2025/12/08

225. The Gospel of John and the Priesthood of the New Covenant -- The Mother of Jesus

Reading the Gospel of John from the perspective of the priesthood of the New Covenant, we will notice a number of things. As discussed in the last issue, the beginning of chapter 1 of John's Gospel conveys the image of the Triune God. As the Holy Spirit descended and remained on Jesus, who later said, "I and the Father are one" (Jn 10:30), and as Jesus himself said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am" (8:58), Jesus was the Triune God. It was because Jesus was God that the words, "No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known" (1:18) were realised. 

In the testimony of John the Baptist, the words "baptize with water," "the Spirit descend and remain," and "he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit" appear (cf. Jn 1:33). There we see the three sacraments that our Church teaches: baptism, confirmation and holy orders. Baptism and confirmation are the pass through which those who accept Jesus and believe in His name are given the power to become children of God (cf. 1:12). They are sacraments conferred in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. And that is why there is "he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit." That is the priesthood of the New Covenant, brought to earth by Jesus, who is God, to be conferred on the Apostles in due course. 

When John the Baptist was convinced that Jesus was the Son of God after witnessing the Holy Spirit descending on Him, he urged his disciples to follow Him (cf. Jn 1:35-37). The disciples of John the Baptist, who had witnessed and heard their master's experiences with Jesus at his elbow, could follow Jesus immediately. When Andrew, one of them, brought his brother Simon to Jesus, "Jesus looked at him, and said, 'So you are Simon the son of John? You shall be called Cephas' (which means Peter)" (1:42). It was at this first meeting with Simon that Jesus chose the head of the Apostles as the foundation of "my church" (Mt 16:18). The Gospel of John left a well-written account of when and where this important scene, which must not be obscured for the New Covenant priesthood, took place. 

Later, Jesus also added Philip and Nathanael to his disciples (cf. Jn 1:43-51). Philip was "from Beth-sa'ida, the city of Andrew and Peter" (1:44), and Nathanael was "from Cana in Galilee" (21:2). Cana in Galilee was the place where "the first of his signs" (2:11), mentioned at the beginning of the following chapter 2, took place. Thus, men called to the priesthood of the New Covenant are placed in the hands of God's carrying and become associated with the life of Jesus Christ. Their relationship with Jesus, specially prepared for them, is then directed towards communion with the mother of Jesus. She was the one who first accepted Jesus and believed in His name in response to the angel's announcement. 

In chapter 2, which begins, "On the third day there was a marriage at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; Jesus also was invited to the marriage, with his disciples" (Jn 2:1-2), our attention is drawn to the response of Jesus' mother, who had shared her whole life with Jesus. Her request to the servants for Jesus' work continues even after the descent of the Holy Spirit, sent in Jesus' name. The mother of Jesus is still with the Apostles and their successors who were given the priesthood of the New Covenant and asks and encourages them in the same words as they listen to and follow the Holy Spirit: "Do whatever he tells you" (2:5). 

At the wedding scene at Cana, Jesus performed the first sign of turning water into wine. This episode overlaps in imagery with the scene of the institution of the Eucharist, where Jesus took the cup of wine at the last table and said, "This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood" (Lk 22:20). The Gospel of John then describes the scene of the expulsion of the merchants from the temple following the wedding at Cana (cf. Jn 2:13-22) and inserts the commentary that "he spoke of the temple of his body" (2:21). These can be considered to indicate that in chapter 2 the sacrament of Eucharist is manifested. 

The priesthood of the New Covenant is an office that concerns the life of God and people. God, who calls Himself "I am," desired to be born of the man who received the priesthood of the New Covenant as Eucharist and to serve the life of people, which He desired to be and is born of a woman. This is so that believers who have accepted Jesus, believed in His name and have been given the power to become children of God through baptism, may be nurtured by the Eucharist and become children of God. 

(Notice) 

A new article has been posted on the blog, The Wind of Patmos. It is a translation of an article I submitted to and was published in the Japanese internet magazine, Catholic Ai.

Maria K.M.

