Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent, April 7, 2025

Gospel

John 8:12-20

Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world.

Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have

the light of life." So the Pharisees said to him, "You testify

on your own behalf, so your testimony cannot be verified."

Jesus answered and said to them, "Even if I do testify

on my own behalf, my testimony can be verified,

because I know where I came from and where I am going.

But you do not know where I come from or where I am going.

You judge by appearances, but I do not judge anyone.

And even if I should judge, my judgement is valid,

because I am not alone, but it is I and the Father

who sent me. Even in your law it is written

that the testimony of two men can be verified.

I testify on my behalf and so does the Father who sent me."

So they said to him, "Where is your father?" Jesus answered,

"You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me,

you would know my Father also." He spoke these words

while teaching in the treasury in the temple area.

But no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.

Reflection

In this Gospel, Jesus says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life". This statement is powerful and deeply theological. Light reveals what is hidden and can illuminate truth. And here as the Gospel continues, I found that Jesus is revealing something important, who He is and where He comes from.

The Pharisees, caught up in their pride and outward appearances, try to challenge Him, claiming His testimony is invalid because He speaks on His own behalf. But Jesus dismantles their argument by saying, “Even if I do testify on my own behalf, my testimony can be verified, because I know where I came from and where I am going" and “I testify on my behalf and so does the Father who sent me". Here it shows how Jesus knows His identity, that He is the Son of God sent by the Father, and that self knowledge, and divine origin, gives His words weight and truth beyond human standards. Jesus is describing what the church calls the hypostatic union where Jesus is fully God and fully man in one divine person. This proves why His judgment is valid, and His testimony trustworthy, because He speaks not just as man, but as God. The Pharisees were angered and blind to this truth. It makes me wonder how many times we miss what Jesus is trying to show us, letting our pride, expectations, or appearances get in the way like the Pharisees. And it makes me question the dark areas in my own life where I might need to let Jesus's light in.