Christian Art | Revelation Of The Love Of God | Crucifixion
John 8: 21-30 | Lent Week 5, Tuesday | King James Audio Bible |
Spoken Word
21 Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come.
22 Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself? because he saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come.
23 And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.
24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.
25 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning.
26 I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him.
27 They understood not that he spake to them of the Father.
28 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.
29 And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.
30 As he spake these words, many believed on him.
Jesus speaks of his crucifixion as he speaks of his being sent by his Father and of his being consubstantial with his Father. Jesus has made himself man, and this was necessary for our sakes. However, his being is most truly in heaven. He is divine. The entirety of Jesus’ being, as God the Son, is beyond our human comprehension. In order to be with Jesus, we must surrender our fears and our doubts and have faith in what has been promised to us. Jesus is from above – and he asks us to join him.
Many have believed, but the Jewish authorities persist in unbelief. There is a terrible warning, of justice: if you do not repent, you will die in your sins. We are presented with the fact of judgement and also with the ready opportunity of redemption. Which shall we choose?
To know Jesus is to accept the redemption he brings to us. His truth is self-evident, and to know Jesus is to accept his mercy. It would be foolishness to reject the great saving event of Jesus’ life on earth.
Jesus tells the scribes and the Pharisees that they are going to choose to keep looking for the Messiah when he is actually right in front of them. Their search will, therefore, be doomed to frustration and failure. It is because they reject Jesus that they will die in their sins. They could so easily know him and they refuse to do so. We may imagine Jesus’ sorrow that this is the way they have decided upon for themselves.
We are reminded in this passage of the Bible of our true relationship with Jesus. He is from above, we are from below. We are of this world, Jesus is not of this world. We are called to direct the entirety of our lives to our life in Christ. As a part of this journey, Jesus teaches us to give away our attachments to the things of this world and to derive all of our sense of the significance of life from that which is divine, from Jesus.
It is in this way that Jesus enables us to experience contrition and, through confessing our sins, to become closer to him. Many did believe.
‘O wonderful power of the cross! O indescribable glory of the passion! There is the tribunal of the Lord, and the judgement of the world, and the power of the crucified one.
‘Lord, you drew all things to yourself so that all nations everywhere in their dedication to you might celebrate in a full, clear sacramental rite what was done only in the Jewish Temple and in signs and shadows.’ Pope St Leo the Great
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‘Jesus was a revolutionary, a man who challenged the status quo and fought for the rights of the marginalized. He taught us to love our neighbours, to care for the poor, and to stand up against oppression. I believe that his message is just as relevant today as it was two thousand years ago, and that we must continue to work for social justice and equality in his name.’ Maya Angelou
The doctrine of the Trinity states that there is one God in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This belief is based on passages such as Matthew 28:19, where Jesus commands his disciples to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In this doctrine, Jesus is seen as the second person of the Trinity, equal in nature and essence to God the Father but distinct in his role and activities.
In Protestant Christianity, the belief in Jesus as God the Son is rooted in the Bible. One such passage is John 1:1-14, which says: ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.’ (John 1:1, 14) This passage equates the Word, who became flesh as Jesus, with God, indicating his deity.
Similarly, Colossians 1:15-20 says: ‘He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation… For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.’ (Colossians 1:15, 19-20) This passage indicates that Jesus is the exact representation of God and that all the fullness of deity dwells in him.
Philippians 2:5-11 is another passage that emphasizes Jesus’ deity: ‘Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name.’ (Philippians 2:5-9)
In Catholic Christianity, the belief in Jesus as God the Son is also rooted in the Bible and is reinforced by the teachings of the Church. The Council of Nicaea in 325 CE and the Council of Chalcedon in 451 CE both affirmed the belief in Jesus as God the Son, one divine person with two natures, fully human and fully divine. This belief is expressed in the Nicene Creed, which states, ‘We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father.’
Pope John Paul II emphasized the significance of this belief in his encyclical ‘Redemptor Hominis,’ where he wrote: ‘The truth about Christ, who is at the same time true God and true man, is the center of the faith and life of the Church.’ He also emphasized the hypostatic union, saying: ‘The hypostatic union, which is a mystery of faith, means that in Jesus Christ there is only one person, but two natures, the divine and the human, are permanently united.’
