CCC Cross Reference:
Acts 4:32 952, 2790; Acts 4:33 995
Jn 3:7 526, 591; Jn 3:9 505; Jn 3:13 423, 440, 661; Jn 3:14-15 2130
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Reading 1
Acts 4:32-37
The community of believers was of one heart and mind,
and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own,
but they had everything in common.
With great power the Apostles bore witness
to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus,
and great favor was accorded them all.
There was no needy person among them,
for those who owned property or houses would sell them,
bring the proceeds of the sale,
and put them at the feet of the Apostles,
and they were distributed to each according to need.
Thus Joseph, also named by the Apostles Barnabas
(which is translated (son of encouragement”),
a Levite, a Cypriot by birth,
sold a piece of property that he owned,
then brought the money and put it at the feet of the Apostles.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 93:1ab, 1cd-2, 5
R. (1a) The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The Lord is king, in splendor robed;
robed is the Lord and girt about with strength.
R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
or:
R. Alleluia.
And he has made the world firm,
not to be moved.
Your throne stands firm from of old;
from everlasting you are, O Lord.
R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Your decrees are worthy of trust indeed:
holiness befits your house,
O Lord, for length of days.
R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gospel
Jn 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.”
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
First reading Acts 4:32 – 37
The whole group of believers was united, heart and soul; no one claimed for his own use anything that he had, as everything they owned was held in common.
The apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus with great power, and they were all given great respect.
None of their members was ever in want, as all those who owned land or houses would sell them, and bring the money from them, to present it to the apostles; it was then distributed to any members who might be in need.
There was a Levite of Cypriot origin called Joseph whom the apostles surnamed Barnabas (which means ‘son of encouragement’). He owned a piece of land and he sold it and brought the money, and presented it to the apostles.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 92(93):1-2,5
The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed.
or
Alleluia!
The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed;
the Lord has robed himself with might,
he has girded himself with power.
The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed.
or
Alleluia!
The world you made firm, not to be moved;
your throne has stood firm from of old.
From all eternity, O Lord, you are.
The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed.
or
Alleluia!
Truly your decrees are to be trusted.
Holiness is fitting to your house,
O Lord, until the end of time.
The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed.
or
Alleluia!
Gospel John 3:7 – 15
Jesus said:
‘Do not be surprised when I say:
You must be born from above.
The wind blows wherever it pleases;
you hear its sound,
but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going.
That is how it is with all who are born of the Spirit.’
‘How can that be possible?’ asked Nicodemus. ‘You, a teacher in Israel, and you do not know these things!’ replied Jesus.
‘I tell you most solemnly,
we speak only about what we know
and witness only to what we have seen
and yet you people reject our evidence.
If you do not believe me when I speak about things in this world,
how are you going to believe me when I speak to you about heavenly things?
No one has gone up to heaven
except the one who came down from heaven,
the Son of Man who is in heaven;
and the Son of Man must be lifted up
as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.’
Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible
Tuesday of the 2nd Week of Easter
From: Acts 4:32-37
The Way of Life of the Early Christians
-------------------------------------------------------
[32] Now the company of those who believed were one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had everything in common. [33] And with great power the Apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. [34] There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of what was sold [35] and laid it at the Apostles' feet; and distribution was made to each as any had need. [36] Thus Joseph who was surnamed by the Apostles Barnabas (which means, son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, [37] sold a field which belonged to him, and brought the money and laid it at the Apostles' feet.
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
32-37. Here we are given a second summary of the life of the first Christian community -- which, presided over by Peter and the other Apostles, was the Church, the entire Church of Jesus Christ. The Church of God on earth was only beginning, all contained within the Jerusalem foundation. Now every Christian community -- no matter how small it be--which is in communion of faith and obedience with the Church of Rome is the Church.
"The Church of Christ", Vatican II teaches, "is really present in all legitimately organized local groups of the faithful, which, in so far as they are united to their pastors, are also quite appropriately called churches in the New Testament. [...] In them the faithful are gathered together through the preaching of the Gospel of Christ, and the mystery of the Lord's Supper is celebrated. [...] In each altar community, under the sacred ministry of the bishop, a manifest symbol is to be seen of that charity and 'unity of the Mystical Body, without which there can be no salvation' ("Summa Theologiae", III, q. 73, a. 3). In these communities, though they may often be small and poor, or existing in the diaspora, Christ is present through whose power and influence the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church is constituted" ("Lumen Gentium", 26).
