We continue with our Holy Week reflections based on the theme of the new creation within John's Gospel. Today's reflections are based on Genesis 1: 6-8,
John 1: 29-34 and John 3: 1-13.
Opening Liturgy
And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the
waters to separate water from water." So God made the expanse and
separated the water under the expanse from the water above it.
And it was so.
God called the expanse "sky". And there was
evening, and there was morning
the second day.
Genesis 1: 6-8 (ANIV)
The next day John saw Jesus coming towards him and said,
"Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the
one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he
was before me.' I
myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptising with water was that he
might be revealed to Israel ."
Then
John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a
dove and remain on him. I
would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptise with water
told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who
will baptise with the Holy Spirit.' I have seen and I testify that this
is the Son of God."
John 1:29-34 (ANIV)
Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no-one can
see the kingdom of God unless he is born again, from above."
"How can a man be born when he is old?"
Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's
womb to be born!"
Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no-one can
enter the kingdom
of God unless he is born
of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth
to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.'
The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where
it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the
Spirit."
John 3:3-8
Reflection
I came to him
under cover of darkness to test him out and find out what his plans were… was
he truly the Messiah we had been expecting? If he was when would he make his
move to establish God’s Kingdom?
But I went away
with more questions than answers. He talked about being born again, from above…
I joked about an adult like me entering into his mother’s womb again… But he
went on regardless… Speaking about being born of water and the Spirit… and
comparing God’s Spirit to the wind…
It reminded me
of that picture in God’s law of the Spirit breathing over the deep dark water
in the beginning…
I sense
something beginning here… With him… Within me… The wind is beginning to blow…
And I want to set my sails to go where it would take me… Where God would take
me…
Prayer
Jesus Christ who came down from heaven to
earth
Jesus, born of Mary…
Be
born in us again
That
we might be born again from above.
Jesus, baptized in water and anointed by
the Spirit from above
Breathe
your Spirit on us
To
inspire, empower and guide us.
May we go into
this day, knowing that we are a new creation, children of God, born again of
water and the Spirit. May we go where the Spirit blows until, at the last, we cross
that vast expanse between earth and heaven, through Jesus Christ. AMEN
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