Daily Mass Gospel Reflection - Conquering Death

Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus prophesies his Crucifixion and Resurrection: “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men, and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.”

What enabled the first Christians to hold up the cross, to sing its praises, to wear it as a decoration is the fact that God raised up and ratified precisely this crucified Jesus. “The author of life you put to death, but God raised him from the dead.” Therefore, God was involved in this terrible thing; God was there, working out his salvific purposes.

But what does this mean? There have been numerous attempts throughout the Christian centuries to name the salvific nature of the cross. Let me offer just one take on it. It became clear to the first Christians that somehow, on that terrible cross, sin had been dealt with. The curse of sin had been removed, taken care of. On that terrible cross, Jesus functioned as the “Lamb of God,” sacrificed for sin.

Does this mean God the Father is a cruel taskmaster demanding a bloody sacrifice so that his anger might be appeased? No; Jesus’ crucifixion was the opening up of the divine heart so that we could see that no sin of ours could finally separate us from the love of God.

Matt.17:22-27
Show me the Gospel that you’re talking about in those passages. Or Matt. 16:21. Or Mark 9:30. Or Luke 9:44.
Or Luke 18:31-34.?

Exactly what is the Gospel?
The Scriptures that you listed and that I listed do not contain the Gospel of your salvation. Something is missing. And it’s missing for a reason.

I doubt it.

Murph rarely gets more than a few responses to Barron’s pompous pontifications.

When the both of you let me know Barron has rejected his hope that there are no souls in Hell, I’ll back off his heretical aspe. (Until he praises the homosexualist, James Martin S.J. again, that is).

I’m not a “fake” anything. For every post I might make, you reply with 2 or 3 posts insulting and criticizing me. I’ve tried to lighten things up with you, but it seems your attitude toward anyone who opens up a new idea is similar to the Spanish Inquisition. You want to fight and belittle, not discuss. On FR, people can and should question ideas, use intellectual rigor, or just share and joke for the fun of it. But ongoing abuse is not playing fair. I’m sorry to say that, I feel from now on, I must decline to respond to your comments.

As long as you post your cynic, sarcastic, modernist responses to every thread I post, expect a response from me.

I don't mind at all if you don't respond. It would be a relief.

On a parting (hopefully permanent) note, regarding your revered Barron, I'll leave you this:

“Bp.” Robert Barron tells Jewish Man: No need to become Catholic, Jesus is only the “Privileged” Way

No need to respond; because in your previous posts you have clearly stated that Jews do not need to convert to attain salvation.

Now remember what you just said, Marchmain:

I feel from now on, I must decline to respond to your comments.

How long will that last?

I know, but what I’m asking is where is the Gospel of your salvation?
And I’m truly asking you what is the Gospel of your salvation? Since you listed those verses you must think it is clearly stated there.

Matt.18:22,23; 16:21-23; Mark 9:30, Luke 9:44 all say the same thing: Christ told the disciples that he would be killed and buried and that he would be raised again the third day.

Read Luke 18:31-34.
“Then He took unto Him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished.
“For He shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked up and spitefully entreated, and spitted on:
“And they shall scourge Him, and put Him to death: And the third day He shall rise again.
“And they understood NONE of these things: And THIS SAYING WAS HID FROM THEM, Neither knew they the things WHICH WERE SPOKEN.”

The twelve disciples did not have the slightest idea what the Lord was talking about when He predicted His death, burial and resurrection. And all the Scriptures I gave prove that. They had been preaching the “gospel” for at least two years, but if they weren’t even aware of His death and resurrection, what “gospel” had they been preaching?

Read Luke 9. Luke 9:6 says the Apostles “departed, and went through it the towns, PREACHING THE GOSPEL”.
Yet Luke 18:31-34 makes it clear they had no idea Christ would even die.
Luke 9:2 clears it up and makes it plain: “And He sent them to preach THE KINGDOM OF GOD.” The Gospel of the kingdom.
And we know that did not include the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.

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