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Monday – Second week – Easter
Readings: Acts 4:23-31; Jn 3:1-8.
1/ First Reading: NAB Acts 4:23 After their release they went back to their own people and reported what the chief priests and elders had told them. 24 And when they heard it, they raised their voices to God with one accord and said, “Sovereign Lord, maker of heaven and earth and the sea and all that is in them, 25 you said by the holy Spirit through the mouth of our father David, your servant: ‘Why did the Gentiles rage and the peoples entertain folly? 26 The kings of the earth took their stand and the princes gathered together against the Lord and against his anointed.’ 27 Indeed they gathered in this city against your holy servant Jesus whom you anointed, Herod and Pontius Pilate, together with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do what your hand and (your) will had long ago planned to take place. 29 And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and enable your servants to speak your word with all boldness, 30 as you stretch forth (your) hand to heal, and signs and wonders are done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 As they prayed, the place where they were gathered shook, and they were all filled with the holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
2/ Gospel: NAB John 3:1 Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you are doing unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a person once grown old be born again? Surely, he cannot reenter his mother’s womb and be born again, can he?” 5 Jesus answered, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. 6 What is born of flesh is flesh and what is born of spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be amazed that I told you, ‘You must be born from above.’ 8 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.”
I. THEME: Holy Spirit helps the apostles to witness for Christ.
To know if Christ resurrected or not, we only need to observe the changes in Jesus’ apostles. Before Jesus’ death, they were timid people who denied Jesus or ran away from him in his passion. After his death, they were courageous people who witnessed for him to the point of accepting all sufferings and death. We must ask the question what has changed them. There are two factors: first, it was Jesus’ resurrection; secondly, it was the Holy Spirit’s presence in them as Jesus promised to them on the night before his Passion: “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name– he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you (Jn 14:26).
Today readings show us the important role of the Holy Spirit in the faithful’s life. In the first reading, when the apostles prayed and asked for the strength so that they could continue the mission which Jesus has entrusted to them; the Holy Spirit descended on them and his power overshadowed them so that they could become bold to witness for Christ. In the Gospel, Jesus declared to Nicodemus that none can reach God’s kingdom without being born anew in water and spirit.
II. ANALYSIS:
1/ Reading I: They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
1.1/ People only follow God’s plan of salvation: Peter and John were released after they had witnessed for Christ. They went back to their own people and reported what the chief priests and elders had told them. When they heard it, they raised their voices to God with one accord and said, “Sovereign Lord, maker of heaven and earth and the sea and all that is in them, you said by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of our father David, your servant: ‘Why did the Gentiles rage and the peoples entertain folly? The kings of the earth took their stand and the princes gathered together against the Lord and against his anointed.’”
They understood that Psalm 2 foretold Jesus’ Passion and Death: “Indeed they gathered in this city against your holy servant Jesus whom you anointed, Herod and Pontius Pilate, together with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do what your hand and your will had long ago planned to take place.”
1.2/ The apostles were bestowed the Holy Spirit to witness for Christ: The apostles asked for necessary blessings so that they could continue Christ’s mission on earth, such as: the courage, the healing, and the power to perform miracles in Jesus’ name. They prayed to God, “And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and enable your servants to speak your word with all boldness, as you stretch forth your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
The Holy Spirit descended on the apostles and urged them to witness for Christ. The author reported: “As they prayed, the place where they were gathered shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.” Now, not only Peter and John witnessed for Jesus, but also all other apostles. After receiving the Holy Spirit, they had courage to spread out to all directions and countries to be Christ’s witnesses to all people.
2/ Gospel: People must be renewed in water and Spirit.
2.1/ No one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.
(1) Nicodemus’ background: John mentioned Nicodemus three times in his gospel. This is the first time John introduced him, “Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.” The second time, he indirectly defended Jesus when the Sanhedrin planned to seize Jesus (cf. Jn 7:50-51). The last time, he and Joseph Arimathea buried Jesus in the tomb (cf. Jn 19:38-39). These showed that Nicodemus respected Jesus and wanted to follow him but was afraid of the Jews because he was a member of the Sanhedrin. This was also shown in today passage when John described that he came to Jesus at night.
Nicodemus observed and recognized that Jesus was different with other Pharisees, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you are doing unless God is with him.” His recognizance is similar to the recognizance of the blind from birth: “If this man were not from God, he would not be able to do anything” (Jn 9:33). Nicodemus must be a sincere man who looked for the truth; but he didn’t have the Holy Spirit to help him to understand Jesus’ saying and to believe in him. This was the reason why Jesus discussed with him about the important role of the Holy Spirit. Nicodemus probably believed in Jesus after he buried him.
(2) The condition to enter God’s kingdom: Jesus answered and said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a person once grown old be born again? Surely, he cannot reenter his mother’s womb and be born again, can he?”
In Greek, the adverb “anothen” can have three following meanings: first, from above; secondly, one more time; lastly, from the beginning (Lk 1:3). Nicodemus understood Jesus’ saying according to second meaning. According to William Barclay, Jesus might imply all three meanings: “In order to completely renew, a person needs to go through a great change which is almost like a new birth (second meaning); that is, what is necessary for the soul which can only be described as was born from the beginning (third meaning); and this whole process isn’t from human effort, because it comes from God’s grace and power (first meaning).”
2.2/ Jesus explained for Nicodemus:
(1) Being born in water and Spirit: Jesus answered, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of flesh is flesh and what is born of spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I told you, ‘You must be born from above.'” The apostles made a distinction between two baptisms: John’s baptism in water for the forgiveness of sins and Jesus’ baptism in the Holy Spirit for sanctification.
(2) The Holy Spirit’s work: Jesus compared the Holy Spirit with the wind: “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.”
In both Hebrew and Greek, there is only one word to indicate “wind” and “spirit”: “ruah” in Hebrew and “pneuma” in Greek. People can recognize the Holy Spirit’s works even though they never see him. For example, when people saw the apostles boldly witnessed for Christ or spoke in tongue, they must recognize that the Holy Spirit is at work in the apostles.
III. APPLICATION IN LIFE:
– When we received the sacrament of Baptism and Confirmation, we received the Holy Spirit in our soul.
– We must be renewed by the Holy Spirit to understand God’s words and to courageously witness for Christ.