32. The text stresses the importance of "being one": solidarity, unity, is a virtue of good Christians and one of the marks of the Church: "The Apostles bore witness to the Resurrection not only by word by also by their virtues" (Chrysostom, "Hom. on Acts", 11). The disciples obviously were joyful and self-sacrificing. This disposition, which results from charity, strives to promote forgiveness and harmony among the brethren, all sons and daughters of the same Father. The Church realizes that this harmony is often threatened by rancor, envy, misunderstanding and self-assertion. By asking, in prayers and hymns like "Ubi Caritas", for evil disputes and conflicts to cease, "so that Christ our God may dwell among us", it is drawing its inspiration from the example of unity and charity left it by the first Christian community in Jerusalem.
Harmony and mutual understanding among the disciples both reflect the internal and external unity of the Church itself and helps its practical implementation.
There is only one Church of Jesus Christ because it has only "one Lord, one baptism" (Ephesians 4:5), and only one visible head -- the Pope -- who represents Christ on earth. The model and ultimate source of this unity is the Trinity of divine persons, that is, "the unity of one God, the Father and the son in the Holy Spirit" (Vatican II, "Unitatis Redintegratio", 2). This characteristic work of the Church is visibly expressed: in confession of one and the same faith, in one system of government, in the celebration of the same form of divine worship, and in fraternal concord among all God's family (cf. "ibid.").
The Church derives its life from the Holy Spirit; a main factor in nourishing this life and thereby reinforcing the Church's unity is the Blessed Eucharist: it acts in a mysterious but real way, incessantly, to build up the Mystical Body of the Lord.
God desires all Christians separated from the Church (they have Baptism, and the Gospel truths in varying degrees) to find their way back to the flock of Christ -- which they can do by spiritual renewal, and prayer, dialogue and study.
34-35. St. Luke comes back again to the subject of renunciation of possessions, repeating what he says in 2:44 and going on to give two different kinds of example -- that of Barnabas (4:36f) and that of Ananias and Sapphira (5:1f).
The disciples' detachment from material things does not only mean that they have a caring attitude to those in need. It also shows their simplicity of heart, their desire to pass unnoticed and the full confidence they place in the Twelve. "They gave up their possessions and in doing so demonstrated their respect for the Apostles. For they did not presume to give it into their hands, that is, they did not present it ostentatiously, but left it at their feet and made the Apostles its owners and dispensers" (Chrysostom, "Hom. on Acts", 11).
The text suggests that the Christians in Jerusalem had an organized system for the relief of the poor in the community. Judaism had social welfare institutions and probably the early Church used one of these as a model. However, the Christian system of helping each according to his need would have had characteristics of its own, deriving from the charity from which it sprang and as a result of gradual differentiation from the Jewish way of doing things.
36-37. Barnabas is mentioned because of his generosity and also in view of his important future role in the spreading of the Gospel. It will be he who introduces the new convert Saul to the Apostles (9:27). Later, the Apostles will send him to Antioch when the Christian church begins to develop there (11:22). He will be Paul's companion on his first journey (13:2) and will go up to Jerusalem with him in connection with the controversy about circumcising Gentile converts (15:2).
*********************************************************************************************
From: John 3:7b-15
The Visit of Nicodemus (Continuation)
-------------------------------------------------------
(Jesus said to Nicodemus,) [7] 'You must be born anew.' [8] The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes and whether it goes; so it is with every one who is born of the Spirit." [9] Nicodemus said to Him, "How can this be?" [10] Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand this? [11] Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen; but you do not receive our testimony. [12] If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you Heavenly things? [13] No one has ascended into Heaven but He who descended from Heaven, the Son of Man. [14] And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, [15] that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life."
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
3-8. Nicodemus' first question shows that he still has doubts about Jesus (is He a prophet, is He the Messiah?); and our Lord replies to him in a completely unexpected way: Nicodemus presumed He would say something about His mission and, instead, He reveals to him an astonishing truth: one must be born again, in a spiritual birth, by water and the Spirit; a whole new world opens up before Nicodemus.
