believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. This is how Judgment is made: Light has come into the
world, and people loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For whoever does wrong hates the light, and doesn’t come to the light, for fear that
his deeds will be seen as evil. But whoever lives according to the truth comes into the light, so that it can be clearly seen that his works have been done in God.”
Reflection:
“Give” is a verb that occurs 63 times in the Fourth Gospel,
and hence, is a key theme for John. God is one who gives. The
chosen people of Israel looked forward to God giving them
the promised land. They also received from God the Torah. But
here Jesus speaks of God giving them the highest gift possible—
his very Son, and through him, eternal life. If the land and the
Torah were specifically given to a circumscribed group of people,
God gives his Son for the entire world so that no one is left out
of his embrace. Moreover, this giving also meant a “giving up”
of his Son all the way to death. At the end of it all, God does so,
out of great love, to redeem the world and never to condemn it.
Yet, why do we still choose to live in fear of God rather than
run into His embrace?
© Copyright Bible Diary 2022