Son of God and Son of Mary

Jesus is the Bridge Between Heaven and Earth

Jesus said to the Jews: "If I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is not true. But there is another who testifies on my behalf, and I know that the testimony he gives on my behalf is true. You sent emissaries to John, and he testified to the truth. I do not accept human testimony, but I say this so that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp, and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light. But I have testimony greater than John's. The works that the Father gave me to accomplish, these works that I perform testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me. Moreover, the Father who sent me has testified on my behalf. But you have never heard his voice nor seen his form, and you do not have his word remaining in you, because you do not believe in the one whom he has sent. You search the Scriptures, because you think you have eternal life through them; even they testify on my behalf. But you do not want to come to me to have life.

"I do not accept human praise; moreover, I know that you do not have the love of God in you. I came in the name of my Father, but you do not accept me; yet if another comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe, when you accept praise from one another and do not seek the praise that comes from the only God? Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father: the one who will accuse you is Moses, in whom you have placed your hope. For if you had believed Moses, you would have believed me, because he wrote about me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?"

John 5:31-47

If you’ve ever opened your Bible to the Gospel of John and felt like you had to reread the same passage multiple times just to grasp it—congratulations, you’re not alone. John 5:31–47 is one of those passages that doesn't yield its treasures on a casual reading. But if we take the time to sit with it, something profound emerges. In this passage, Jesus makes a claim so bold, so scandalous to His contemporaries, that it ultimately becomes a turning point in the growing opposition against Him: He claims equality with God.

Jesus does not shy away from divine identity. When He calls Himself the Son of God, He is not simply using poetic language. He is claiming divinity. And the Jewish leaders know exactly what He means. They understand the implication: the son of a giraffe is a giraffe, the son of a man is a man—and the Son of God… is God.

But Jesus doesn't stop there. He also refers to Himself as the Son of Man, a title loaded with meaning from the book of Daniel (cf. Daniel 7:13–14), a prophetic figure who approaches the Ancient of Days and is given dominion, glory, and kingship. This title expresses something deeply incarnational:

Jesus is not only God reaching down to humanity, He is also humanity reaching up to God. He stands as our representative before the heavenly throne.

And what a representative He is.

Let’s be honest—if you had to pick someone on earth to speak on your behalf before God, who would it be? A political leader? A historical monarch? A celebrity? Probably not.

Our hope doesn’t lie in the powerful or the popular. It lies in the one who is both Son of God and Son of Man—Jesus Christ.

Fully divine, fully human, He bridges the seemingly impossible chasm between heaven and earth.

In John 5, Jesus speaks with clarity and authority. He doesn't feel the need to explain away the mystery of the Trinity in philosophical language. He simply speaks the truth: “I and the Father are one.” And in doing so, He invites us to a deeper unity—not only to believe in Him but to unite ourselves to Him.

That’s the heart of our Christian life: to be united to Christ, who is united to the Father. He is not just our example; He is our very connection to God. He intercedes for us, stands for us, and draws us into divine life.

So when you hear the words at Mass, “Lord Jesus, you are Son of God and Son of Mary,” remember that you are invoking the One who is both divine and human—your brother and your Savior. And when you pray, know that He stands before the Father, representing you not as a mere subject, but as someone He loves deeply—as a child of God.

May we put our hope in Him above all earthly leaders. May we trust in the One who alone can unite heaven and earth. And may we never lose sight of who we truly are: children of the Father, redeemed by the Son, and filled with the Holy Spirit.

In the Heart of Christ,

Fr. Michael Stalla