In today’s Gospel Jesus is addressing a crowd of Jews. Imagine if you were among that crowd and heard Jesus proclaim, “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever keeps my word will never see death” and “…but it is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ You do not know him, but I know him.” Wouldn’t you be quite shocked that this young Rabbi with his rag tag group of apostles is promising you eternal life? And he goes on to share that he has seen God?
These are amazing words and so one can understand if the crowd was skeptical of such claims. But today’s speech comes after several miracles performed by Jesus. This talk is on the heels of the Bread of Life discourse, of repeated statements by Jesus of his knowledge of the Father and more than once the statement that whoever believes in the Son will have eternal life. Yet, many Jews were spiritually deaf and blind and would not accept Jesus and his message.
The Power of Words
Those who believed in Jesus recognized Him as the Messiah and their belief even touched the temple guards who refused to bring Jesus to the Jewish leaders saying, “Never has anyone spoken like this one.” (Jn 7:46) Still Jesus knew that many more would reject his deeds and words.
Today we know far better than the contemporaries of Jesus that he is the Messiah who is the fulfillment of all that was promised in the Old Testament. He tries to tell the crowd, “Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day; he saw it and was glad.” Such statements only enraged the crowd to the point of wanting to stone him. Again, in our time, we are ourselves enraged by the crowds’ response; we believe we would rush to Jesus side and protect Him. But, with the faith God has graced us with are we rushing to Jesus’ side? Do we acknowledge in our lives that Jesus is the fulfillment of the covenant God made with Abraham? And as today’s Responsorial Psalm exhorts us, “Look to the Lord in his strength; seek to serve him constantly. Recall the wondrous deeds that he has wrought, his portents, and the judgments he has uttered. The Lord remembers his covenant forever!” (Ps 105 4-5; 8a)
Eternal Life can be Ours
As we prepare to enter into Holy Week we need to rush to Jesus’ side. And tell Him we know eternal life will be ours because we believe and follow His word. Holy Week gives us the opportunity to be with Jesus in all the sorrows of Holy Thursday and Good Friday. Many Jews and even his own apostles ran from Him when he most needed them. Hopefully all of us can spend the days of Holy Week walking with Jesus through the dark valley of these days. Then on Easter Sunday we can rise up joyfully singing Hallelujah for the Resurrection of Our Lord, the son of God!
