2026/02/02

233. The Gospel of John and the Priesthood of the New Covenant: The Evangelist John's Insight II

Continuing from last time, we wish to discern the narrative of the priesthood of the New Covenant by approaching the perspective of John the Evangelist as closely as possible. Through his dialogue with the Samaritan woman, Jesus drew out her deep-seated, serious concern regarding the reality that her faith in God was not being brought to life within her. Jesus guided the woman towards the answer by creating a progression from the "theme of eating and drinking" to the "theme of life," and then to the "theme of worship." Jesus guides people deliberately using these themes because he is the triune God. He is the Son entrusted with the Father’s will, the Word in whom the Holy Spirit abides even after becoming human. This is also why the opening of John's Gospel is written to echo the opening words of the book of Genesis. 

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. In chapter 1, the "theme of life" and the "theme of eating and drinking" are described. Then, entering chapter 2, we find: "Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work which he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all his work which he had done in creation" (Gen 2:1-3), thus shifting to the "theme of worship." Considering this description alongside Jesus' words to the Samaritan woman, "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth" (Jn 4:23-24), we see that God desired to celebrate with humanity the day He Himself blessed and hallowed. 

Thus, when God declared, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness" (Gen 1:26), He did not create humankind merely to rule over the earth. Therefore, as it is written, "The LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being" (2:7), God formed in man's physical body his "spirit" out of the "dust" from the ground and breathed the spontaneity of the spirit, appropriate to humanity. Even though it was but dust, it would gather and become those who worship God. Then, "the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed" (2:8). It must have been a space where man, possessing a physical body like all living creatures, could live in harmony with the spirit breathed into him by God and dwell with God. God never abandoned this original plan thus prepared. Herein lies the perspective of John the Evangelist.

It is the priesthood of the New Covenant that brings to reality Jesus' words: "God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." The disciples of Jesus receive the plan that Jesus brought from the Father. As stated at the beginning of chapter 4, "although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples" (Jn 4:2), Jesus himself, the God who brought the priesthood of the New Covenant, does not bear the priesthood. At the Last Supper, Jesus conferred it upon his disciples by instituting the Eucharist and revealing the priesthood of the New Covenant to them. 

Once the Holy Spirit descends, they themselves become priests of the New Covenant. They, like "Mel-chiz'edek king of Salem ... priest of God Most High" (Gen 14:18), bring the bread and wine and prepare the Lord’s table. Therefore, on the last day of Unleavened Bread, Jesus had his disciples prepare the Passover (cf. Lk 22:7-13). And through the institution of the Eucharist, he conferred upon his disciples the priesthood of the New Covenant (cf. 22:14-20). He further declared: "I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel" (22:29-30), thereby also conferring kingship. The priests of the New Covenant, who receive these through apostolic succession from generation to generation, become eternal priests, just like Melchizedek, King of Salem. 

When the disciple returned and the Samaritan woman went to the town, Jesus told his disciples in her absence, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work" (Jn 4:34). Jesus must grant eternal life to those who accept him, believe in his name, and are given the qualification to become children of God. That is so that he may raise them up at the last day. This means forming them into those who worship the Father in spirit and in truth. Before Jesus and his disciples was a water jar. It belonged to the Samaritan woman who had gone to the town after her conversation with Jesus ended. It was a sign that she had been given water to drink by Jesus. She had received Jesus's formation. 

Considering that it states, "He stayed there two days" (Jn 4:40), the disciples would have heard the full account of what Jesus had spoken to the Samaritan woman during their absence. Conversely, what Jesus spoke to the disciples while the Samaritan woman was absent remains known only to them. This contrast exists to safeguard and sustain the priesthood of the New Covenant they would bear. Next time, we will examine this thread. 

Maria K. M.

