Today, we finish off the narrative from the eighth chapter of John’s Gospel which started on Sunday. Each day we see the Jews put various questions to our Lord and Christ responds to everything that was put to him.
First we heard on Sunday how they tested Him about the woman caught in adultery, Jesus made a bold statement about morality, “he who is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone.”, Showing how we should look at the state of our own lives before demanding justice.
On Monday, the Jews asked for proof of his authority. Here Christ explains His divinity by saying that because God the Father is always with Him, “I may be testifying on my own behalf, but the Father who sent me is my witness too.”.
On Tuesday, Jesus foretells of His passion, but the Jews don’t understand and ask such questions as, where are you going? Are you going to kill yourself? Our Lord points them to the tale from Numbers and shows the reason why He will be lifted up on the cross.
On Wednesday, Christ says, “you will learn the truth and the truth will make you free”. This again enrages the Jews who are not slaves to anyone. Jesus then explains how we are slaves to sin. As Christ is the lamb who takes away the sins of the world, only through Him can we set free from the bondage of sin. He is the way, the truth and the life.
This leads us too today; The Jews have questioned Our Lord on many things but the bold claim that Christ makes is that “whoever keeps my word will never see death”. They wonder how He can make such a claim compared to what was promised to Abraham. For the patriarch didn’t know Jesus but he did rejoice to know that the day would come for the word to become flesh. Here Jesus says the words that offended them the most, “before Abraham ever was, I Am.”. These words were restricted to God alone because that is the name which God gave to Moses to explain to the Jews who He was. When Jesus said these words, the Jews saw this was blasphemy. They pick up stones again, probably the same ones they were going to stone the women earlier.
This last dialogue with the Jews can make us reflect on our own speech, can the words we use offend people. Even telling the truth can be hurtful, but it needs to be said. As a Catholic people, we know the truth as it comes from the source. May we be those who walk in the light of truth and to not be ashamed to proclaim it in our actions and words. As we get even closer to Easter, may we also rejoice to know that Christ came to set us free from the bondage of sin. That we should rejoice like Abraham, as when see Easter Sunday we shall be happy.