 2025/12/01

224. The Gospel of John and the Priesthood of the New Covenant: Its Beginnings

When reading the opening description in John 1 with Jesus' words "I and the Father are one" (Jn 10:30) in mind, one realises this portrayal expresses the triune God. That is as the Gospel of John states concerning Jesus entering his public ministry, "No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known" (1:18). Jesus appeared in the world as a male because it was essential for men who receive the priesthood of the New Covenant -- which was to work in cooperation with the Holy Spirit -- to be perfected as those who recognise the Holy Spirit, the Divine. (cf. 1:16-18).

Those who receive the priesthood of the New Covenant, though male, are overshadowed by the power of the Holy Spirit like the mother of Jesus, for the birth of the Eucharist. They become those who ask the Father in Jesus' name for the birth of the Eucharist, receive it, and are filled with joy (cf. Jn 16:20-24). This priestly mission is concerned with the life of the Eucharist, just as a woman who conceives a foetus is concerned with human life. For the human life, which God desired to be, and which is born of a woman, God, who calls Himself "I am," willed to be born of a man, who was given the priesthood of the New Covenant, to serve human life as the Eucharist.

For those male believers who receive the priesthood of the New Covenant, it is essential to understand Jesus' words, "I and the Father are one," and thereby to see the Holy Spirit. Yet that is a sense all believers ought to possess, and one that must be consciously acquired. The Holy Spirit, sent by the Father in Jesus' name, touches us through the Word, the Son. We, believers, must understand and acknowledge the priesthood of the New Covenant, which, before the altar, is not only touched by the Holy Spirit but maintains a constant connection with Him. It is precisely this that serves as an umbilical cord linking our lives as believers to the Holy Eucharist.

Jesus declared, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me" (Jn 14:6). The "way" is the Father's will. As Jesus said, "For the Father loves the Son, and shows him all that he himself is doing" (5:20), the way to the Father is borne by Jesus, the Word. "Truth" is Jesus Himself. The words Jesus speaks are true. "Life" lies in the understanding to which the Holy Spirit guides by teaching truth. When the Father desires that there be life in a person, the Word speaks to him that there may be life, and when the Holy Spirit makes him understand the words, the life of the person begins. All life is born in this way.

The Holy Spirit proceeded from the Father and appeared in the world through Jesus Christ. Therefore, Jesus said, "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you" (Jn 14:26). Jesus, the Word, became flesh, dwelt among men, and spoke with all His might, so that the Holy Spirit sent by the Father in Jesus' name might enable people to recall everything Jesus had spoken.

The Gospel of John begins thus: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it" (Jn 1:1-5). The first half, from "In the beginning was the Word" to "without him was not anything made that was made," expresses the fact that "I and the Father are one."

"In him was life" signifies the fact that Jesus, who was God yet became man, received baptism by water, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him, as John the Baptist testified. Thus, Jesus demonstrated that his words would fulfil in humanity: "For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself" (Jn 5:26). Herein lies the mechanism whereby, through His words and the works, people come to believe in the Holy Spirit who enlightens them to the truth. The Holy Spirit is the light that illuminates humanity. The "darkness" mentioned in "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it" refers to man’s information and knowledge.

At the beginning of Genesis chapter 2, it reads, "Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them" (Gen 2:1). And on that day, God rested (cf. 2:2). Thus, the opening description in chapter 1, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters" (1:1-2), seems to depict God taking a moment's pause after creating the heavens and the earth, before creating the all the host of them (cf. 1:3-31). Viewed thus, this opening depicts the Holy Spirit at work after the Word (the Son) accomplished the will of God (the Father) to create the heavens and the earth.

The phrase "the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters" signifies the words of the Son, who fulfilled the Father's will, being transformed into understanding by the Holy Spirit. "The deep" represents the profound abyss of God's knowledge. The Gospel of Luke says, "And they [demons] begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss" (Lk 8:31). The Book of Revelation also talks of "the key of the shaft of the bottomless pit" (Rev 9:1). If the "deep" signifies the deep abyss of God’s knowledge, it must surely be a grave for man’s information and knowledge.

Thus, the image of the Triune God is also present in the Old Testament. The Gospel of John introduces John the Baptist beginning in chapter 1, verse 6. He went before the Lord as the final prophet, bearing witness to the Holy Spirit and prophesying the priesthood of the New Covenant. Genesis also moves towards the concrete act of creation from chapter 1, verse 3.

Maria K. M.

