Lesson 2

Point 1: Introduction

In our previous session, we explored how Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, approached our Lord under the cover of darkness, troubled by the teachings of this divine Master who proclaimed Himself to be the Messiah. Their conversation, recorded in the Gospel according to St. John, contains one of the most profound revelations of salvation in all of Sacred Scripture. As we continue our examination of this sacred encounter, we shall discover how Christ illuminates the necessity of spiritual regeneration and reveals the divine economy of salvation that leads to eternal life.

Point 2: Review: The Necessity of Regeneration

Before we proceed, let us briefly revisit what Christ's conversation with Nicodemus reveals about our salvation: 

1. The Insufficiency of Natural Birth:

As the Roman Catechism teaches, "We are born from Adam children of wrath, but by regeneration in Christ we are born children of mercy; for He gave power to men to be made the sons of God, to them that believe in his name." The Pharisees, though zealous in their observance of the Law, failed to comprehend that external conformity to precepts cannot effect this necessary regeneration.

    2. The Necessity of Baptismal Regeneration:

The Roman Catechism is clear that when our Lord states, "Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" (John 3:5, ESV-CE), He speaks of the Sacrament of Baptism, which is "the first place among all the Sacraments, because it is the door of the spiritual life; for by it we are made members of Christ and incorporated with the Church." 

Recall how our Lord illustrated spiritual rebirth through three powerful images: 

• Physical Birth:

"What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit" (John 3:6, ESV-CE). Just as we are born physically, we must be born spiritually through Baptism, which, as the Roman Catechism teaches, "cleanses us from the stain contracted from Adam, and makes us Christians, faithful, children of God, and members of the Church." 

• The Wind:

"The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit" (John 3:8, ESV-CE). As the wind blows where it will, yet its effects are perceived, so too the Holy Ghost, though invisible, produces visible effects in the soul through the Sacraments. 

• The Bronze Serpent:

As the Israelites were healed by looking upon the bronze serpent raised on a pole, so we find healing from sin by turning our gaze to Christ lifted up on the cross. The Roman Catechism explains that "Christ the Lord, being lifted up upon the cross, healed the wounds inflicted by the fiery serpent, that whosoever looks upon Him may not perish, but have life everlasting."

Point 3: The Doctrine of John 3:16

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16, ESV-CE) 

This verse contains within it the essential doctrine of our salvation. Let us examine it according to the teachings of the Roman Catechism: 

1. "For God"—The Author of Salvation 

Salvation begins with God Himself. The Roman Catechism teaches that "God is the author and efficient cause of our justification," for as Scripture states: "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved" (Ephesians 2:4-5, ESV-CE).  This divine initiative is entirely gratuitous, for as the Catechism states, "no works that precede justification, whether faith or works, merit the grace of justification; for if it be grace, it is not now by works; otherwise grace would be no more grace."  The Council of Trent's Catechism affirms that salvation originates solely with God, who "calls sinners to repentance" and "enlightens their minds with the knowledge of truth." This divine call precedes any human response and is the foundation of all justification. 

     2. "So loved the world"—Divine Charity 

The Roman Catechism explains that "God has shown his supreme love for us when, notwithstanding that we were in a state of hostility towards him, he ransomed us from eternal damnation and restored us to grace." This divine charity is the foundation of our salvation, for "God commendeth his charity towards us; because when as yet we were sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8, ESV-CE). 

This love extends to all mankind, for as the Catechism teaches, "there is no one who does not share in its salutary influence. For them that are to be saved, as well as for those who are damned, Christ the Lord offered himself to God the Father." 

The Roman Catechism further explains that this love is manifested in God's desire for our salvation: "God wills all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth," though this salvation is accomplished through the proper means He has established—namely, the Church and her Sacraments. 

    3. "That He gave His only Son"—The Incarnation and Passion  

The Roman Catechism expounds that "the Son of God bestowed upon us this wonderful blessing of his Incarnation, that we being made men, he might make men gods." This divine gift reached its culmination in Christ's Passion, for "by his Passion and Death, he became the source of salvation to all who obey him." 