Our Lord's words also paint a limitless horizon for the spiritual advancement of any Christian who willingly lets himself or herself be led by divine grace and the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which are infused at Baptism and enhanced by the Sacraments. As well as opening his soul to God, the Christian also needs to keep at bay his selfish appetites and the inclinations of pride, if he is to understand what God is teaching him in his soul: "Therefore must the soul be stripped of all things created, and of its own actions and abilities--namely, of its understanding, perception and feelings--so that, when all that is unlike God and unconformed to Him is cast out, the soul may receive the likeness of God; and nothing will then remain in it that is not the will of God and it will thus be transformed in God. Wherefore, although it is true that, as we have said, God is ever in the soul, giving it, and through His presence conserving within it, its natural being, yet He does not always communicate supernatural being to it. For this is communicated only by love and grace, which not all souls possess; and all those that posses it have it not in the same degree; for some have attained more degrees of love and others fewer. Wherefore God communicates Himself most to that soul that has progressed farthest in love; namely, that has its will in closest conformity with the will of God. And the soul that has attained complete conformity and likeness of will is totally united and transformed in God supernaturally" (St. John of the Cross, "Ascent of Mount Carmel", book II, chap. 5).
Jesus speaks very forcefully about man's new condition: it is no longer a question of being born of the flesh, of the line of Abraham (cf. Jn 1:13), but of being reborn through the action of the Holy Spirit, by means of water. This is our Lord's first reference to Christian Baptism, confirming John the Baptist's prophecy (cf. Mt 3:11; Jn 1:33) that He had come to institute a baptism with the Holy Spirit.
"Nicodemus had not yet savored this Spirit and this life. [...]. He knew but one birth, which is from Adam and Eve; that which is from God and the Church, he did not know; he knew only the paternity which engenders to death; he did not yet know the paternity which engenders to life. [...]. Whereas there are two births, he knew only of one. One is of earth, the other is of Heaven; one is of the flesh, the other of the Spirit; one of mortality, the other of eternity; one of male and female, the other of God and the Church. But the two are each unique; neither one nor the other can be repeated" (St. Augustine, "In Ioann. Evang.", 11, 6).
Our Lord speaks of the wonderful effects the Holy Spirit produces in the soul of the baptized. Just as with the wind--when it blows we realize its presence, we hear it whistling, but we do not know where it came from, or where it will end up -- so with the Holy Spirit, the Divine "Breath" ("pneuma") given us in Baptism: we do not know how He comes to penetrate our heart but He makes His presence felt by the change in the conduct of whoever receives Him.
10-12. Even though Nicodemus finds them puzzling, Jesus confirms that His words still stand, and He explains that He speaks about the things of Heaven because that is where He comes from, and to make Himself understood He uses earthly comparisons and images. Even so, this language will fail to convince those who adopt an attitude of disbelief.
St. John Chrysostom comments: "It was with reason that He said not: 'You do not understand,' but: 'You do not believe.' When a person baulks and does not readily accept things which it is possible for the mind to receive, he may with reason be accused of stupidity; when he does not accept things which it is not possible to grasp by reason but only by faith, the charge is no longer that of stupidity, but of incredulity" ("Hom. on St. John", 27, 1).
13. This is a formal declaration of the divinity of Jesus. No one has gone up into Heaven and, therefore, no one can have perfect knowledge of God's secrets, except God Himself who became man and came down from Heaven--Jesus, the second Person of the Blessed Trinity, the Son of Man foretold in the Old Testament (cf. Dan 7:13), to whom has been given eternal Lordship over all peoples.
The Word does not stop being God on becoming man: even when He is on earth as man, He is in Heaven as God. It is only after the Resurrection and the Ascension that Christ is in Heaven as man also.
14-15. The bronze serpent which Moses set up on a pole was established by God to cure those who had been bitten by the poisonous serpents in the desert (cf. Numbers 21:8-9). Jesus compares this with His crucifixion, to show the value of His being raised up on the cross: those who look on Him with faith can obtain salvation. We could say that the good thief was the first to experience the saving power of Christ on the cross: he saw the crucified Jesus, the King of Israel, the Messiah, and was immediately promised that he would be in Paradise that very day (cf. Luke 23:39-43).
The Son of God took on our human nature to make known the hidden mystery of God's own life (cf. Mark 4:11; John 1:18; 3:1-13; Ephesians 3:9) and to free from sin and death those who look at Him with faith and love and who accept the cross of every day.
The faith of which our Lord speaks is not just intellectual acceptance of the truths He has taught: it involves recognizing Him as Son of God (cf. 1 John 5:1), sharing His very life (cf. John 1:12) and surrendering ourselves out of love and therefore becoming like Him (cf. John 10:27; 1 John 3:2). But this faith is a gift of God (cf. John 3:3, 5-8), and we should ask Him to strengthen it and increase it as the Apostles did: Lord "increase our faith!" (Luke 17:5). While faith is a supernatural, free gift, it is also a virtue, a good habit, which a person can practice and thereby develop: so the Christian, who already has the divine gift of faith, needs with the help of grace to make explicit acts of faith in order to make this virtue grow.
