Friday in the Third .week of Advent, December 16, 2022

John 5:33-36

Jesus said to the Jews:  “You sent emissaries to John, and he testified to the truth. I do not accept testimony from a human being, but I say this so that you may be saved. John was a burning and shining lamp, and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light. But I have testimony greater than John’s. The works that the Father gave me to accomplish, these works that I perform testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me.”

“You sent emissaries to John, and he testified to the truth.”  The Lord means something specific here, tying the sending of the emissaries to testimony given by John, presumably to them.  In John 1, 10-28, we learn what John the Baptist said to these emissaries, whose primary mission was to find out if he was calling himself the Messiah.  John denied that he was and announced that he was preparing the people for the one who was greater than himself, “he that shall come after me, who is before me: the latchet of whose sandal I am not worthy to loose” (John 1, 26).  The other Gospels tell us that this one who comes after him will make a great judgment.  The Lord’s pointing this out to the Jews later is to tell them that if they regarded John as “a burning and shining light”, then how much more should they regard him, Jesus, who has the testimony of the Father through the miracles he performed, miracles that could not be performed without the Father’s approbation.  The Lord’s statement that he did not accept human testimony means that he goes beyond the Law, which required the testimony of two or more witnesses to establish the truth.  Jesus appeals directly to the Father for validation, which the Father gives.

The Son also bears witness to the Father in teaching about him, but even more importantly by the charity with which he treated the lame, the blind, the sick, and even the dead.  He went out of his way to heal, often spending all the night at this work.  He did this out of his love and obedience for the Father.  His long nights of prayer also tell us as much about the Father as about the Son.  As marvelous and generous as we see the Son in his works, how great the Father must be too.  And on the Cross, the Lord Jesus speaks his last words to the Father, entrusting his spirit to him, even as he died on the Cross in obedience to his command.

The Holy Spirit testifies on behalf of the Father and the Son through the Scriptures and through Tradition, both entrusted to the Holy Church.  We see his testimony through the wonderful spread of the Faith throughout the world and in the lives and teachings of the saints, those bright stars in the dark night of  human faithlessness.  

We are ourselves emissaries of Almighty God, sent by him to the people of the world.  We testify by our words and actions of his love and power.  May we also be burning and shining lamps that lead the way to him.