Whoever Believes In The Son Of God Has Eternal Life

Acts 5:27-33
John 3:31-36

“Did we not tell you to keep quiet?”was the statement of the high priest to the Apostles as they stood before the Sanhedrin in today’s first reading.
Perhaps the problem is not just what the apostles said or did, but how they did it. they were drawing public attention to the name and person of Jesus Christ who was condemned by their same elders and chief priests. After refusing to obey the Jerusalem authorities’ orders to keep quiet, Peter and the apostles find themselves on the defense in a courtroom setting and this is where we find ourselves in today’s episode.

Peter’s statement (“we must obey God rather than any human authority”) stands and appeals within a long history and tradition of the higher, transcendent authority of Jesus Crucified and His exaltation as the Lord and Judge of all the living and the dead over the authorities of this world. Peter says; The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had killed, by hanging him on a tree; God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior. In other words, the actual death of Jesus is overturned by God’s raising Him from the dead. It means, therefore, that Jesus’ death is not the end, but for the Apostles, it is the pathway into a new life of repentance and renewal.

In today’s gospel, we see the humility of John the Baptist. He testifies to Jesus and tells his followers that Jesus is the Son of God and believing in Jesus is to have eternal life and to anyone who refuses Him, the anger of God stays on him. No one else can bring us to the kingdom or offer us what Christ has offered to each of us through His blood on the cross. We are all called to believe in Him at all times. When we experience the mercy of Jesus, we are also called to share this with others especially the needy and the poor. This will be the testimony of our acceptance of Jesus in our lives.

In all, the truth about the resurrection and the power to save us from sin and death has not changed and it is still relevant today. How willingly are we to boldly proclaim our faith in the Name of Jesus? To whom can we proclaim the Good News today and help them know the power of the Name of Jesus?
God’s word never changes. What we need to change is our response and disposition to God’s word.

As we go about our daily task, let us turn to the Lord by entrust everything and our lives into the His hands. Let us also anchor our faith in the power of the Lord’s resurrection so that we can be transformed by the action of the Holy Spirit-Spirit of Truth. May we continue to proclaim that Jesus lives and reigns forevermore. Amen.

Fr Joseph Osho