In this moment, Jesus’ prayer is a beautiful example of submission to God’s will. Despite his agony, Jesus chose to surrender his own desires and accept God’s plan for his life. Jesus knew that this was the only way to bring salvation to the world. This act of selflessness is a testament to Jesus’ deep love for humanity [ … ]
Padre Pio, also known as Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, was an Italian Capuchin friar who lived from 1887 to 1968. He is renowned for his piety, his stigmata, and his gift of healing, and has become a beloved figure in the Christian world. Born into a devout Catholic family in Pietrelcina, Italy, Padre Pio felt a calling to the priesthood from a young age. He entered the Capuchin order in 1903 and was ordained a priest in 1910. He spent much of his life as a humble friar, dedicated to prayer, the sacraments, and the service of others. Padre Pio’s most famous spiritual gift was the stigmata, the visible wounds of Christ that he bore on his hands, feet, and side. He experienced this phenomenon for over 50 years, from 1918 until his death in 1968. While some were skeptical of his wounds, many believed them to be a sign of his profound union with Christ and his participation in the suffering of the crucified Christ. In addition to his stigmata, Padre Pio was also known for his gift of healing. Many people came to him seeking physical, emotional, and spiritual healing, and he prayed over them, sometimes prescribing special devotions or treatments. While some were healed miraculously, others did not experience a physical cure, but nonetheless found comfort and peace through his intercession. Padre Pio’s life was marked by his devotion to God and his love for others. He spent long hours in prayer, often in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, and had a deep appreciation for the power of the Eucharist. He also had a special love for the Virgin Mary, whom he called his ‘Heavenly Mother’, and encouraged others to pray the Rosary. Today, Padre Pio is venerated as a saint by the Catholic Church, and his influence has spread far beyond Italy. He is remembered for his holiness, his humility, and his profound union with Christ, as well as for his compassion and concern for the sick and suffering. Christians of all denominations continue to look to him as a model of faith and devotion to God. Prayer To Saint Padre Pio | A Prayer For Healing Saint Padre Pio is renowned for his gift of healing, which he used to help countless people throughout his life. He believed in the power of prayer and the importance of placing our trust in God, even in the face of illness and suffering. In James 5:16, we are reminded that ‘the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective’. Padre Pio’s life was a testament to the truth of this verse, as he interceded for those who came to him seeking physical, emotional, and spiritual healing. One of the most striking examples of Padre Pio’s healing ministry was the case of Gemma Di Giorgi, a young girl who had been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. Her parents brought her to Padre Pio, who prayed over her and blessed her with the sign of the cross. To the amazement of her doctors, Gemma’s condition began to improve, and she was eventually healed completely. In addition to physical healing, Padre Pio also believed in the importance of emotional and spiritual healing. He often spoke of the need for repentance and conversion, and encouraged his followers to turn to God with contrite hearts. In Luke 5:31-32, Jesus tells the Pharisees, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.’ Padre Pio understood that true healing involves not only the body, but also the soul. For those who are in need of healing, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual, Saint Padre Pio can serve as a powerful intercessor. He believed in the importance of prayer and the power of God’s grace to heal even the most difficult of cases. Through his intercession, we can ask God for the strength and courage to face our illnesses and our struggles, knowing that we are never alone and that God’s healing love is always with us. So let us pray: ‘Saint Padre Pio, you who had a deep faith in God and a profound love for your fellow human beings, we turn to you in our time of need. We ask for your intercession on behalf of all those who are sick and suffering, that they may be healed in body, mind, and spirit. We ask that you pray for us, that we may have the strength and courage to face our illnesses and our struggles with faith and hope, knowing that God is with us always. We trust in God’s love and mercy, and in the power of prayer to bring healing and wholeness to all who seek it. Saint Padre Pio, pray for us, and lead us to the healing grace of God. Amen.’ Prayer To Saint Padre Pio | A Prayer For Peace Saint Padre Pio was a man of peace, who lived his life in the service of God and his fellow human beings. He believed that peace was not merely the absence of conflict, but a state of inner harmony that could only be achieved through a deep and abiding relationship with God. In John 14:27, Jesus tells his disciples, ‘Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.’ Padre Pio understood the importance of this peace, and dedicated his life to helping others find it. One of the ways that Padre Pio fostered peace was through his ministry of reconciliation. He encouraged those who came to him to confess their sins and seek God’s forgiveness, knowing that this was the first step towards inner peace. In Matthew 5:9, Jesus says, ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.’ Padre Pio believed that this was not just a call to be a mediator in conflicts between […]
In these Bible verses, Matthew recounts the betrayal by Judas in a slightly different way from yesterday’s reading from the Gospel of John. Firstly, we see Judas go to the chief priests to see what they will give him to betray his Lord. This is calculating treachery, the love of money putting such evil into Judas’ heart as will outweigh all love and all obligation. Through Judas, we see the absolute evil to which greed and the love of money can drive a person [ … ]