As Catholics, we profess that the Son of God is ‘God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made,’ and that ‘for us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.’
Category: Jesus Christ
By What Authority?
Radical transformation wouldn’t be radical if it wasn’t stepping on someone’s toes. Only the upstarts are described as ‘radicals.’ Jesus was an upstart, and those in power — those who assumed a monopoly on righteousness — wanted to know by what authority Jesus did what he did. But this is the power of the doing of God’s work: When God calls Moses to act, to lead the people of Israel through the sea, there is no doubt who is doing what. ‘You shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has freed you from the burdens of the Egyptians (Exodus 6:7).’
Questions and Answers
Jesus, as we encounter him in the Gospels, never gets into the habit of telling people who he is. Rather, he demonstrates who he is in what he does and says, and so invites us to answer the question of his identity. In today’s Gospel reading the religious authorities are shocked that he says to a man that his sins are forgiven. Only God can forgive sins. So who is Jesus then? The Pharisees and the Sadducees are left with a problem: Once they have removed all of the improbable answers to the question, they are left with only one answer. Only God can forgive sins. This is true. And Jesus forgives sins. So who is this Jesus?
With Power and Great Glory
The days from the Nativity to the Resurrection were only Part 1 of the great drama of the coming of the long-expected messiah. The sequel is coming soon — and it’s bigger and better, and there ain’t nothing like it on Netflix. Before we get to Christmas, the celebration of Jesus’ first appearing, the Church gets back to the future and reminds us of what is still ahead of us.
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