Reflection for April 14 Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter: John 3:7b-15

Gospel: John 3:7b-15

Jesus said to Nicodemus: “‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” 

Nicodemus answered and said to him, ‘How can this happen?” Jesus answered and said to him, “You are the teacher of Israel and you do not understand this?  

Amen, amen, I say to you, we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony. If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 

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.”

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Reflection:

Do we truly seek Jesus?

Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin, a respected Jewish judicial body. Yet despite his position, something stirred within him—a quiet longing, a deep curiosity—that drew him to Jesus. What did he see? What did he hear? Perhaps it was not only the signs, but the truth, the authority, and the love that radiated from the Lord.

Nicodemus’ journey did not end in curiosity. It slowly blossomed into courage and devotion. Even at the darkest moment—when Jesus hung on the cross—Nicodemus did not turn away. Instead, he stepped forward in love, helping care for the body of Jesus after His death (John 19:39). What began as a hidden search became a faithful surrender.

And so we ask ourselves: what will it take for us to truly follow Jesus? Do we wait for extraordinary signs before we give our hearts? Do we delay our response, hoping for a more convenient time?

Let us lift our eyes to the cross. There, we see not just a man, but our Savior—One who gave everything for us. He bore our sins, our burdens, our brokenness. His sacrifice speaks not only of suffering, but of a love so deep that it calls each one of us by name. Will we pause and truly see Him? Will we open our hearts in gratitude for the life He freely gave?

Like Nicodemus, we may begin our journey in uncertainty, even in silence. We may come to Jesus with questions, doubts, or hidden struggles. No one fully knows the depths of our hearts except us—and yet, Jesus knows and still calls us. He does not wait for us to be perfect. He simply invites us to come. Even a quiet step toward Him can begin a transformation within us—a transformation that leads to peace, to healing, and to new life that the world cannot give.

It does not matter how we begin—whether boldly or quietly, publicly or in secret. What matters is that we choose to follow. What matters is that we respond to His love today.

So now, in the silence of our hearts, let us ask ourselves:

Will we continue to wait, or will we finally open our hearts and follow Jesus—here and now, with all that we are?—Marino J. Dasmarinas