 2026/01/26

232. The Gospel of John and the Priesthood of the New Covenant: The Evangelist John's Insights I

When Jesus's conversation with the Samaritan woman at Jacob's Well paused, the disciples who had gone into town to buy food returned. Observing the subsequent developments of the story, we understand the disciples learned of the events that happened during their absence. Drawing upon their experience, John the Evangelist seems to have incorporated his own insights into Chapter 4. He thereby put the foreshadowing for safeguarding and nurturing the priesthood of the New Covenant. To make this visible, we shall examine two scenes from the Bible that share the same narrative characteristics as this passage. We will compare their common features and consider the purpose towards which they are directed. These two scenes, like that of the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman, take the form of dialogue. All three scenes share the common characteristic of beginning with the theme of "eating and drinking," passing through "life," and culminating in "worship." 

First, let us review the scene of Jesus' dialogue with the Samaritan woman (cf. Jn 4:7–24). Jesus began the conversation with her by saying, "Give me a drink" (4:7), introducing the theme of "eating and drinking." Next, in response to the Samaritan woman's question, He offered a teaching: "Every one who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life" (4:13-14). Here, we find the theme of "life" through the phrase "to eternal life". Finally, the woman said, "You say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship" (4:20), and Jesus replied, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father" (4:21). This brings us to the theme of "worship." 

The first of the two scenes examined here is one from the Synoptic Gospels, depicting Jesus being tempted by Satan in the wilderness (cf. Mat 4:1–11). Approaching Jesus, who was hungry after fasting, Satan said, "Command these stones to become loaves of bread" (4:3), thus introducing the theme of "eating and drinking." After Jesus responded to this, Satan then challenged him: "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, 'He will give his angels charge of you,' and 'On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone'" (4:6). Here lies the theme of "life." Finally, Satan said to Jesus, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me" (4:9), thus arriving at the theme of "worship." 

The second scene is from Genesis, the dialogue between the first woman and the "serpent" (cf. Gen 3:1–9). The "serpent" addressed the woman, asking, "Did God say, 'You shall not eat of any tree of the garden'?" (3:1). Thus, the dialogue began with the theme of "eating and drinking." In the following exchange with the woman, the serpent asserts, "You will not die" (3:4). This is the theme of "life." Then, the woman took from the tree God had forbidden them to eat from and ate. She also gave some to the man who was with her, and he ate. Soon, the two hid themselves among the trees of the garden, avoiding the face of the Lord God. They could no longer encounter God as they had before. Thus, the story reached the theme of "worship." 

As such, these three scenes share a common characteristic: they begin with the theme of "eating and drinking," pass through that of "life," and arrive at "worship." And, as examined previously, the scene in Genesis leads directly to the moment where God suggests to Adam the priesthood. Similarly, the wilderness scene in Matthew's Gospel immediately follows with Jesus calling his first disciples. He would eventually confer upon them the priesthood of the New Covenant. 

Once Jesus's exchange with the Samaritan woman concludes, the disciples return. Then, a dialogue between Jesus and the disciples begins. What structure can we find in this dialogue? The text states: "Meanwhile the disciples besought him, saying, 'Rabbi, eat.' But he said to them, 'I have food to eat of which you do not know'" (Jn 4:31–32). Here, too, the theme of "eating and drinking" is introduced. To the disciples who ask each other, "Has any one brought him food?" (4:33), Jesus declares, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work" (4:34). 

The meaning of "the will of him who sent me" is as Jesus himself later said: "For this is the will of my Father, that every one who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day" (Jn 6:40). The theme of "life" was in what Jesus called "my food." This directly connects to the theme of "worship" when Jesus answered the Samaritan woman, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father." 

That is because the "will of the Father" expressed in "For this is the will of my Father, that every one who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day" only becomes possible when Jesus' following words are made a reality: "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth" (Jn 4:23-24). The expression "in spirit and truth" signifies the union of the Holy Spirit and the priesthood of the New Covenant. Next time, we will continue exploring this theme, drawing closer to the insights of John the Evangelist. 

Maria K. M.