 2025/11/24

223. The Three Eagles and the Priesthood of the New Covenant

Beginning with the words "The revelation of Jesus Christ" (Rev 1:1), the Book of Revelation clearly shows its intention by its unique structure. The Book of Revelation, which consists of seven prophecies, is divided into two main parts: the first half (first to third prophecies, chapters 1-11) is a prophecy towards the establishment of the New Testament, and the second half (fourth to seventh prophecies, chapters 12-22) is a prophecy towards the completion of the Liturgy of the Mass and the spirituality of the Holy Spirit. Three eagles appear in Revelation. The first one appears as an eagle-like "fourth creature" in the description of the four living creatures and represents the Gospel of John (cf. 4:7). 

Then, seven seals are opened one after the other, which represent the seven books of the New Testament (the Catholic Epistles are excluded, cf. Rev 10:4). When the last seal, which alludes to the Book of Revelation, is opened, a scene unfolds in which seven angels blow seven trumpets one after the other. They are again likened to the seven books of the New Testament. When the fourth trumpet, which is likened to the Gospel of John, is blown, it says: "Then I looked, and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice, as it flew in midheaven" (8:13). This is the appearance of the second eagle. 

After that, the "priesthood of the New Covenant" appeared as a sign in the following chapter 12: "And a great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars" (Rev 12:1). That is the "priesthood of the New Covenant" that Jesus instituted in the scene of the institution of the Eucharist in the Synoptic Gospels as inextricably linked to the Eucharist and inseparable from the Apostles, saying, "Do this in remembrance of me" (Lk 22:19). Then, it reads, "She [the woman] was with child and she cried out in her pangs of birth, in anguish for delivery" (Rev 12:2). The woman here represents the Apostles who received the "priesthood of the New Covenant", and the child the body of Christ. The persecutors attempted to uncover the secret, but they could not (cf. 12:3-4), because the Eucharist was hidden in God, and the "priesthood of the New Covenant" in the memory of the Apostles (cf. 12:5-6). 

The hand of persecution extended further towards them. But it says: "They loved not their lives even unto death" (Rev 12:11). It was necessary to make the memory of the Apostles tangible before it was lost. That was the Gospel. Revelation reads: "The woman was given the two wings of the great eagle that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness " (12:14). Here, the final eagle appeared to suggest that the "priesthood of the New Covenant" was hidden in the Gospel of John. 

The Gospel of John is about the "priesthood of the New Covenant". However, to ensure that those who pick up this Gospel do not immediately notice it, John's Gospel did not use the word "apostle" and did not depict the scene of the institution of the Eucharist. Instead, by depicting the scene in which Jesus unites his mother and one of the Apostles in a parent-child bond on the cross (cf. Jn 19:26-27), John's Gospel publicly announced the "priesthood of the New Covenant". Having received the "priesthood of the New Covenant", the Apostles are filled with the Holy Spirit and, though male, become mothers for the Eucharist to be born. They were the ones who asked the Father in Jesus' name for the birth of the Eucharist, were given it, and were filled with joy (cf. 16:20-24). 

Previously, we saw that in the Gospel of John, John the Baptist prophesied about the "priesthood of the New Covenant", comparing it to a "bride". This time, we saw that Revelation also suggests that the theme of John's Gospel is the "priesthood of the New Covenant". In our next article, we will review the Gospel of John with this in mind.

Maria K. M.

 2025/11/17

222. Prophecy by John the Baptist

John the Baptist said, "I saw the Spirit descend as a dove from heaven, and it remained on him" (Jn 1:32). And he repeated his claim, "I saw," by saying, "He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' And I have seen" (1:33-34). He testified that he had seen the "light", i.e., the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, just as John the Evangelist wrote of John the Baptist: "He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light" (1:8). So, Jesus later said, "You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth" (5:33). 

And the Evangelist's subsequent words, "The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world" (Jn 1:9), allude to what happened at Pentecost he himself had experienced. As he wrote, "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ" (1:17), and as Jesus himself testified, "I have come as light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness" (12:46), the Holy Spirit, the "light" of grace and truth, came into the world through Jesus. Thus, John the Baptist did not come to witness to Jesus. 

Jesus said, "Not that the testimony which I receive is from man; but I say this that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light" (Jn 5:34-35). John the Baptist was radiating the light of the "burning and shining lamp." In that light, his mission as the last prophet was manifested. 

