The Gospel Reading of Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent (John 7:40-53) is sequel to the Gospel Reading of Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent (John 7:1-2,10, 25-30). Mainly, these Gospel Readings from John 7 address how people’s perceptions of Jesus divided them: those who were open to the possibility to believe in Jesus as the Messiah and those who were becoming increasingly hostile to Jesus because of their obstinate disbelief. This division is no surprise, because, as Jesus said, he came to bring division (Luke 12:51; cf. Matthew 10:34) of those who worthy to be saved and those who are not (i.e. Matthew 13: 24-30; 47-50; cf. Matthew 25:1-13, 31-46; cf. 3:12; cf. Revelation 20:12-15; 21:27).
First, we must know that the division began to
emerge in people’s reaction to Jesus’ third sign, healing a paralytic man by
the mikvah of Bethsaida in Jerusalem,
as the Gospel Readings of Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of the Fourth Week
of Lent (John 5:1-16; 17-30; 31-47) describe. Through these readings from John
5, we know that Jesus was accused of violating the sabbath commandment (Exodus
20:8-11) because he performed a healing
work on a sabbath day. In response to this
accusation, Jesus explained that his work was essentially the work of his
Father, whose work did not end on the sixth day of the Creation. Because Jesus
justified his work on a sabbath day as his Father’s work, his accusers were
enraged and made it clear of their intent to kill him. Then, the argument
between Jesus and his accusers focused on his relation to the Father. Through
this argument, Jesus revealed his Chiristological or Messianic identity in his
relation to the Father. However, his accusers remained blind to this truth.
They were not like Nicodemus, whose eyes began to open to know the
Christological truth in Jesus (John 3:1-21).
In John 7, Jesus was back in Jerusalem for the feast
of the Tabernacle, which lasts 7 days, as the feast of the Unleavened Bread,
which begins with Passover, does. Knowing that his healing work resulted in
hostility toward him from some people in Jerusalem, Jesus came to Jerusalem for
this feast rather furtively. However, upon teaching in the Temple, Jesus drew
his accusers’ attention to himself and broke out another argument on his
relationship with the Father (John 7:14-29).
In the argument, Jesus emphasized that he was sent
by the Father to do His work as He entrusts him with His will. Therefore, he
reiterated that he is here on his own (John 7:28-29). And this is because he
and the Father are one (John 10:30, 38). In response, his accusers tried to
arrest Jesus but no one dared to put a hand on him - because it was not time for Jesus to suffer
and die (John 7:30). In the meantime, a number of people began to believe in
Jesus, wondering if Christ would perform more signs than, for example, healing
a paralytic man (third sign) than Jesus, when he comes (John 7:31). As the
religious authority became aware that some people began to believe in Jesus –
or at least, became open to believe, they sent Temple guards to arrest Jesus
(John 7:32).
Now, the guards were with the crowd.
Jesus said to them that he would not be around much
longer as he would go to the Father, who sent him at an appointed time (John
7:33). This alludes to the time when he would be arrested, tried, scourged,
nailed to the Cross, and die. And it would be the upcoming Passover, as Jesus
would die as the ultimate Passover Lamb (Korban
Pesach)(John 19:31, 42; cf. Exodus 12:1-14; cf. John 1:29). Then, he said:
You
will look for me but not find me, and where I am you cannot come
(John 7:34).
This enigmatic statement of Jesus is
Christologically very profound, because where Jesus would go may have double
meaning: the netherworld upon his death on the Cross (John 19:38-42) and the
heaven where the Father is upon Ascension (John 14:1-12). In fact, Jesus would
bring up the above statement on his departure (John 7:34) to his disciples
during the Lord’s Supper:
Later during the Lord’s Supper, Jesus would refer to
this statement to his disciples:
My
children, I will be with you only a little while longer. You will look for me,
and as I told the Jews, ‘Where I go you cannot come,’ so now I say it to you
(John 13:33).
And to Peter, who asked where he would be going to
Jesus:
Where
I am going, you cannot follow me now, though you will follow later
(John 13:36).
In this context, Jesus was referring his martyrdom, which
Peter was not yet spiritually matured enough to follow (John 13:37-38).
The bottom line message of Jesus in John 7:34 is
that his persecutors, as well as, those who do not believe in him, would never
find him in where he would be.
Would any of those who tried to arrest and kill
Jesus find him when his tomb was empty? Would any of them see him in his
Kingdom?
And, this statement put the crowd and the guards
rather in bewilderment about who Jesus could be (John 7:35-36).
Then on the seventh day (last day) of the feast of the Tabernacle, Jesus spoke of the living water, alluding to the Holy Spirit to come upon the completion of his glorification with his Ascension (John 7:37-39). Namely, Jesus is connecting his death on the Cross for Passover (John 19:31-42) to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost (Acts 2:1-13) (cf. John 14:1-31; 16:5-33).
