Saturday April 1
The key to solving a maze puzzle successfully is to start from the goal and work backwards to the start. Many Pharisees and people listening to Jesus failed to grasp this principle when faced with the person of Jesus. They began from Scripture, the starting point, and went groping all around and got stuck in blind alleys. They could not figure out how Scripture led to Christ. Had they begun from the end—the Son of God standing amidst them, with his powerful words and deeds—they would have successfully traced his origins and understood Scripture correctly.
The Old Testament is to be understood in the light of the New Testament, especially the Gospel. It is in the light of Christ that the teachings of the Old Testament come alive and become meaningful. When we begin with Christ, all parts of the puzzle fall in place and everything makes sense, because “no one ever spoke like him!”
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The Jews who are present at the annual festival of the tents are still arguing about the origin of the Messiah. Some say he will come from a mysterious place other than Bethlehem, the birthplace of King David. They claim that Jesus came from Nazareth, a village in Galilee. The wall of hostility that surrounds the figure of Christ increases, although not everyone think alike; among those most open is Nicodemus who met with Jesus at night. The reaction of the guards of the temple is interesting, simple people are fascinated with the words of Christ. The Word of God surpasses all expectations.
