The Son of Man must be lifted up. Our Gospel for Sept 14, 2011
September 14, 2011 by bible sharing online
John 3: 13-17
Jesus said to Nicodemus:
“No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.
Kinakailangang itaas ang Anak ng Tao.
Juan 3: 13-17
13Walang pumaitaas sa langit maliban sa kaniya na bumabang mula sa langit Maliban sa Anak ng Tao na nasa langit.14Kung papaanong itinaas ni Moises ang ahas sa ilang ay gayon kinakailangang itaas ang Anak ng Tao.
15Ito ay upang ang sinumang sumampalataya sa kaniya ay hindi mapahamak kundi magkaroon ng buhay na walang hanggan.
16Ito ay sapagkat sa ganitong paraan inibig ng Diyos ang sanlibutan kaya ipinagkaloob niya ang kaniyang bugtong na Anak upang ang sinumang sumampalataya sa kaniya ay hindi mapahamak kundi magkaroon ng buhay na walang hanggan. 17Ito ay sapagkat hindi sinugo ng Diyos ang kaniyang anak sa sanlibutan upang hatulan ang sanlibutan. Sinugo niya ang kaniyang anak upang ang sanlibutan ay maligtas sa pamamagitan niya.
Posted in The Good News | 1 Comment
After the death of Jesus there was an intense persecution of Christians. Until the year 312 AD wherein the chruch entered a new era when Constantine 1st became the first Christian Emperor of Rome; one of his first edict was to legalize Christianity.
It was said that Constantine deputized his mother Saint Helena to gather christian relics. So she traveled to the Holy Land, while there she discovered three different crosses said to be used for the crucifixion of Jesus and the two thieves (Dismas and Gestas).
Since there were three crosses her dilemma was to find the real cross of Jesus. So she called on the sick people of the community and let them touch each of the three crosses. among the three there was one that stood out, because it instantly healed those who touched it. Saint Helena declared it to be the true cross of Jesus.
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, unlike other Christians whose cross is without Jesus hanging on it. Ours cross is not complete without Jesus on it.
Often times, our cross symbolizes the burdens that we carry, there was a young mother who was asked, who is your cross and she instantaneously replied it’s my irresponsible husband because he is always with his friends indulging in drinking sprees and whenever he arrives he subjects me to physical and emotional abuse.
Each and everyone of us has our own crosses that makes life difficult for us, sometimes we may even say: why is it that the more that I go near Jesus the heavier the cross that I carry? The cross that we carry is a test of our faith, we will not be able to fully comprehend the presence of Jesus in our lives without our own crosses. What is important is whenever we carry our cross we invite Jesus to help us carry it with us, to journey with us with our cross.
The cross that burdens us is nothing compared to the cross of Jesus while He was carrying it going to Golgotha we just need to watch the movie: The Passion of the Christ.
The paradox of it all is this, the cross that has given Jesus a lot of sufferings became His exalted cross. This cross is also a sign of our salvation so long as we believe and look up to Jesus who died for us on the cross.
There is no exaltation of the cross without the martyrdom of Jesus, there is no salvation for us without the death of Jesus on the cross.
By: Marino J. Dasmarinas