It is important to note that today’s Gospel reading is drawn from a testimony of John the Baptist about Christ, whom he calls “ one from above – who is above all”.
In the past three consecutive days, we read the
entire description of Jesus’ teaching to Nicodemus about human need to be born
from above – to be born of the Holy Spirit set from above – to enter the
Kingdom of God, about the Son of God sent from above, referring to heaven,
where God the Father, the sender, is, as well, as our need to believe this
truth in Jesus’ teaching and to live in the light sent from above – to live in
the truth of Christ (John 3:1-21). Through his teaching to Nicodemus Jesus, who
is the Son of God, the Christ, implies that he was sent by God the Father in
heaven, our of His love, to connect us to above, heaven, where his sender, the
Father is. To link us on earth to the Father in heaven, Jesus taught to
Nicodemus and us in what I call “Late Night Catechism of Rabbi Jesus”(John
3:1-21) that the Father Himself sends His only begotten Son (Parakletos) and the Holy Spirit (another
Parakletos) to save us and to bring
us to the Kingdom.
After giving catechesis to Nicodemus in Jerusalem
(John 3:1-21), Jesus and his disciples went to the countryside of Judea, and
Jesus baptized some people there, while John the Baptist was still baptizing
(John 3:22-23). The fact that Jesus himself was conducting baptism is in line
with his teaching to Nicodemus about being born of water prior to being born of
the Holy Spirit (John 3:5), and this prompted his disciples to begin baptizing
others to gain more disciples (John 4:1-2). This is to prepare the disciples,
who were increasing in number, to be born from above – to be born of the Holy
Spirit – to be baptized with the Holy Spirit.
In reaction to Jesus himself conducting baptism and gaining more disciples as his disciples also began baptizing go bring more disciples (John 3:22; 4:1-2), an argument broke out as to the baptism and Jewish ceremonial cleansing (i.e. Tevilah (טְבִילָה) Leviticus 22:6-7; cf 15:11-13), as well as, concerns about the baptism conducted by Jesus, perhaps, out of envy of the disiciples of John the Baptist (John 3:25-26). Of course, it was not John the Baptist’s concern at all that Jesus himself was also baptizing people to gain his disciples. John the Baptist was not in competition with Jesus. In fact, he knew his mission as being a harbinger to Jesus, as he so testified himself.
In response to this argument and concern about Jesus
baptizing, John the Baptist himself explained:
No
one can receive anything except what has been given him from heaven. You
yourselves can testify that I said that I am not the Messiah, but that I was
sent before him. The one who has the bride is the bridegroom; the best man, who
stands and listens to him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. So this
joy of mine has been made complete. He must increase; I must decrease (John
3:27-30).
In the above statement, John the Baptist made it
clear that the disciples that Jesus was making through the baptism, which he
conducted, are rather brought to him as God’s will from heaven. This also
suggests that the disciples of John the Baptists also were brought to him
likewise. Thus, neither Jesus not John the Baptist made disciples for their own
self-interests whatsoever. This clarifies that there is no rivalry between
Jesus and John the Baptists. In regard to his relation to Jesus, John the
Baptist describes it as “bridegroom”. John the Baptists tells that what he is
to Jesus is like what the best man to bridegroom at his wedding ceremony. Just
as the best man shares the bridegroom’s joy, John the Baptist is happy to see
Jesus’ ministry is making steady growth. And, John the Baptist further
implicated that it was time for him to withdraw as Jesus’ ministry is now in
full-fledge. Here, John the Baptist reiterates his role as the harbinger to
Jesus (i.e. Matthew 3:1-12) and his previous testimony to Jesus:
Behold,
the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. He is the one of whom I
said, “A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before
me.” I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that
he might be made known to Israel (John 1:29-31).
And, John the Baptist further added:
I
saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon him. I did
not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, “On
whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize
with the Holy Spirit.” Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God
(John 1:32-34).
This assures that now John the Baptist knows enough
about Jesus as the Son of God because of the Holy Spirit’s verification and
assurance – though he did not know this much about Jesus before the descending
of the Holy Spirit on him upon his baptism.
Following this, in today’s Gospel Reading (John 3:31-36),
we see more of John the Baptist’s testimony to Jesus.
