Pope Benedict, in sharing his personal reflections through his book, Jesus of Nazareth, tells of his admiration of Rabbi Jacob Neusner. Although Rabbi Neusner is not able, after trying to encounter Jesus, to believe in Him, the pope admires the rabbi's conclusion that in the Gospels, the only new thing that emerges in Jesus Himself. The rabbi while regarding Jesus as a tremendous prophet, ultimately says that Jesus carries the same message as all the prophets. The only addition is that Jesus proposes Himself as the way, the truth and the life. No one can come to the Father, except through me (Jn 14:6).
In the gospel passages from John given by the Church in these days before Palm Sunday, Jesus proposes Himself as something new. In today's Gospel, it is the claim that He is in the Father and the Father is in Him, which leads also to the conclusion that He is the Son of God. Jesus reminds his accusers that they too share in the likeness of God, who has begotten them (Ps 82:6), so they should not rush to charges of blasphemy if Jesus calls Himself the Son of God. Yet still, there is this difference between sharing in God's likeness and sharing in His very nature, as Jesus does, but Jesus' words foreshadow His new mission to bridge in His person this great divide between God and man. This is precisely what is new; through Jesus, man will receive a new destiny to share in the divine nature. This becomes the new definition of eternal life.
It is Jesus' proposing Himself that rightfully gets him killed. In these passages from John, the debate is clarified. Either Jesus is the Son of God, greater than all the prophets, or He is not. Either He brings something new, or He does not. It is here that Jesus makes His stand. "Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God." Things could not be any clearer.
In the gospel passages from John given by the Church in these days before Palm Sunday, Jesus proposes Himself as something new. In today's Gospel, it is the claim that He is in the Father and the Father is in Him, which leads also to the conclusion that He is the Son of God. Jesus reminds his accusers that they too share in the likeness of God, who has begotten them (Ps 82:6), so they should not rush to charges of blasphemy if Jesus calls Himself the Son of God. Yet still, there is this difference between sharing in God's likeness and sharing in His very nature, as Jesus does, but Jesus' words foreshadow His new mission to bridge in His person this great divide between God and man. This is precisely what is new; through Jesus, man will receive a new destiny to share in the divine nature. This becomes the new definition of eternal life.
It is Jesus' proposing Himself that rightfully gets him killed. In these passages from John, the debate is clarified. Either Jesus is the Son of God, greater than all the prophets, or He is not. Either He brings something new, or He does not. It is here that Jesus makes His stand. "Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God." Things could not be any clearer.
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