Reflection for March 26 Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent: John 8:51-59

Gospel: John 8:51-59

Jesus said to the Jews: “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever keeps my word will never see death.” So the Jews said to him, “Now we are sure that you are possessed. Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.’ 

Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? Or the prophets, who died? Who do you make yourself out to be?” Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is worth nothing; but it is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ You do not know him, but I know him. And if I should say that I do not know him, I would be like you a liar. 

But I do know him and I keep his word. Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day; he saw it and was glad.” So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old and you have seen Abraham?”  Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM.” So they picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area.

+ + + + + + +

Reflection:

What does Jesus give us?

Jesus gives us eternal life. We believe that if we have faith in Him, we will never truly die. Yes, we physically die, but beyond that, we hold on to the promise that we will be with Jesus in heaven and live eternally in His loving presence.

Oftentimes, we believe in and love Jesus because we long to be with Him someday in heaven. Yet, there are still many among us who do not truly believe in Him. They may know about Jesus, but they have not come to know Him in a personal and living way. Like the Jews in the Gospel, who could not accept His words and even rejected Him, there are hearts today that remain closed to His truth and love.

As one community of faith, we are gently called not to judge, but to reach out—to become instruments of God’s grace so that others may encounter Jesus through us. How can we do this? We can begin by inviting them, especially during this coming Holy Week, to join us in the sacred celebrations of our Church. These moments are not just rituals; they are living encounters with the mystery of Christ’s love.

When we walk the Way of the Cross, we journey with Jesus in His suffering. When we witness the Institution of the Eucharist on Holy Thursday, we remember His gift of Himself to us. When we venerate the Cross on Good Friday, we stand before the depth of His sacrifice. And in the Easter Vigil, we rejoice together in the light of His Resurrection. Through these sacred celebrations, our hearts—and the hearts of those we invite—can be renewed and drawn closer to Him and to the Church He lovingly established.

Let us not keep our faith and love for Jesus to ourselves. Let us live it, share it, and allow it to shine through our words and actions, so that others may come to believe—not just in name, but in truth and in life.

Are we willing to be instruments of God’s love, reaching out to others so that they, too, may truly encounter Jesus and share in the gift of eternal life?— Marino J. Dasmarinas