When a dispute arose between the disciples of John the Baptist and a Jew over purifying, John the Baptist said to his disciples: "He who has the bride is the bridegroom; the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice; therefore this joy of mine is now full. He must increase, but I must decrease" (Jn 3:29-30). The word "bride" in this context is a special word that appears only here in the Gospels. John the Baptist prophesied a certain divine plan, which he likened to a "bride". 

That plan is what Jesus, who accomplished everything, testified to, and what the New Testament intends as the New Covenant, i.e., the "priesthood of the New Covenant." The "bride" was a metaphor for the priesthood of the New Covenant accomplished in Jesus Christ, the Word of the Father. It was the work of Jesus instituting the Eucharist, which he gave to the Apostles on the night he was to suffer, commanding them to perform in memory of him (cf. Lk 22:14-20). So, after Jesus' ascension, the one who can be likened to the "bridegroom" is the Holy Spirit, who was to be sent anew in Jesus' name. For the words of the Eucharistic institution, given that night only to the Apostles, to become real, they had to wait for Pentecost. 

For the "priesthood of the New Covenant" to be put into practice, males chosen as Apostles were essential. From the expulsion of Adam from the Garden of Eden in Genesis to the Last Supper of Jesus attended only by the Apostles, God has guided His people throughout history, an incredibly long time for human beings. That was as Jesus said: "I have earnestly desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer" (Lk 22:15). And women, created as bearers of God's work of human creation, have followed God, giving birth to and supporting human lives from the beginning of Genesis. Thus, women have also developed with men. 

Priests, who were given the "priesthood of the New Covenant," stand by the Holy Spirit as "friends of the bridegroom", like John the Baptist, listening to his voice and rejoicing when they hear it. The "friends of the bridegroom" in the New Covenant are "friends of the Holy Spirit". Jesus called them "friends", meaning "beloved ones" (cf. Jn 15:14-16). Jesus added thereto the words, "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (15:13). 

Jesus, on the cross, then joined his mother and one of the Apostles in a parent-child bond so that they themselves would become a table that supported his Eucharist and the tree of the cross that had supported him. The mother was the mother of Jesus, who supported the body of Jesus, the Son of God, who became man, in her own body. Here, the priests of the New Covenant were born. In time, when the Holy Spirit descends on them, the words of the angel to the mother of Jesus will be fulfilled in them: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God" (Lk 1:35). For their sake, Jesus prayed to the Father as follows. 

"They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; thy word is truth. As thou didst send me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be consecrated in truth" (Jn 17:16-19). 

Maria K. M.

 2025/11/10

221. He Who Baptises with the Holy Spirit

The Gospel of John introduced John the Baptist in the beginning as follows: "There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light" (Jn 1:6-8). This "light" refers to the "light" described earlier: "In him [the Word] was life, and the life was the light of men" (1:4). 

John the Baptist explained his reason for baptising by saying, "I myself did not know him; but for this I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel" (Jn 1:31). He then said, "I myself did not know him; but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God" (1:33-34). "He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit" was Jesus. 

As John the Baptist testified, the Holy Spirit remained in Jesus to work with him so that the words of Jesus, who spoke as a man even though he was God, would become the living Word. Thus, life in the Word becomes the light that illuminates man from within. In this passage, John the Evangelist emphasises the words of John the Baptist by repeating them twice: "I myself did not know him." That was to draw the reader's attention to the scene in the Gospel of Luke where John the Baptist, when he was six months in the womb of his mother Elizabeth, leaped in her womb at the greeting of Mary, the mother of Jesus, who came to her with Jesus in her womb. That is because Mary's words of the Magnificat at that time explain well what it means to "baptise with the Holy Spirit." 

The Magnificat begins as follows. "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me" (Lk 1:46-49). Mary realised that the angel's words had come true: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God" (1:35), and she rejoiced in God the Savior by the power of the Holy Spirit. The realisation that "he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden" is the proof that one has been baptised with the Holy Spirit. 

The words of Mary that follow explain how one obtains that realisation. "Holy is his name. And his mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts, he has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away" (Lk 1:49-53). 