 2026/01/19

231. The Gospel of John and the Priesthood of the New Covenant: True Worship

Continuing the theme of Jesus' dialogue with the Samaritan woman in John chapter 4. In the last issue, we examined an important aspect of the priesthood of the New Covenant from Jesus’ words, "Give me a drink" (Jn 4:7). This time, we wish to find another perspective on the priesthood of the New Covenant from Jesus’ words, following "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father" (4:21). 

The Samaritan woman asked Jesus, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samar'ia?" (Jn 4:9), and Jesus answered, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water" (4:10). The Samaritan woman asked further, "Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep; where do you get that living water?" (4:11). These words came from her innermost being. She then cited her forefather Jacob, revealing that her sorrow ran as deep as the well (cf. 4:12). 

Then Jesus said, "Every one who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life" (Jn 4:13–14). Hearing this, she eagerly said, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw" (4:15). When she added, "nor come here to draw," she was unconsciously expressing a desire to no longer need to invoke the history of her forefather Jacob. She needed to recognise her true desires, to understand what she was seeking. However, to do so, she had to confront head-on the problem she had habitually left unsolved as beyond her control. In her subsequent dialogue with Jesus, she became aware of this and simultaneously awoke to her true longing. 

Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here" (Jn 4:16). "I have no husband" (4:17), the woman answered. Jesus said to her, "You are right in saying, 'I have no husband,' for you have had five husbands, and he whom you now have is not your husband; this you said truly" (4:17-18). At this point, connected to the issue of “husband," a profound longing was drawn out from her innermost being—the reality that her faith in God was not being brought to life. This was a problem shared by all people of Abraham’s line at that time. If one turns away from this issue, which challenges both men and women, diverse and new problems, unrelated to God, will arise there, one after another. 

She said, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain; and you say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship" (Jn 4:19–20). Jesus answered, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father" (4:21), imparting the teaching on "true worship" that he had brought from the Father. That is the "living water" Jesus gives. 

Jesus continued, "You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth" (Jn 4:22-24). These words clearly show that the words spoken by God 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), suggested the priesthood of the New Covenant. 

The bread mentioned in "In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread" is the "bread of life" of which Jesus said, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst" (Jn 6:35). As it is written, "till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken," the "flesh" of man, formed from "the ground" like other creatures, returns to the ground (cf. Gen 2:19). Yet, as it is stated, "you are dust, and to dust you shall return," God formed man's "spirit" from the "dust." Therefore, the "breath of life" God breathed into man's nostrils is the spontaneity of the spirit to live as one made in God's likeness (cf. 2:7). Given that "God is spirit," even though man is but dust, he bears a resemblance to God. "To dust you shall return" signifies that this spontaneity of the human spirit shall return to God. This is why man seeks "true worship." 

It had been God's earnest desire that He would confer the priesthood of the New Covenant upon men and serve the people, possessing both spirit and flesh, born of the womb of women. This was so that the hour may come "when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth." Jesus prepared everything to fulfil these words—so that the needs of future believers, living directly connected to the Holy Spirit, would be met; and so that people, created by God as male and female, could fully exercise the roles brought by their respective vocations. Next time, we shall continue exploring the theme of Jesus' dialogue with the Samaritan woman. 

Maria K. M.

 2026/01/12

230. The Gospel of John and the Priesthood of the New Covenant: Give Me a Drink

In John 4, Jesus speaks to the Samaritan woman who has come to draw water from the well, saying, "Give me a drink" (Jn 4:7), and a dialogue begins between them. The Samaritan woman exhibits a strong eagerness to continue the conversation and an attitude of wanting to know her interlocutor. Even if she did not recognise him as God, she possessed a sensibility capable of intuitively holding great expectation that she could empathise with Jesus. A woman who has been granted the womb to nurture the life of a person desired by God instinctively feels that she has received something “complete” from God within herself. For when the womb carries a child, life “is” there. This sensibility, overflowing from this feeling, has drawn many women towards God. 