The Gospel Reading (John 7:40-53) describes how
those who have heard Jesus’ Christological argument in connection to his unique
relationship with the Father (John 7:14-39) were divided between those who
began to believe in Jesus as the prophesized Christ (Messiah), those who were
not sure but open for the possibility that Jesus is the Christ, and those who
did not believe. Those who had been trying to arrest and kill are among those
who did not believe.
While some people believed that Jesus was a prophet
(John 7:40), those who were not sure if he were the Christ find Jesus’ Nazarene
background as an obstacle to believe, because they just could not imagine that
Christ would come from Galilee, in which Nazareth locates (John 7:41). Perhaps,
had Jesus come from Bethlehem, rather than Nazareth, to Jerusalem to preach in the
Temple and to perform signs, then, they
would believe, based on Micah 5:1, which Christ would come from Nazareth, where
David was born, as the Davidic King (i.e. John 7:42). What they did not know was the fact that Jesus was born in Bethlehem (Luke 2:1-7).
So the audience of Jesus in Jerusalem were divided
as to who he really is (John 7:43).
Again, some people wanted to arrest Jesus but no one
could lay a hand on him (John 7:44), just as it was before (John 7:30). It
means that the Temple guards sent by the Pharisees and the chief priests to
arrest Jesus did not do it.
Though the guards were sent to the scene to arrest
Jesus, they seemed somewhat disarmed about Jesus, because he said that he would
go away to where they could not follow (John 7:33). So, they ended up hearing
Jesus and began to wonder about the possibility that he could be the Christ
(Messiah), because they had never heard anyone who has spoken like Jesus (John 7:46).
The chief priests and the Pharisees were not happy
that the Temple guards did not arrest and bring Jesus to them. And they even
ridiculed the guards if they were fooled by Jesus, who was not in line with
their authority (John 7:47-48), for only those who were ignorant of the Law
would be swayed by Jesus to be accursed (John 7:49).
To this arrogantly ignorant attitude of the chief
priests and the Pharisees, Nicodemus issued a challenge by saying:
Does
our law condemn a person before it first hears him and finds out what he is
doing? (John 7:51)
This statement of Nicodemus, a Pharisee and a member
of the Sanhedrin, sounds like a statement of a “defense lawyer” of Jesus.
Though the chief priests and the Pharisees were supposed to be experts not only
in the Law (Torah) but to be exemplary
of observing its commandments (mitzvot)
. However, this statement of Nicodemus revealed that they really did not follow
the Law, in particular, Deuteronomy 1:16–17.
These religious leaders would do anything to arrest
and kill Jesus – even breaking the Law. And later on, when they put Jesus on
trial, before handing him over to Pilate, these leaders really “cooked” the
guilty verdict on Jesus by using false witnesses (Matthew 26:59; Mark 14:56),
willfully violating Exodus 23:7, as well as, Deuteronomy 5:20.
Did these religious leaders admitted their hypocrisy,
their sin, their violation of the Law, in their pursuit to kill Jesus?
No. Instead, they ridiculed Nicodemus, saying, “You are not from Galilee also, are you? Look
and see that no prophet arises from Galilee”(John 7:52).
Guess what? These religious leaders were wrong, in
saying that no prophet from Galilee, in order to debase Nicodemus. There was a prophet, Jonah, who was from Gath
Hepher, which is located in Galilee, like Nazareth (2 Kings 14:25).
Those leaders who regarded those who believe in
Jesus as ignorant (John 7:49) are truly ignorant ones – too ignorant to realize
their own ignorance. No wonder they were not able to see the Christological
truth in Jesus and believe in him – though they boasted of their “expertise” of
the Scriptures, including the Law.
While a division emerged among the audience of Jesus
in regard to his Christological (Messianic) identity, the religious leaders
(the chief priests and the Pharisees) would continue to pursue their desire to
kill Jesus. And we will see this through week day Mass Gospel Readings for the
Fifth Week of Lent and until Tuesday of the Holy Week from John’s Gospel.
Facing increasing and looming threat to him, leading
to his death, it is juxtaposed to Jeremiah’s situation, as the wicked were
conspiring to kill Jeremiah, as reflected in the First Reading (Jeremiah
11:18-20), which is a part of the first one of the six confessions of Jeremiah
(Jeremiah 11:18-23; 12:1-6, 15:10-21; 17:14-18; 18:19-23 and 20:7-13). This is
about the price that the righteous had to pay for their steadfast faith. For
Jesus, the price is martyrdom. And those who believe in Jesus may pay this
price, following him to where he was going.
Those who kill the righteous are the wicked who refused to repent and convert,
thus, remain utterly ignorant not only about the Christ (Messiah) but also the
Law. This dichotomy between those who believe and may follow Jesus as martyrs
and those who do not but can try to destroy the belief is what we will pay
attention in the Gospel Readings toward Holy Week and Paschal Triduum.
To believe in Jesus or not to believe - That is the question.
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