"Holy is his name" refers to the Holy Spirit (cf. Mt 12:31-32). The words of Jesus, which have become the Word of Life through the work of the Holy Spirit, work on those who fear the Lord and listen to his voice. The Word, which has become a light illuminating man in his innermost being, shows its strength with its arm, the two-edged sword, to scatter the memories of the man that make him conceited and to pull him down from the illusion that he is in authority until he realises that he is of low estate in the sight of God. That is to raise him to the position of a child of God. In this way, God fills those who are hungry for the Word with good things and sends away those who are filled with human knowledge in ignorance. 

In the Gospel of Luke, when Jesus finished teaching the people from Peter's boat and instructed Peter to let down the nets for a catch, Peter said, "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets" (Lk 5:5). Peter, also surprised by the great catch, said, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord" (5:8). In this way, Jesus gave a Magnificat experience to those who were in the presence of Jesus, fearing the Lord and listening to his voice. 

At the last supper Jesus said, "[The Father will give you] even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; you know him, for he dwells with you, and will be in you" (Jn 14:17), testifying that his disciples had already received the Holy Spirit at this time. They had been baptised by Jesus with the Holy Spirit. 

The author of the Gospel of John writes that on the last day of the feast, Jesus said, "If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water’" (Jn 7:37-38). He then explains: "Now this he said about the Spirit, which those who believed in him were to receive; for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified" (7:39). The "Spirit, which those who believed in him were to receive" refers to Pentecost, and Jesus' reference to "as the scripture has said" refers to the future New Testament, in which the "priesthood of the New Covenant" would be revealed. 

Maria K.M.

 2025/11/03

220. Priesthood of the New Covenant

The word "apostle" does not appear in the Gospel of John. This is because the theme of the Gospel of John is the "priesthood of the New Covenant." However, God planned the "priesthood of the New Covenant" to be inseparable from the apostolate (cf. Jn 19:26-27), which makes it difficult for us to draw attention on that theme. Thus, we tend to think that this Gospel simply deals with highly spiritual issues. 

Furthermore, the fact that the "priesthood of the New Covenant" is inextricably linked to the Eucharist makes us feel even more challenged by John's Gospel. Therein lies an unknown territory that human information and knowledge, even today, cannot quite keep up with. The lack of clarity about it may cause a particular conflict between the "priesthood of the New Covenant" and the men who receive it, concerning the Eucharist, such as "I am not a Eucharist-making machine" and "I have an apostolate to aspire to." 

It seems to me that this is very similar to the conflict that occurs between pregnancy and the woman who accepts it. For example, a particular conflict may arise concerning the child she bears in her body, such as "I am not a child-making machine" or "I have my own life." There may be similarities between these two cases in the various issues that arise there, even though they seem unrelated. The fact that they feel conflicted in this way and that problems arise in these situations is itself proof that each of them is sincerely, if unconsciously, engaged with eternal life and human life. This proof is supported by the sincere response of those around them who are not directly involved in these issues at the moment. I believe that increasing their supporting power also depends ultimately on revealing the truth about the "priesthood of the New Covenant." 

The Gospel of Luke tells us that when Jesus instituted the Eucharist, he said, "This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me" and "This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood" (Lk 22:19-20). The "new covenant," said to be "for you," is the “priesthood of the New Covenant”. Jesus commanded, "Do this." This command is addressed to all believers gathered in Jesus' name. The Gospel of John does not depict the scene of the institution of the Eucharist, so that the "priesthood of the New Covenant" described in the Synoptic Gospels can be highlighted. 

Observing the opening phrases of the Synoptic Gospels, the Gospel of Matthew begins with Abraham, the Gospel of Mark begins with a quotation from the prophet Isaiah, and the Gospel of Luke takes the form of a report. If we focus only on this distinction, we can imagine, in the Gospel of Matthew, the Father who intends God's plan, in the Gospel of Mark, the Son who fulfills prophecy, and in the Gospel of Luke, the Holy Spirit who leads us to the result (enlightenment). The characteristics of these Gospels are easy to understand, as they seem to point in different directions and yet deal with the same theme of apostolate. 

The Gospel of John, on the other hand, begins with the words: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God" (Jn 1:1-2). These words imply that the Father and the Son are one. It is proof that the "priesthood of the New Covenant," which Jesus conferred on the Apostles along with the Eucharist, was in accordance with the will of the Father. The following words, "all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made" (1:3), indicate that at Jesus' last table, as at Creation, the body and blood of Christ were made through the Word. 