In the dialogue between Jesus and the Samaritan woman, an intuitive and smooth flow is discernible. This is because Jesus, who is "I AM," was guiding the Samaritan woman who possessed this sensitivity. These exchanges occurred while the disciples were absent (cf. Jn 4:8) because the sensibility of the disciples, who were not yet endowed with that priesthood, would not be able to follow the dialogue between Jesus and the Samaritan woman even if the disciples administering baptism with water foreshadowed the priesthood of the New Covenant (cf. 4:2). Yet their exclusion from this conversation was not solely for that reason. 

At the conclusion of his conversation with the Samaritan woman, Jesus revealed a crucial aspect of the priesthood of the New Covenant. Hearing it, she recognised that Jesus was "the Messiah" (Jn 4:25), drawing from him the words "I am he" (4:26), that is, "I AM". Jesus’ testimony was this: "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth" (4:21–24). 

This teaching must have been unacceptable to the disciples at that time, who were Jewish men and had not yet been conferred the priesthood of the New Covenant. Yet these words of Jesus were a blessing for the Gentiles, and the Samaritan woman, guided by Jesus, was becoming the very worshipper the Father seeks. Jesus, who declared, "God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth," fulfilled these words by preparing everything necessary for future believers—those who would live directly connected to the Holy Spirit—to fully exercise the roles arising from their respective vocations, established by God’s creation of man and woman. 

The words "Give me a drink" evoke Jesus's words on the cross, "I thirst" (Jn 19:28). In that scene, Jesus received the sour wine offered to him, said "It is finished" (19:30), and breathed his last. That was because the night before, he had already instituted the Holy Eucharist and conferred the priesthood of the New Covenant upon the Apostles. Thus, the "kingdom of God" to which Jesus had said, "I tell you that from now on I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes" (Lk 22:18), was proclaimed as having arrived. The "kingdom of God" refers to the space-time that brings forth the moment and place where Jesus instituted the Eucharist and conferred the priesthood of the New Covenant upon the Apostles with his command, "Do this in remembrance of me" (Lk 22:19)– namely, the space-time that emerges in the Mass liturgy. The priesthood of the New Covenant was present under the cross in the form of Jesus' mother and the "disciple whom he loved." This was so that Jesus' words might be fulfilled: "that whoever believes in him may have eternal life" (Jn 3:15). 

At this time, all those called to the cross of Jesus, except the "disciple whom he loved", were women (cf. Jn 19:25). The "my church" (Mat 16:18) born there seems as though it were founded upon women. The absence of the other male disciples here is partly because, for men, approaching the cross entailed too great a danger at that time. Yet there is more to it. Before the feast of Passover, Jesus "loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end" (Jn 13:1). The "disciple whom he loved" was among them, and he stood beneath the cross representing, as it were, the "beloved disciples." That is because all male believers are called towards the vocation of the "disciple whom he loved," who was bound to Jesus’ mother by a filial bond, that is, the priesthood of the New Covenant. 

Not all women conceive children, but there is no doubt that women are oriented towards conceiving children. Similarly, not every man born anew of water and the Spirit to enter the Kingdom of God receives the Priesthood of the New Covenant. Yet there is no doubt that the male believer is directed towards receiving the Priesthood of the New Covenant. The entire Scriptures bear witness to this. Therefore, just as a woman's womb is ever prepared to receive life, so too should the memory of the male believer be ever prepared to receive the Priesthood of the New Covenant. Even if a man is certain he will never become a priest for life, he must undergo the necessary stages of formation. This is so that he may be ready to respond to the Church's needs at any time, like Matthias, one of the disciples (cf. Acts 1:26). In modern times, attending such formation is readily possible, provided learning opportunities are offered. 

This entails women learning alongside men. Women must grasp the full scope of how men are formed for the priesthood of the New Covenant. Since all human life is born of women, so too is the priest, the man conferred with the priesthood of the New Covenant, born of a woman. It is this priest who, during the Mass, asks the Father that the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christso, so that the Eucharist may be born. The Eucharist, consumed by the faithful, can thus serve all human life born of women. That is as Jesus said, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst" (Jn 6:35). 

