Dear and Respected Brethren,
\nIn today\u2019s reading we find the audience between our Lord and
\nNicodemus, a Pharisee and a ruler of the Jews. It is sure that
\nNicodemus had initiated for such an audience as he was so sure and
\ncertain about our Lord\u2019s origin from God Almighty. In verse 2 we hear
\nhis confession about our Lord. He addressed our Lord Rabbi and said,
\n\u201cwe know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do
\nthese miracles that thou does, except God with him.\u201d One of the three
\nmain missions of our Lord was teaching about the kingdom of God. In
\nthe statement of Nicodemus, we could find two points. Firstly
\nNicodemus could identify Lord Jesus as a teacher come from God.
\nSecondly he realized what was a miracle and its significance.
\nIn St. John 5:36 we read the words of our Lord. \u201cBut I have greater
\nwitness than that of John: for the works which the Father has given me
\nto finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the
\nFather has sent me.\u201d It is a great recognition that God has sent Lord
\nJesus to the earth and the incarnation to do certain works of the
\nFather. Nicodemus could identify this great truth about Lord Jesus.
\nGod enabled him to realize and confess this great truth. We find a
\nnumber of Jews who often gathered wherever our Lord went or preached
\nand their main intention was see and enjoy the miracles done by our
\nLord. On many occasions they requested our Lord to show them some
\nsigns or miracles. For them, miracles was just like a sort of magic.
\nIn St. John 7:31 we read, \u201cAnd many of the people believed on him and
\nsaid, when Christ comes will he do more miracles than these which this
\nman has done?\u201d From this verse we could easily understand that
\nmiracles done by our Lord were simply supernatural signs and they were
\nmeant for their temporary satisfaction.
\nWe have to understand that the miracles done by our Lord were simply
\nexpressions of the compassion and love of our Lord God. It is true
\nthat Nicodemus could identify the miracles of Lord Jesus so. That is
\nwhy he could say that no man can do these miracles that done by Lord
\nJesus except God with him. When we study a miracle, we must realize
\nGod\u2019s presence there. Then we must realize the love, compassion and
\nmercy of our Lord God. A miracle is a sum total of His love,
\ncompassion and concern\/ In these days, when there is no problem in our
\nlives, we seldom look for God and His presence in our lives. When
\nthere is a problem, a faithful usually pray for a miracle, instead of
\npraying for God\u2019s intervention with His love, compassion and mercy.
\nWhen in trouble we expect and long for sudden recovery and we often
\ndisagree to wait for God\u2019s mercy and kindness.
\nOur Lord taught Nicodemus the very need for a spiritual re-birth,
\nabout which Nicodemus was ignorant till then. Our Lord insisted him to
\nhave a re-birth water and spirit and ultimately to inherit entry into
\nthe kingdom of God. While a new faithful is dipped into the water, he
\nor she dies with Christ our Lord, when lifted up from the water, he or
\nshe gets re-birth. (Kindly see Romans chapter 6. As infant baptism is
\nin existence, the candidates, boy or the girl is immersed into the
\nwater in the baptismal font, the candidate takes a new birth. When the
\nchild is lifted up from the water, he or she gets the new life, the
\nreal re-birth, identifying the death, burial and resurrection. Many of
\nus are not sure the deep meaning of the sacraments including Baptism.
\nWe use hot and cold water in the baptismal font on the basis of the
\ntraditional faith that our Lord Jesus had taken baptism at a junction
\nof two branches of river Jordan, where one branch had carried cold and
\nthe other hot water. In the Middle East, we could witness certain
\nsprings with hot water, without any sort of external action or
\ninfluence,
\nIn verse 10 we find a question of our Lord. \u201cArt thou a master of
\nIsrael, and know not these things.\u201d We\u00a0 should not expect such a
\nsimilar question.\u00a0 Definitely He will ask us \u201dyou don\u2019t know these
\nthings, as you were a member of the Orthodox Church.\u201d So let us be
\nprepared well.
\nMay God bless us all.
\nJose Kurian Puliyeril
\nKottayam<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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