Main news for 6 December 2021

The passage we read today from John's Gospel is perceived as the quintessence of dogmatic theology. How could anyone pass by and fail to understand such clear words of Christ? This is probably a feature of human perception: things difficult for us we simply do not notice. For the Lord Jesus says, as it were, "in plain text" that He is the One who exists from the beginning. But the incarnation of the Son of God is such an incredible thing that these words pass by the ears of the listeners; they do not notice them, otherwise they would have tried to stone Jesus.

The Lord says that He is the very God who revealed Himself to the ancestors of the Jews, and He applies to Himself the name of God revealed to Moses on Mount Sinai. He also says that the Father has not left Him and abides with Him. But we will be able to learn, accept, and experience these incredible and incomprehensible things only when the Son of Man is lifted up on the Cross. And perhaps the issue here is not only the stiff-neckedness of the ancient Jews, but also that the mystery of God is truly incomprehensible in any way other than through the Cross.