Maria K. M. 

(Notice) 

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

 2026/01/05

229. The Gospel of John and the Priesthood of the New Covenant: The Wind Blows Where It Wills

At Jesus' final supper, His words and actions instituting the Eucharist, along with His command, "Do this in remembrance of me" (Lk 22:19), were united and placed in the memory of the Apostles as the priesthood of the New Covenant. The priesthood of the New Covenant is drawn forth in the Mass liturgy from the memory of the priest, a man who has inherited it, and becomes one with the Holy Spirit sent in Jesus' name. Then, as the priest prays to the Father, "It may become for us the Body and Blood of your most beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ," the Eucharist is born on the altar. In selflessness, the priest listens to that voice of the prayer coming from within him as the voice of the Holy Spirit and is filled with joy when he hears it. Then, the words of Jesus instituting the Eucharist, spoken by the priest, become living words reaching the congregation. And the faithful, together with the priest, realise the following words of Jesus. 

"The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with every one who is born of the Spirit" (Jn 3:8). 

We see the Holy Spirit working in the Mass liturgy. Just as it is written, "The wind blows where it wills," so the Holy Spirit draws the priesthood of the New Covenant freely from the priest's memory. The expression "whence it comes or whither it goes" refers to "past and future." When the priest, from whom the priesthood of the New Covenant has been drawn forth, listens intently to that voice emerging from within him as the voice of the Holy Spirit, and concentrates upon it, he no longer thinks of past or future, but simply collaborates with the Holy Spirit before the altar in utter selflessness. Seeing the priest thus collaborating with the Holy Spirit and hearing that voice emerging from within the priest as the voice of the Holy Spirit, the congregation is filled with joy. This is what is meant by "it is with every one who is born of the Spirit." Within this joy enveloping the priest and the congregation, the Eucharist is born. 

In the Gospel of John, Jesus prayed to the Father before His arrest. In that prayer, Jesus declared, "And this is eternal life, that they know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent" (Jn 17:3), revealing what eternal life is. To "know" the Father and the Son is to commune with the Father and the Son. Eternal life thus suggests receiving the Eucharist, where the Father and the Son are truly present. 

Then Jesus prayed: "They may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us" (Jn 17:21). And He prayed: "The glory which thou hast given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and thou in me, that they may become perfectly one" (17:22-23). These prayers are fulfilled through the Eucharist. The Eucharist unites the faithful who receive it completely. Therefore, the "glory which thou hast given me" that Jesus bestowed upon the faithful is the priesthood of the New Covenant. 

The Holy Spirit is present with the Eucharist. The Father and the Son are both present in the Eucharist. Jesus prayed to the Father for us: "Father, I desire that they also, whom thou hast given me, may be with me where I am, to behold my glory which thou hast given me in thy love for me before the foundation of the world" (Jn 17:24). This was precisely so that the Father might grant us the liturgy of the Mass. 

As we have seen thus far, in John's Gospel chapters 1–3, images emerge of the Triune God—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—the Messiah, the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders, which confer the priesthood, the Son of God, the sacrament of the Eucharist, and the work of the Holy Spirit. In chapter 4, Jesus uses his dialogue with the Samaritan woman to reveal and testify to the nature of the Eucharist. During this conversation, "his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food" (Jn 4:8). Their absence was to prevent them—all males—who were unable to intuitively grasp Jesus' teaching on the Eucharist, from harbouring doubts. 

The long narrative of the Old Testament, beginning with Genesis, was a history of training and maturing Adam—that is, the males of God's chosen people—to be worthy of receiving the priesthood of the New Covenant that God intended to. This was to bestow upon men the "perfect thing" and enable them to cooperate with the Holy Spirit. The womb, which nurtures the human life God desires, was complete at the time of Creation. Women who have been given the womb possess an instinctive sense that they hold within themselves the "perfect thing." Indeed, the woman’s womb exists entirely for the sake of another's life. A current unfolds in Jesus' dialogue with the Samaritan woman that the male disciples, lacking such an organ, cannot intuitively grasp. 

