"When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He."
John 8 : 28
In today’s reading we learn that the Pharisees seemed to be forever asking who Jesus was. The response given them by Jesus revealed the truth of who he is, and the purpose of his coming. Jesus was fully God and fully human. He was from God in the beginning, and then God sent him – his Son – to the world.
Even as a man, as Jesus of Nazareth, he does not lose his divinity. Jesus worked with human hands, thought with a human mind, acted with a human will, and loved with a human heart.
Lent is a perfect opportunity to grow in our understanding that Jesus is from above. One of the ways in which we can do this is by contemplation, reflection and prayer, especially on Jesus’ passion and death. As Archbishop Fulton Sheen explains, the whole of Jesus’ mission on this earth was directed to the Cross.
As we look upon Jesus lifted up on the Cross, we can experience a great sense of gratitude for the love that God has shown us. Christ lifted up on the Cross is the image which identifies his followers everywhere. Christians have knelt before the Cross in all times of need and distress. It has been held before the eyes of those facing death, and it has led missionary journeys so that those who looked upon it might have new life.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, as we see you lifted up on the Cross we are filled with wonder and gratitude. Increase in us a love for you and a deeper understanding of your work on the Cross. Amen