*********************************************************************************************
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.
Acts 4:32-37
The community of believers was of one heart and mind,
and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own,
but they had everything in common.
With great power the Apostles bore witness
to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus,
and great favor was accorded them all.
There was no needy person among them,
for those who owned property or houses would sell them,
bring the proceeds of the sale,
and put them at the feet of the Apostles,
and they were distributed to each according to need.
Thus Joseph, also named by the Apostles Barnabas
(which is translated (son of encouragement”),
a Levite, a Cypriot by birth,
sold a piece of property that he owned,
then brought the money and put it at the feet of the Apostles.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 93:1ab, 1cd-2, 5
R. (1a) The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The Lord is king, in splendor robed;
robed is the Lord and girt about with strength.
R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
or:
R. Alleluia.
And he has made the world firm,
not to be moved.
Your throne stands firm from of old;
from everlasting you are, O Lord.
R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Your decrees are worthy of trust indeed:
holiness befits your house,
O Lord, for length of days.
R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gospel
Jn 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.”
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
First reading Acts 4:32 – 37
The whole group of believers was united, heart and soul; no one claimed for his own use anything that he had, as everything they owned was held in common.
The apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus with great power, and they were all given great respect.
None of their members was ever in want, as all those who owned land or houses would sell them, and bring the money from them, to present it to the apostles; it was then distributed to any members who might be in need.
There was a Levite of Cypriot origin called Joseph whom the apostles surnamed Barnabas (which means ‘son of encouragement’). He owned a piece of land and he sold it and brought the money, and presented it to the apostles.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 92(93):1-2,5
The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed.
or
Alleluia!
The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed;
the Lord has robed himself with might,
he has girded himself with power.
The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed.
or
Alleluia!
The world you made firm, not to be moved;
your throne has stood firm from of old.
From all eternity, O Lord, you are.
The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed.
or
Alleluia!
Truly your decrees are to be trusted.
Holiness is fitting to your house,
O Lord, until the end of time.
The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed.
or
Alleluia!
Gospel John 3:7 – 15
Jesus said:
‘Do not be surprised when I say:
You must be born from above.
The wind blows wherever it pleases;
you hear its sound,
but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going.
That is how it is with all who are born of the Spirit.’
‘How can that be possible?’ asked Nicodemus. ‘You, a teacher in Israel, and you do not know these things!’ replied Jesus.
‘I tell you most solemnly,
we speak only about what we know
and witness only to what we have seen
and yet you people reject our evidence.
If you do not believe me when I speak about things in this world,
how are you going to believe me when I speak to you about heavenly things?
No one has gone up to heaven
except the one who came down from heaven,
the Son of Man who is in heaven;
and the Son of Man must be lifted up
as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.’
Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible
Tuesday of the 2nd Week of Easter
From: Acts 4:32-37
The Way of Life of the Early Christians
-------------------------------------------------------
[32] Now the company of those who believed were one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had everything in common. [33] And with great power the Apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. [34] There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of what was sold [35] and laid it at the Apostles' feet; and distribution was made to each as any had need. [36] Thus Joseph who was surnamed by the Apostles Barnabas (which means, son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, [37] sold a field which belonged to him, and brought the money and laid it at the Apostles' feet.
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
32-37. Here we are given a second summary of the life of the first Christian community -- which, presided over by Peter and the other Apostles, was the Church, the entire Church of Jesus Christ. The Church of God on earth was only beginning, all contained within the Jerusalem foundation. Now every Christian community -- no matter how small it be--which is in communion of faith and obedience with the Church of Rome is the Church.
"The Church of Christ", Vatican II teaches, "is really present in all legitimately organized local groups of the faithful, which, in so far as they are united to their pastors, are also quite appropriately called churches in the New Testament. [...] In them the faithful are gathered together through the preaching of the Gospel of Christ, and the mystery of the Lord's Supper is celebrated. [...] In each altar community, under the sacred ministry of the bishop, a manifest symbol is to be seen of that charity and 'unity of the Mystical Body, without which there can be no salvation' ("Summa Theologiae", III, q. 73, a. 3). In these communities, though they may often be small and poor, or existing in the diaspora, Christ is present through whose power and influence the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church is constituted" ("Lumen Gentium", 26).