So, John the Baptist testifies to Jesus, and it is
Christological:
The
one who comes from above is above all. The one who is of the earth is earthly
and speaks of earthly things. But the one who comes from heaven is above all. He
testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. Whoever
does accept his testimony certifies that God is trustworthy. For the one whom
God sent speaks the words of God. He does not ration his gift of the Spirit. The
Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him. Whoever believes in
the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but
the wrath of God remains upon him (John 3:31-36).
With the above testimony, John the Baptist clearly acknowledges Jesus as the Christ, who came from, was sent from above. Therefore, Jesus the Christ is above all (John 3:31).
This also corresponds to Jesus’ teaching on “above”,
where the Holy Spirit, of which we are to be born and baptized, is sent from (John
3:3, 5), and where Jesus, the Son of God (John 1:34), is from (John 3:16-17).
John the Baptist also explains that Jesus testifies
to what he has seen and heard, but people do not accept this testimony (teaching)
(John 3:32). This echoes these words of
Jesus to Nicodemus:
Amen,
amen, I say to you, we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have
seen, but you people do not accept our testimony. If I tell you about earthly
things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about
heavenly things? (John 3:11-12)
And, also reflected in these words of Jesus to those
who questioned him:
I
have testimony greater than John’s. The works that the Father gave me to
accomplish, these works that I perform testify on my behalf that the Father has
sent me. Moreover, the Father who sent me has testified on my behalf. But you
have never heard his voice nor seen his form, and you do not have his word
remaining in you, because you do not believe in the one whom he has sent
(John 5:36-38)
The fact that Jesus is from above, and therefore,
above all, and the Son of God, sent by God the Father in heaven, assures that Jesus
testifies and teaches in accordance with the will of the one who sent him – God
the Father in heaven. Therefore, the
teaching of Jesus – the testimony of Jesus – is trustworthy as his testimony is
made with the Word of God (John 3:33), while he makes the gifts (graces) of the
Holy Spirit available to all, who seek (John 3:34).
John the Baptist already knows that we can benefit
from the Holy Spirit (who is another Parakletos
– John 14:16, 26), because of Jesus, the Son of God, who testifies with the
Word of God (who is Parakletos – 1 John
2:1). And, both of these are sent by God
the Father in heaven (above) for our salvific benefits. And all of these three
(Parakletos, another Parakletos,
and the Father) are in Trinitarian hypostatic union.
And John the Baptist concludes that Jesus is fully
endowed with everything by the Father (John13:3; Mathew11:27; 28:18; Luke 10:22),
because the Father above loves His Son (cf. Matthew 3:17//Mark 1:11//Luke 3:22;
Matthew 17:5//Mark 9:7//Luke 9:35), who is sent from above (John 3:35). Therefore, John the Baptist says that whoever
accepts and believe Jesus’ testimony with the Word of God is entitled to
eternal life (John 3:36).
And this conclusion of John the Baptist’s final
testimony to Jesus echoes these words of Jesus to Nicodemus:
For
God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes
in him might not perish but might have eternal life
(John 3:16).
Now you see why we read John the Baptist’s last
testimony to Jesus (John 3:31-36), following our reading and reflection of “Rabbi
Jesus’ ‘Late Night Catechism’ to Nicodemus”(John 3:1-21).
So, we know how important it is not only to accept
and believe in Jesus and his teaching but also our mission to continue this
testimony to Jesus as his apostles today. And for our calls to be apostolic to
continue the testimony, we find inspiration in the Apostles, described in the
Acts of the Apostles, who were filled and driven by the Holy Spirit upon
Pentecost.
In today’s First Reading (Acts 5:27-33), we see how
the Apostles stood boldly against the mounting pressure against them, trying to
silence them. In this, Peter stood out as he continue to be a courageous
spokesman for Jesus to continue to verify the Messianic legitimacy of Jesus with
his personal witness-based testimony, including his resurrection.
We, too, are called to carry out this apostolic
mission to give testimonies to Jesus, even there is pressure to silence us. If
we fall silent, then, how all the things about Jesus, who is from above and,
therefore, and above all, and his teaching, is made known to all nations and to
all the ends of the earth?
No comments:
Post a Comment