"When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I AM."
(John 8:28)
I remember the first time I ever really heard the lyrics to one of my now favorite, Christmas songs: “Mary Did You Know.” I closed my eyes, one random day when it was playing, and really listened. And then I sobbed. Heavily. Gratefully. Uncontrollably. It’s at the end where it goes: “That sleeping child you're holding is the great, I Am.” To this day, every Christmas season, when I hear the first 2-3 chords of that song, I know I’m going to stop what I’m doing and praise God for the gift of himself through this sweet baby child in Mary’s arms.
So, Jesus, now as an adult, speaks to the Pharisees and countless others, calling us out and reminding us that we consistently choose to belong to this world [greed, fame, fortune, etc.]. As Jesus says in the scripture: “That is why I told you that you will die in your sins.” We need to stop what we’re doing, close our eyes, and ask ourselves WHY? What is so pressing in this world that it takes priority over following the example Jesus teaches us and our lack of willingness to do God’s will?
The Catechism states: “In Christ, and through his human will, the will of the Father has been perfectly fulfilled once and for all. Jesus said on entering into this world; 'Lord, I have come to do your will O God.' Only Jesus can say 'I always do what is pleasing to him.' In the prayer of his agony, he consents totally to this will 'not my will, but yours be done.' For this reason, Jesus 'gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.' 'And by that will, we have been sanctified through the suffering of the body of Jesus Christ once and for all'” [CCC 2824]
How do you share the Great I AM with others?
Baby Jesus, as you lay in Mary’s arms, thank you for being our role model to love and follow all that the Father teaches us.