32. The text stresses the importance of "being one": solidarity, unity, is a virtue of good Christians and one of the marks of the Church: "The Apostles bore witness to the Resurrection not only by word by also by their virtues" (Chrysostom, "Hom. on Acts", 11). The disciples obviously were joyful and self-sacrificing. This disposition, which results from charity, strives to promote forgiveness and harmony among the brethren, all sons and daughters of the same Father. The Church realizes that this harmony is often threatened by rancor, envy, misunderstanding and self-assertion. By asking, in prayers and hymns like "Ubi Caritas", for evil disputes and conflicts to cease, "so that Christ our God may dwell among us", it is drawing its inspiration from the example of unity and charity left it by the first Christian community in Jerusalem.
Harmony and mutual understanding among the disciples both reflect the internal and external unity of the Church itself and helps its practical implementation.
There is only one Church of Jesus Christ because it has only "one Lord, one baptism" (Ephesians 4:5), and only one visible head -- the Pope -- who represents Christ on earth. The model and ultimate source of this unity is the Trinity of divine persons, that is, "the unity of one God, the Father and the son in the Holy Spirit" (Vatican II, "Unitatis Redintegratio", 2). This characteristic work of the Church is visibly expressed: in confession of one and the same faith, in one system of government, in the celebration of the same form of divine worship, and in fraternal concord among all God's family (cf. "ibid.").
The Church derives its life from the Holy Spirit; a main factor in nourishing this life and thereby reinforcing the Church's unity is the Blessed Eucharist: it acts in a mysterious but real way, incessantly, to build up the Mystical Body of the Lord.
God desires all Christians separated from the Church (they have Baptism, and the Gospel truths in varying degrees) to find their way back to the flock of Christ -- which they can do by spiritual renewal, and prayer, dialogue and study.
34-35. St. Luke comes back again to the subject of renunciation of possessions, repeating what he says in 2:44 and going on to give two different kinds of example -- that of Barnabas (4:36f) and that of Ananias and Sapphira (5:1f).
The disciples' detachment from material things does not only mean that they have a caring attitude to those in need. It also shows their simplicity of heart, their desire to pass unnoticed and the full confidence they place in the Twelve. "They gave up their possessions and in doing so demonstrated their respect for the Apostles. For they did not presume to give it into their hands, that is, they did not present it ostentatiously, but left it at their feet and made the Apostles its owners and dispensers" (Chrysostom, "Hom. on Acts", 11).
The text suggests that the Christians in Jerusalem had an organized system for the relief of the poor in the community. Judaism had social welfare institutions and probably the early Church used one of these as a model. However, the Christian system of helping each according to his need would have had characteristics of its own, deriving from the charity from which it sprang and as a result of gradual differentiation from the Jewish way of doing things.
36-37. Barnabas is mentioned because of his generosity and also in view of his important future role in the spreading of the Gospel. It will be he who introduces the new convert Saul to the Apostles (9:27). Later, the Apostles will send him to Antioch when the Christian church begins to develop there (11:22). He will be Paul's companion on his first journey (13:2) and will go up to Jerusalem with him in connection with the controversy about circumcising Gentile converts (15:2).
*********************************************************************************************
From: John 3:7b-15
The Visit of Nicodemus (Continuation)
-------------------------------------------------------
(Jesus said to Nicodemus,) [7] 'You must be born anew.' [8] The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes and whether it goes; so it is with every one who is born of the Spirit." [9] Nicodemus said to Him, "How can this be?" [10] Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand this? [11] Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen; but you do not receive our testimony. [12] If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you Heavenly things? [13] No one has ascended into Heaven but He who descended from Heaven, the Son of Man. [14] And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, [15] that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life."
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
3-8. Nicodemus' first question shows that he still has doubts about Jesus (is He a prophet, is He the Messiah?); and our Lord replies to him in a completely unexpected way: Nicodemus presumed He would say something about His mission and, instead, He reveals to him an astonishing truth: one must be born again, in a spiritual birth, by water and the Spirit; a whole new world opens up before Nicodemus.
Our Lord's words also paint a limitless horizon for the spiritual advancement of any Christian who willingly lets himself or herself be led by divine grace and the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which are infused at Baptism and enhanced by the Sacraments. As well as opening his soul to God, the Christian also needs to keep at bay his selfish appetites and the inclinations of pride, if he is to understand what God is teaching him in his soul: "Therefore must the soul be stripped of all things created, and of its own actions and abilities--namely, of its understanding, perception and feelings--so that, when all that is unlike God and unconformed to Him is cast out, the soul may receive the likeness of God; and nothing will then remain in it that is not the will of God and it will thus be transformed in God. Wherefore, although it is true that, as we have said, God is ever in the soul, giving it, and through His presence conserving within it, its natural being, yet He does not always communicate supernatural being to it. For this is communicated only by love and grace, which not all souls possess; and all those that posses it have it not in the same degree; for some have attained more degrees of love and others fewer. Wherefore God communicates Himself most to that soul that has progressed farthest in love; namely, that has its will in closest conformity with the will of God. And the soul that has attained complete conformity and likeness of will is totally united and transformed in God supernaturally" (St. John of the Cross, "Ascent of Mount Carmel", book II, chap. 5).
