Jesus has already noted in several ways that it is the Father who prompts the real faith of the sheep, and that He is here so that He will lose none of what is given Him by the Father. And here in this parable, it is the sheep who know their shepherd, the true shepherd who enters by the door. My study bible says, "In calling Himself the door, Jesus signifies He will bring His flock into an enclosed sheepfold with a central gate. Normally a hired guard would tend the gate while the shepherds rested through the night. But Jesus is the tireless Shepherd, always guarding the entrance. No one can enter except by way of Him."

"To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out." How do we hear His voice? There is a kind of recognition here, and it is in the relationship of trust, of faith. Even more powerfully, He calls us all by name. He knows who we are, each of us, better than we know ourselves. He gives us and shapes our identity. And He is the one who leads us forward.

"And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers." Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them. Here is an even deeper understanding of the relationship between Shepherd and sheep. His voice the sheep know in their hearts when they hear it.

Then Jesus said to them again, "Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door." Here is an extraordinarily powerful claim. He says twice that He is the door. He lays sole claim to this identity for Himself. Anyone else claiming this identity is a thief and a robber, someone who would steal away the sheep, and take away their lives, their life. But the sheep didn't hear them.

"If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." Here is the great statement about the true gift of our Shepherd. He is here so that we may have life, but also so that we may have it more abundantly. I don't think we can describe the contrast between what the thief offers and what Christ offers too strongly, especially if we look at the vividness of the Greek. The thief utterly destroys, kills, steals; Christ offers not only life, but an extraordinary, even extreme abundance of life. This language conveys an urgency -- the real significance of the faith. My study bible notes: "The thief -- the devil -- steals, kills and destroys the virtues of Christian life and lays waste those who follow his heresies. Life more abundantly is the life of God's Kingdom, offered us by Christ Himself." It also refers us to Psalm 23:5 -- You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep." My study bible contrasts Christ and His under-shepherds with the hireling, whom it calls "the non-committed religious leader:" "The true shepherd ... considers the sheep his own. The hired hand looks primarily after himself." Is it personal ambition that marks the hireling? Or the real care of a shepherd?

"I am the good shepherd and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice and there will be one flock and one shepherd." Jesus speaks of the place of the good shepherd in the heart of his sheep: He knows the sheep, and He's known by His own. And this relationship goes further and deeper, because everything comes from the Father. So the Father also knows Him, and He knows the Father. And in that context, He will lay down His life for the sheep. Not only that, but there are other sheep from other folds to be gathered into one flock, and these are the Gentiles who will come to faith. My study bible says, "Hence, the Church cannot be divided along denominational, ethnic, cultural or family lines."

"Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father." He reiterates even more strongly and distinctly His commitment and what is coming. It is a command of the Father and it is in His control. He has already said earlier in John's Gospel that He is the bread of life, that as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, so the Son gives life to whom He will. It is all about a relationship of love that begins with the Father and extends through Christ to all of us. But this relationship is circular: it is also the Father working in us that brings us to faith and confession of faith in Christ. My study bible notes that Jesus makes clear His death is voluntary: "Though He is God, He does nothing apart from the authority of His Father. If we seek to experience God's love and His power, we do so as Christ Himself does: by obeying willingly the Father's commands. As He laid down His life for us, we lay down our lives for Him, willingly and out of love."

So let's consider the love that is in this Gospel. What marks this relationship of love? First of all, that Christ will lay down His life for the sheep. In so doing He will be "lifted up" so that all may see, and those of other folds will also be drawn to Him so that they, too, may receive life in abundance. These other folds are not merely the Gentiles which were apparent during the time the Gospel was written, but quite obviously those who will come later, throughout history, any time and any place this Gospel may be preached. Therefore this atoning death of Christ's is not merely a one-time event for a one-time purpose, but an all-time event, for every time and for all people, for so many reasons, for so much love, for life in abundance. We really have to consider the faith of Christ and what it means in terms of God's love: that this is a circle that can't be broken, that lives in us and through us and among us, in Him and through Him, and from and through the Father. In all ways, we find the great strength of this love in our faith. It sustains us and builds us and gives us life in abundance even in all the circumstances of our lives. There may be times when we find ourselves at the hands of a thief or a hireling, but even in those circumstances -- and maybe particularly then -- God's abundance comes through for us. And that is the message of faith at work in our lives. Lest we leave out another aspect of this love in our lives, Christ will also send His Spirit to be at work within us at all times, from which we are blessed in baptism and sealed: yet another protection and help in all times. So let us remember the great love in which we are bound, protected, blessed, so that we, too, may experience this love at work in us and in our lives. How do you share that? How do you feel it? In times of the greatest deprivation, we may still know that it is there.