the only hope
"Do not be surprised that I tell you you must all be begotten from above." —John 3:7
Nicodemus was a member of the Sanhedrin, the Supreme Court of the Jewish people (Jn 3:1). He held "the office of teacher of Israel" (Jn 3:10). Yet he did not understand that we:
- must be born again,
- must be born again from above (Jn 3:3), and
- can be born again of water and Spirit (Jn 3:5).
Even today, after thousands of years of massive violence, injustice, war, deceit, and selfishness, most people are like Nicodemus. They don't realize that our human nature is so fallen and wounded that it cannot be repaired or adequately controlled. Possibly they refuse to come to the obvious conclusion about the condition of our human nature because they believe it would leave them hopeless. They prefer a groundless, mindless hope to the stark truth.
Thankfully, we do not have to choose between being a naive fool or a candidate for suicide. Jesus is our Savior. He saved us by dying and rising for us. We can be baptized into His death and resurrection (Rm 6:3-4). In Jesus, we can crucify our old nature (see Gal 5:24) and be raised as new creations (Gal 6:15).
The risen Jesus is our Savior, Hope, Truth, Life, Lord, and God. Worship Jesus and witness for Him.
Prayer: Father, give me so much love that I will proclaim the truth about the hope of new life in Christ.
Promise: "The community of believers were of one heart and one mind. None of them ever claimed anything as his own; rather, everything was held in common. With power the apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus." —Acts 4:32-33
Praise: St. Fidelis gave the needy more than food or medicine; he gave them Jesus. Eventually, he gave Jesus his life by suffering a martyr's death at the hands of enraged peasants he tried to reconcile to the Church of Rome.
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Ralph J. Lawrence, December 9, 2000
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, December 12, 2000