KINGDOM OF GOD ON EARTH


THURSDAY, SECOND WEEK OF EASTER   

Acts 5:27-33; Ps 34:2,9,17-120; Jn 3:31-36

Everything Entrusted to The Son

Although Nicodemus found it very hard to believe what the Lord taught him about earthly things, as the Lord mentioned, he still led him to heavenly mysteries. The reason is that we cannot do without these mysteries, which are the foundations of earthly things and events. The lack of knowledge of these heavenly mysteries would make us strangers in the house or kingdom of God. Even in this world, ignorance of the mysteries of Jesus Christ would make us slaves of principles of evil and dark forces. The Scriptures recognise them as principalities, thrones, and dominations of this world; they are ruling forces in the air, water, and under the earth. These claim the rulership of the earth and tend to lord it over human persons on earth. But the coming of the Son of Man is to take back the earth and bring it under divine dominion. The earth is now part of the kingdom of God by the passion, death, and resurrection of the Son of Man. The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of God, gained through the knowledge of Jesus Christ, is crucial for us to transition from the dominion of darkness and the forces of evil to the dominion of God and His Son, Jesus Christ. So, Nicodemus’ lack of knowledge of earthly things and faith did not deter the Lord from revealing these mysteries to him, because they are essential for our spiritual birth and growth.

The coming of the kingdom of God on earth is, therefore, by no other personage than the Son of God himself. Because he is the Son of God, he possesses the power of God. Hence, he can enforce the will of his Father in the world that came to be through him. “He who comes from above is above all others; he who is born of the earth is earthly himself and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven bears witness to the things he has seen and heard, even if his testimony is not accepted.” Here, we can consider the Lord’s saying to apply to his human and divine natures. His human nature is earthly and is like us in everything except sin. In his human nature, he speaks our language, suffers our woes, and even dies our death. But in all these, the humanity of our Lord is the mouthpiece of his divine nature and communicates the will of God faithfully to us. So, the Son of Man speaks both earthly and heavenly languages, for the One who comes from heaven also speaks through him. “He who comes from heaven bears witness to the things he has seen and heard, even if his testimony is not accepted; though all who do accept his testimony are attesting the truthfulness of God, since he whom God has sent speaks God’s own words: God gives him the Spirit without reserve.” We are, therefore, to hear the earthly man, but believe the heavenly One, who speaks through him. Even if he speaks in earthly manner, his earthly life is the seed of heavenly mysteries we can reach only through faith.

Subsequently, observing and meditating on his life, passion, and death, we have witnessed the love of the Father for us. By believing in his resurrection, we have received the Holy Spirit, who pours the love of the Father and the Son into our hearts. This love brings the Son to dwell in believers, to continue the work of witnessing to the presence and power of God in the world. Hence, the believers refused to back down from proclaiming the Gospel of salvation to the people when the Jewish rulers commanded them. “We gave you a formal warning not to preach in this name, and what have you done? You have filled Jerusalem with your preaching and seem determined to fix the guilt of this man’s death on us.” This is in fulfilment of the words of our Lord to Nicodemus, that the Father has entrusted everything to the Son. Eternal life will come to all who believe in his name. This authority of the Son is at work in the world through his members who constitute his body, the Church. The Church will continue to proclaim this salvation to all peoples and ages with Christ’s authority. She does this, according to Peter, in obedience to God. “Obedience to God comes before obedience to men; it was the God of our ancestors who raised up Jesus, but it was you who had him executed by hanging on a tree.” Each member of Christ is equally constituted with earthly and heavenly components: our new spirit, generated in us by the Holy Spirit, and our human nature. We are saved as long as our human nature is totally subject to our spirits and to the Holy Spirit. “We are witnesses to all this, we and the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”

Let us pray: O God, who for the salvation of the world brought about the paschal sacrifice, be favourable to the supplications of your people, so that Christ our High Priest, interceding on our behalf, may by his likeness to ourselves bring us reconciliation, and his equality with you free us from our sins. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. 

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