So that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life

At 4,32-37; Ps 92; Jn 3,7b-15
30 APRILE

Jesus applies to himself the ancient figure of the serpent raised by Moses in the desert. However, we must affirm that between the figure and the reality there is the infinity of truth, grace, modality, form and essence. In the reality that the figure carries out everything is substantially different. Highlighting the different substance is the obligation of the believer in Christ Jesus.

From Mount Hor they set out on the Red Sea road, to by-pass the land of Edom. But with their patience worn out by the journey, the people complained against God and Moses, “Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert, where there is no food or water? We are disgusted with this wretched food!” In punishment the Lord sent among the people saraph serpents, which bit the people so that many of them died. Then the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned in complaining against the Lordand you. Pray the Lord to take the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people, and the Lord said to Moses, “Make a saraph and mount it on a pole, and if anyone who has been bitten looks at it, he will recover.” Moses accordingly made a bronze serpent and mounted it on a pole, and whenever anyone who had been bitten by a serpent looked at the bronze serpent, he recovered (Num 21,4-9).

The people murmurs against God and against Moses. The Lord sends poisonous snakes. They bite with bites leading to death. The people prays to Moses to ask God to remove the scourge. Moses prays and the Lord reveals to him what the antidote will be. He will have to make a bronze snake. Put it on a pole and raise it up in the camp. Who after having been bitten would have looked at the snake, would have remained alive. Life is from faith in the Word of God given to Moses. You obey the Word, you stay alive. The reality is infinitely different. The Father of heaven gives Jesus for the life of the world. Jesus is raised on Mount Golgotha ​​on the pole of the cross, as a Crucifix. Who looks at the Crucifix with faith, believing in his Word, obtains eternal life. Who does not look at Jesus with faith on the cross, remains in his death. He has already been bitten by the snake. He does not die because he does not look at Jesus. He dies because the poison already flows in his blood. Instead, he lives if he looks at Jesus with faith and becomes with him one life in Him. The reality is infinitely beyond the figure, the image and the ancient symbol. Faith in Christ Jesus is not “additional or completing or filling” with something that is lacking in man and that other religions do not have. Jesus does not make man become more man. He does not even add what is lacking in truth and grace. He is the grace, truth, life, light, holiness, peace, salvation and redemption. Man is bitten by the snake and death flows in his blood. One believes in Christ and he obtains eternal life. We do not believe in Christ, we remain in death. We do not add. We pass from death to life, from darkness to light, from slavery to freedom and from sin to grace.

Do not be amazed that I told you, ‘You must be born from above.’ 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.” Nicodemus answered and said to him, “How can this happen?” Jesus answered and said to him, “You are the teacher of Israel and you do not understand this? Amen, amen, I say to you, we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony. If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”

The difference in substance that exists between the figure and reality also becomes a difference in substance between those who believe in reality and those who do not believe. The different substance is eternal life. Jesus is the eternal life of every man. We believe in him, we live in him, we live for him, we become eternal life in him, for him and with him. We do not believe in him, we do not become one with him, we do not live for him, we it remains in death, in which we already find ourselves. This different in substance truth between Jesus and every other man, must be preached, announced and proclaimed to every man, out of great love, charity and mercy towards him. Leaving a man in death because we did not proclaim Christ to him, is a grave sin against his salvation and redemption. It is also a sin against eternal life.

Mother of God, Angels and Saints ensure that we never sin with omission against grace.