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GospelThink

Thursday, April 16, Easter Weekday

JOHN 3:31-36

The Father and I will give you eternal life if you want.

Prayerthoughts
a. The evangelist John makes it clear that Jesus speaks of heavenly things. There are earthly things and heavenly things in my life. Heavenly things are those things that I do that remind me of God. How much time do I spend on them?

b. There are many who now accept Jesus’s testimony. What are the three most important doctrines of Jesus as seen in the Scriptures?

c. Obviously, I say that I accept the testimony of Jesus. But do I completely? What are some areas in my life where I need to follow the Lord more closely?

d. Jesus’s gifts of the Spirit have been labeled as Wisdom, Knowledge, Counsel, Fortitude, Understanding, Piety and Fear of the Lord. What is the most important one for me and why?

e. Of course, I have no knowledge now of “eternal life.” What aspect of eternal life in my eyes of faith do I consider to be the most important?

f. My prayerthoughts…

Today I will read Acts of the Apostles 5:31-36 and write an important thought from it.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

THE WORDS WE SPEAK

+ Speaking of himself here in John’s Gospel

- Jesus says: the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God

- and Jesus’s message is that not everyone is listening to that word

- it is a good source of meditation for the believer in Jesus

- if we are of God—sent by God—then we will speak the words of God

- that would lead us to a meditation on our words, and how we speak the words that we speak

+ In the first reading from Acts, Peter and John are a perfect example of speaking the words of God

- sent by God, they truly spoke the words of God

- in fact, as they said, they had to speak those words because nothing else made sense

- and they were direct with their words to the high priests saying to them that they, the high priests, were indeed responsible for Jesus’s death

+ Speaking the words of God is a pretty good thought to consider if we want to grow in our spiritual lives

- with the rather straightforward question for ourselves: what kind of words do we speak?

- do the words reflect a belief in God

- respectful, kind, tolerant, peaceful, honest

- we can still reflect a belief in God even if sometimes our words to others are difficult, as Peter and John’s words were difficult

- but if they are to reflect a belief in God, the words will be said with the thought of trying to help the situation

- sometimes our words are simply not the type of words that should be spoken by a believer

- not in the sense that we speak against God

- but in the sense that we are not speaking with God-like words

- words of hatred, rash judgment, prejudice, revenge, dishonesty, even so-called curse words

+ We want that eternal life that Jesus spoke of

- and therefore we profess our belief in Jesus

- and one of the ways to show our belief is by the language that we use.  

MARK 15:24-57

They brought Jesus to the place of Golgotha. They gave him wine drugged with myrrh, but he did not take it. Then they crucified him and divided his garments by casting lots for them to see what each should take. It was nine o'clock in the morning when they crucified him. The inscription of the charge against him read, "The King of the Jews." With him they crucified two revolutionaries, one on his right and one on his left. Those passing by reviled him, shaking their heads and saying, "Aha! You would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself by coming down from the cross." Likewise the chief priests, with the scribes, mocked him among themselves and said, "He saved others, he cannot save himself. Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe." Those who were crucified with him also kept abusing him.
    At noon darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And at three o'clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ..."My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"...Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. The veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. When the centurion who stood facing him saw how he breathed his last he said, "Truly this man was the Son of God!" There were also women looking on from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of the younger James and of Joses, and Salome....
    When it was already evening, since it was the day of preparation, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a distinguished member of the council, who was himself awaiting the kingdom of God, came and courageously went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus....Having brought a linen cloth, he took him down, wrapped him in the linen cloth and laid him in a tomb that had been hewn out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance to the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Jesus watched where he was laid.

Gospelthink: Jesus dies for me and all on the cross. I should take the time to offer a prayer of thanksgiving for what the Lord has done for us.