The Catechism teaches that "in the death of our Lord may be found remedies for all the wounds inflicted by sin," and that "nothing can be conceived more efficacious than his death to expiate all sins and crimes." 

Furthermore, the Roman Catechism explains that Christ's sacrifice on the cross is made present in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, which is "not merely a bare commemoration of the sufferings and death of Christ, but also a true and proper sacrifice, whereby the High Priest by an unbloody immolation offers himself to God the Father, as he once offered himself on the cross." 

    4. "That whoever believes in Him"—Faith and Works

The Roman Catechism defines faith as "that by which we give our unhesitating assent to whatever the authority of our Holy Mother the Church teaches us to have been revealed by God." This faith is "the beginning of human salvation, the foundation and the root of all justification."  However, the Catechism also teaches that "faith, unless hope and charity be added thereto, neither unites man perfectly with Christ, nor makes him a living member of his body." Thus, "faith without works is dead" and "by works a man is justified, and not by faith only."  The Roman Catechism further clarifies that justification requires not only faith but also "a movement of the will, both to detest sin, and to resolve on amendment of life." This repentance, along with faith, prepares the soul to receive the grace of justification through the Sacrament of Baptism. 

    5. "Should not perish"—Deliverance from Sin and Death 

The Roman Catechism teaches that "sin deprived man of the highest good and of sanctifying grace, and thus he is become the worst of all creatures." Without divine intervention, mankind would remain in this state of perdition. 

Through Christ's sacrifice, however, "we have been delivered from everlasting perdition, and are brought to the hope of immortal life." The Sacrament of Penance, instituted by Christ, ensures that those who fall after Baptism "may be restored to the grace of God," for "the blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin." 

The Catechism of Trent emphasizes that Christ's sacrifice delivers us not only from eternal death but also from the power of sin, for "He has rescued us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of his beloved Son" (Colossians 1:13, ESV-CE). 

    6. "But have eternal life"—Heavenly Beatitude  

The Roman Catechism describes eternal life as "that supreme and perfect good which constitutes the happiness of the blessed." This beatitude consists "in the possession of God, for what can be wanting to him who possesses the sovereign good?"  The Catechism teaches that this eternal life is attained through the grace merited by Christ, for "the grace of justification is not only a remission of sins, but also a sanctification and renovation of the interior man through the voluntary reception of grace and gifts." Through this grace, we are "made heirs according to the hope of life everlasting" (Titus 3:7, ESV-CE).  Furthermore, the Roman Catechism explains that the Eucharist is "a pledge of our future glory and everlasting happiness," for "he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day" (John 6:54, ESV-CE).

Point 4: The Efficacy of the Sacraments

As the Roman Catechism instructs, let us consider how the sacraments established by Christ are the ordinary channels through which the graces spoken of in John 3:16 are communicated to the faithful. 

First and foremost is Baptism, which the Catechism calls "the door by which we enter into the fold of Christ, and the beginning of our communion with him." Through this sacrament, we are "born again of water and the Holy Ghost," just as our Lord instructed Nicodemus. 

The Roman Catechism teaches that "Baptism washes away the stain of original sin, and all the sins we ourselves have committed; all punishment due to sin is remitted; the grace of God is bestowed; the soul is enriched with the most precious fruits of the Redemption; and the door of heaven, closed by original sin, is thrown open." 

When one who has received Baptism falls into sin, the Sacrament of Penance provides restoration. The Catechism explains that "as those who are born dead need Baptism; so those who, after Baptism, fall into sin, need the Sacrament of Penance." 

The Roman Catechism teaches that through sacramental Confession, "we recover the grace of God, and are reunited to him in the closest friendship," for Christ gave to the Church the power to forgive sins when He said to the Apostles, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld" (John 20:22-23, ESV-CE). 

Finally, the Most Holy Eucharist provides the nourishment necessary for perseverance in grace. The Roman Catechism teaches that "the Holy Eucharist contains Christ himself, the fountain of all grace and all heavenly gifts; and therefore it excels all the other Sacraments, and possesses a singular efficacy for the sanctification of souls." 

These sacraments, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, are the ordinary means by which we receive the salvation promised in John 3:16. They are not mere symbols but efficacious signs that truly confer the grace they signify, for "the Sacraments contain that grace which they signify, and confer that grace on those who place no obstacle in its way."