Jesus speaks very forcefully about man's new condition: it is no longer a question of being born of the flesh, of the line of Abraham (cf. Jn 1:13), but of being reborn through the action of the Holy Spirit, by means of water. This is our Lord's first reference to Christian Baptism, confirming John the Baptist's prophecy (cf. Mt 3:11; Jn 1:33) that He had come to institute a baptism with the Holy Spirit.
"Nicodemus had not yet savored this Spirit and this life. [...]. He knew but one birth, which is from Adam and Eve; that which is from God and the Church, he did not know; he knew only the paternity which engenders to death; he did not yet know the paternity which engenders to life. [...]. Whereas there are two births, he knew only of one. One is of earth, the other is of Heaven; one is of the flesh, the other of the Spirit; one of mortality, the other of eternity; one of male and female, the other of God and the Church. But the two are each unique; neither one nor the other can be repeated" (St. Augustine, "In Ioann. Evang.", 11, 6).
Our Lord speaks of the wonderful effects the Holy Spirit produces in the soul of the baptized. Just as with the wind--when it blows we realize its presence, we hear it whistling, but we do not know where it came from, or where it will end up -- so with the Holy Spirit, the Divine "Breath" ("pneuma") given us in Baptism: we do not know how He comes to penetrate our heart but He makes His presence felt by the change in the conduct of whoever receives Him.
10-12. Even though Nicodemus finds them puzzling, Jesus confirms that His words still stand, and He explains that He speaks about the things of Heaven because that is where He comes from, and to make Himself understood He uses earthly comparisons and images. Even so, this language will fail to convince those who adopt an attitude of disbelief.
St. John Chrysostom comments: "It was with reason that He said not: 'You do not understand,' but: 'You do not believe.' When a person baulks and does not readily accept things which it is possible for the mind to receive, he may with reason be accused of stupidity; when he does not accept things which it is not possible to grasp by reason but only by faith, the charge is no longer that of stupidity, but of incredulity" ("Hom. on St. John", 27, 1).
13. This is a formal declaration of the divinity of Jesus. No one has gone up into Heaven and, therefore, no one can have perfect knowledge of God's secrets, except God Himself who became man and came down from Heaven--Jesus, the second Person of the Blessed Trinity, the Son of Man foretold in the Old Testament (cf. Dan 7:13), to whom has been given eternal Lordship over all peoples.
The Word does not stop being God on becoming man: even when He is on earth as man, He is in Heaven as God. It is only after the Resurrection and the Ascension that Christ is in Heaven as man also.
14-15. The bronze serpent which Moses set up on a pole was established by God to cure those who had been bitten by the poisonous serpents in the desert (cf. Numbers 21:8-9). Jesus compares this with His crucifixion, to show the value of His being raised up on the cross: those who look on Him with faith can obtain salvation. We could say that the good thief was the first to experience the saving power of Christ on the cross: he saw the crucified Jesus, the King of Israel, the Messiah, and was immediately promised that he would be in Paradise that very day (cf. Luke 23:39-43).
The Son of God took on our human nature to make known the hidden mystery of God's own life (cf. Mark 4:11; John 1:18; 3:1-13; Ephesians 3:9) and to free from sin and death those who look at Him with faith and love and who accept the cross of every day.
The faith of which our Lord speaks is not just intellectual acceptance of the truths He has taught: it involves recognizing Him as Son of God (cf. 1 John 5:1), sharing His very life (cf. John 1:12) and surrendering ourselves out of love and therefore becoming like Him (cf. John 10:27; 1 John 3:2). But this faith is a gift of God (cf. John 3:3, 5-8), and we should ask Him to strengthen it and increase it as the Apostles did: Lord "increase our faith!" (Luke 17:5). While faith is a supernatural, free gift, it is also a virtue, a good habit, which a person can practice and thereby develop: so the Christian, who already has the divine gift of faith, needs with the help of grace to make explicit acts of faith in order to make this virtue grow.
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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.
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