Many of the disciples who heard the words of Jesus testifying about the bread of life did not understand his words, as it is written, "In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it" (Jn 1:4-5) (cf. 6:60). Similarly, it is also difficult to understand the "priesthood of the New Covenant." But in the "priesthood of the New Covenant," which is with the Eucharist, made through the Word, is life, and it is the light of men. The light shines in the darkness. At the end of the scene on the bread of life, we read as follows. 

"After this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him. Jesus said to the twelve, 'Do you also wish to go away?' Simon Peter answered him, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.'" (Jn 6:66-69). 

Maria K. M.

 2025/10/27

219. The Priesthood and the Gospel of John

The fishermen who followed Jesus and became Apostles after hearing his word became the first to eat from the Tree of Life, which no one had ever eaten from before. Thus, Jesus Christ showed the world "the way to the tree of life" (Gen 3:24), which God had protected by expelling Adam and placing cherubim east of the Garden of Eden with the flaming sword turning every way. That was as Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me" (Jn 14:6). Jesus spoke these words in the Gospel of John. 

The priesthood is a major theme in the Gospel of John. The words that the priest says to the heavenly Father on the altar, "so that it may become for us the Body and Blood of your most beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ," cause the same phenomenon in the priest as what happened to Mary, the mother of Jesus. At that moment, the Holy Spirit descends on the priest, and the power of the Most High overshadows him. So, the child to be born, the Eucharist, "will be called holy, the Son of God" (Lk 1:35). The Mother who gave birth to Jesus in the world, filled with the Holy Spirit, symbolises the priesthood. On the cross, Jesus united his mother and the disciple whom he loved in a parent-child tie. The Gospel says, "And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home" (Jn 19:27). This scene informs the successors of the Apostles that the proof is here that Jesus conferred the new priesthood on the Apostles and that they received it. 

The content of John's Gospel develops, often relating to the three Synoptic Gospels, as described below. It does so in order to get at the theme of the priesthood. As discussed in the previous issue, the dialogue between Jesus and Peter in Luke's Gospel, when Jesus summons the first disciples, contained a significant context for the priesthood. When Jesus finished teaching the people from Peter's boat, he instructed Peter to let down the nets for a catch. To which Peter replied, "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets" (Lk 5:5). These words of obedience by one man who would later receive the priesthood, cancelled Adam's disobedience to God, which was the source of many people's sins. This obedience, which was derived under Jesus' guidance, was inherited by the successors of the Apostles and became the foundation on which many were made righteous. 

Peter, surprised by the great catch, said, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord" (Lk 5:8). These words were accepted by God as words that met his will and made up for Adam's treachery to God. Peter was chosen to be the one to fulfil God's words to Adam in Genesis, "In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; you are dust, and to dust you shall return" (Gen 3:19), i.e., the one to assume the priesthood. The words, "In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread," refer to the priesthood. In the words of God that follow, the hope is implied that even with the natural body of a creature returning to the earth, one will be resurrected as one who returns to a body of dust, which God has formed from the dust of the earth and breathed into it the "breath of life" (2:7). The new priesthood is charged with bringing this hope to all. That is testified to by the words of Jesus when he said, "Henceforth you will be catching men" (Lk 5:10). 

Apostle Peter was not only chosen as the head of the Apostles and the rock of the Church, but was also the Second Adam, so to speak, whom Old Testament history had prepared to be given the priesthood so that He could celebrate with the people the days that He had blessed and hallowed (cf. Gen 2:3). This important dialogue between Jesus and Peter in Luke's Gospel can be more clearly understood by connecting it with the scene in John's Gospel when he summons the first disciples, as follows. And we can also make up for the fact that the name of Peter's brother, Andrew, is not mentioned in this important scene. 

According to the Gospel of John, one of the first two among the disciples of John the Baptist to follow Jesus was Simon Peter's brother, Andrew. He took Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "So you are Simon the son of John? You shall be called Cephas (which means Peter)" (Jn 1:42). If we read the scene of the fishermen in Luke's Gospel based on this sequence of events, we see that Jesus and Peter had not met each other for the first time, which makes us focus on the dialogue between them here. 

Maria K. M.