Point 5: Conclusion

Dear brothers in formation, as future priests of Holy Mother Church, you must grasp not only the doctrinal significance of John 3:16 but also your role in dispensing the graces it promises. This single verse contains the essence of our Catholic faith—God's initiative in salvation, Christ's redemptive sacrifice, the necessity of faith animated by charity, and the promise of eternal beatitude. 

As the Roman Catechism instructs, the priest "is the interpreter of the law, the arbiter of morals, the guardian of innocence, the corrector of vice, the defender of religion, the dispenser of the Sacraments, and the guide of souls to eternal happiness." Through your sacred ministry, especially in the administration of the Sacraments, you will be instruments through which God's saving grace flows to His people. 

When you baptize, you will effect that spiritual regeneration of which Christ spoke to Nicodemus. When you celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, you will make present the supreme gift of the Son. When you hear confessions, you will ensure that believers "do not perish" but are restored to grace. 

Remember always that, as the Roman Catechism teaches, "the Sacraments derive all their virtue and efficacy from the passion of Christ, which is the fountain of all grace." Let your ministry always be animated by the same divine charity expressed in John 3:16—a love that took flesh in Jesus Christ and continues to reach out to every soul through the Church and her Sacraments. 

May your preaching and sacramental ministry always lead the faithful to the fullness of Catholic truth—not merely to understand it intellectually, but to embrace it fully through faithful reception of the Sacraments and the practice of all virtues, especially faith, hope, and charity.

Point 6: Discussion Questions for Seminarians

1. On Divine Initiative and Human Response

The Roman Catechism teaches that "God is the author and efficient cause of our justification."

• How does this truth challenge modern notions of self-determination and autonomy?
• How might you explain this doctrine to someone influenced by contemporary individualism?
• In what ways does the Catholic understanding of salvation differ from both Protestant "faith alone" theology and Pelagian self-salvation?
• How does John 3:16 support the Catholic middle way?  

     2. On Sacramental Theology

• When Christ tells Nicodemus that one must be "born again of water and the Spirit," how does this establish the necessity of Baptism? How would you respond to those who interpret this passage in a purely symbolic or spiritual sense?   
• The Roman Catechism teaches that the Sacraments are efficacious signs that truly confer the grace they signify. How does this differ from the view that Sacraments are mere symbols or reminders? What pastoral implications does this have for how we prepare the faithful to receive the Sacraments? 

     3. On Faith and Works   

• The Roman Catechism states that "faith, unless hope and charity be added thereto, neither unites man perfectly with Christ, nor makes him a living member of his body." How does this illuminate the Catholic teaching that we are saved by "faith working through love" (Galatians 5:6)?   
• How would you explain to a Protestant friend that the Catholic emphasis on good works does not constitute a doctrine of "earning salvation"? 

     4. On the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass    

• The Roman Catechism teaches that the Mass is "not merely a bare commemoration of the sufferings and death of Christ, but also a true and proper sacrifice." How does this understanding of the Mass relate to Christ's sacrifice mentioned in John 3:16?   
• How might a deeper appreciation of the sacrificial nature of the Mass transform the way the faithful participate in this sacred liturgy? 

     5. On Pastoral Application   

• As future priests, how can you effectively communicate the profound truths contained in John 3:16 to various audiences—children, adults, the well-catechized, and those with minimal religious formation?   
• The Roman Catechism describes the priest as "the interpreter of the law, the arbiter of morals, the guardian of innocence, the corrector of vice, the defender of religion, the dispenser of the Sacraments, and the guide of souls to eternal happiness." Which of these roles do you find most challenging, and how might a deeper understanding of John 3:16 strengthen your future ministry in this area? 

     6. On Personal Formation   

• How does John 3:16 inform your own spiritual life and vocation? In what ways has your understanding of this verse evolved during your seminary formation?
• The Roman Catechism emphasizes that eternal life consists "in the possession of God." How do you cultivate this ultimate goal in your daily spiritual practices? How might you help the faithful to orient their lives toward this supreme good?