Maria K. M.

 2025/12/29

228. The Gospel of John and the Priesthood of the New Covenant: The Bride of the Holy Spirit

John the Baptist 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" (Jn 1:33-34). In these words, the priesthood of the New Covenant, which Jesus would later give to the Apostles, was manifested through the images of baptism, confirmation, and ordination. However, John the Baptist testifies not to the words that "he who sent me" said, but that "this is the Son of God". He must not have been able to capture the words "he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit." He could not bring out words he did not remember, but his intuition saw that Jesus, upon whom the Holy Spirit descended and remained, was the Son of God. 

The situation above becomes clearer when we compare it with the words of the Apostle Peter in the Gospel of Matthew, which we discussed last time, to which Jesus testified that they were the words revealed by his heavenly Father. When Jesus asked, "But who do you say that I am?" (Mt 16:15), Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (16:16). John the Baptist also suggested that Jesus was the "Messiah" when he first saw him, saying, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (Jn 1:29). He then testified that Jesus was the Son of God. John the Baptist had understood correctly who Jesus was. He did not realise at the time that the words which were "given him from heaven," "he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit," did not testify to Jesus, but to what Jesus had borne from the Father, the priesthood of the New Covenant. 

At the beginning of chapter 4 of John's Gospel, an explanatory note is added: "although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples" (Jn 4:2). The note clearly shows that Jesus, the God who brought the priesthood of the New Covenant, does not baptize people. It was Jesus' disciples who were baptizing. As intuitive fishermen, they believed in Jesus when they witnessed His signs, and they accepted Him as they were with Him. Eventually, at Jesus' last table, the words of His eucharistic institution and the actions He performed, together with His command to "Do this in remembrance of me" (Lk 22:19), would be united and placed in their memory as the priesthood of the New Covenant. 

Thus, after Pentecost, the priesthood of the New Covenant, placed in the memory of the Apostles by Jesus, unites with the Holy Spirit sent in Jesus' name to give birth to the Eucharist on the altar of the Mass liturgy. That altar has a nuptial meaning in the Holy Spirit and the priesthood of the New Covenant. Hence, the Apostles taste the prophecy of John the Baptist as their own in front of the altar: "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 priesthood of the New Covenant is drawn from their memory. They become selfless, with their memory decreasing, and cooperate with the Holy Spirit. In their selflessness, they listen to the voice that comes from within them as the voice of the Holy Spirit, who breathes life into the Word, and when they hear it, they rejoice greatly and are filled with joy. 

The "bride" in the Book of Revelation alludes to that very thing. The "bride" described as "Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready" (Rev 19:7) is the priesthood of the New Covenant that Jesus brought to earth and is united with the Holy Spirit on the altar of the Mass liturgy. That is because the Lamb in Revelation is the Holy Spirit sent in the name of Jesus, as described: "And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders, I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth" (5:6). 

Revelation continues, "It was granted her [the bride] to be clothed with fine linen, bright and pure" -- for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints" (Rev 19:8). These words express the action of the priest who, listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit, who breathes life into the words and works of the priesthood of the New Covenant, celebrates the Mass in collaboration with the Holy Spirit in a state of selflessness. So, Revelation says: "And the angel said to me, 'Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.' And he said to me, 'These are true words of God.'" (Rev 19:9). 

In the New Testament, the following two could fall under the phrase "These are true words of God": the words "this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit" that God gave to John the Baptist to manifest the priesthood of the New Covenant that Jesus had brought, and the words "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" that Heavenly Father revealed to the Apostle Peter to testify to Jesus. The Eucharist is there, first of all, to prepare the way for the believer, who is qualified to be a child of God, to have a true experience of union with God and to become a child of God. Then, just as Jesus died and descended into Hades to save the dead, and in order to save the evil spirits, whom He did nothing but cast out while He was alive as a man, so the Eucharist is eaten by the believers and dies again and again. 

