'Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me believes not only in me but also in the one who sent me, and whoever sees me sees the one who sent me. I came into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness. And if anyone hears my words and does not observe them, I do not condemn him, for I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world. Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words has something to judge him: the word that I spoke, it will condemn him on the last day, because I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. So what I say, I say as the Father told me (Jn. 12:44-50).”’
The main themes in John’s Gospel were briefly summarized in this passage. Earlier in John’s Gospel, the evangelist wrote, “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. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God (Jn. 3:16-18).' Jesus was saying the same words to the crowd. In the OT those who did not heed the words of the prophets sent by God were condemned. The themes in John are: Jesus was sent by God so anyone who listened to his words and rejected him was rejecting God; Jesus and the Father are one; Jesus is the light of the world; Jesus gives life to the world; we will be judged based on whether we accept or reject what Jesus has revealed to us about God. Jesus the Christ will judge the living and the dead.
Almighty God, your Son came into the world to offer himself as a sacrifice for our sins and to reconcile us with God. Help us to assent to your will and to cooperate with your grace so that when we are judged we may be found worthy of the eternal life Jesus earned for us on the Cross. This we pray through the same Christ our Lord. Amen!
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References:
Raymond E. Brown, Joseph A. Fitzmyer, & Roland E. Murphy, (Eds.). (1990, 1968). The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentis Hall, Inc.
Jose M. Casciaro, Santiago Ausin, Gonzalo Aranda, Claudio Basevi, Vincente Balaguer, Francisco Varo, James Gavigan, Brian McCarthy & Thomas McGovern (Eds.). (2017). The Navarre Bible - New Testament. Dublin 8, Ireland: Four Courts Press.
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