A man who has been given the priesthood of the New Covenant asks, and the God who says "I AM" is born as the Eucharist and is eaten by believers to death. That is so that God may serve the life of the man who is desired by God and is born of a woman. That is as Jesus said, "For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mk 10:45). 

Maria K. M.

 2025/12/22

227. The Gospel of John and the Priesthood of the New Covenant: Except What Is Given Him from Heaven

As discussed in blog posts №224-226, the Gospel of John chapter 1 begins by depicting the triune God—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—using the key concepts of God, the Word, and life/light. Then, through the testimony and prophecy of John the Baptist, we saw within expressions such as "the Lamb of God," "baptise with water," "the Spirit descend," and "he who baptises with the Holy Spirit," the image of the Messiah and the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders, conferring the priesthood. Moreover, in chapter 2, the image of His blood is reflected at the wedding at Cana, and the image of His body is reflected in the episode at the temple in Jerusalem, revealing the Sacrament of the Eucharist. Thus, from its very first chapter, the Gospel of John portrays the priesthood of the New Covenant as its central theme. Chapter 3 expresses this same theme through Jesus' own words. 

In his dialogue with Nicodemus, Jesus mentioned baptism, confirmation, and the kingdom of God (cf. Jn 3:5), revealing Himself as the Triune God by using the pronoun "we" (3:11). He also invoked the ancient story of those who looked at the bronze serpent lifted up by Moses in the wilderness and lived, thereby presenting an image of Jesus Himself to be lifted up on the cross and hinting at the Body of Christ to be lifted up by the hands of the priest (cf. 3:14-15). The subsequent message about eternal life and the salvation of the world also pertains to both Jesus Himself and the Eucharist. John the Baptist then reappears, prophesying about the priesthood of the New Covenant (cf. 3:22-36/Blog No. 222). 

In this episode, John the Baptist said, "No one can receive anything except what is given him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him" (Jn 3:27-28). This prompts the readers to recall the scene when Jesus came to be baptised by John the Baptist with water. The readers were present there with the disciples of John the Baptist. At that time, John the Baptist 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.'" (1:33). He was given words from heaven and received the opportunity to bear witness to the Son of God (cf. 1:34). 

Thus, John the Baptist’s words, "No one can receive anything except what is given him from heaven," came from his own experience. "Heaven" here refers to God. Within the New Testament, there is another who received words directly from God: the Apostle Peter. We can see that because, when Peter said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (16:16), answering Jesus' question, "But who do you say that I am?" (Mat 16:15), Jesus testified, "For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven" (16:17). 

Apostle Peter, like John the Baptist, was given words from heaven. And he received Jesus' subsequent words: "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven" (Mat 16:18-19). According to the Gospel of John, Jesus had decided to call him Peter at their first meeting (cf. Jn 1:42). Jesus had chosen him from the beginning for this very moment. The words Jesus spoke first, "I tell you, you are Peter," were imbued with this intention. 

The time came for Jesus' choice to be realised. Peter was given the words revealed by the heavenly Father and spoke the words. He then received Jesus' words. The "rock" of which Jesus said, "on this rock I will build my church," was the very words the heavenly Father revealed to the Apostle Peter: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." This declaration of who Jesus Christ is is the cornerstone of Jesus' Church, against which "the powers of death shall not prevail." Yet, as Peter writes in his epistle, it also becomes "A stone that will make men stumble, a rock that will make them fall" (1 Pt 2:8). That is because, after Jesus' Ascension and the descent of the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, to whom these words are to be addressed, is the Holy Eucharist. 

I fervently hope that the day will come when, whilst the Mass on earth and in heaven remain united through the "keys of the kingdom of heaven" bestowed upon the Apostle Peter, believers worldwide publicly proclaim that the Eucharist is the Christ, the Son of God. 

Maria K. M.