BIBLE STUDY # 28
SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
January 16, 2011
Gospel John 1:29-34
John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said,
“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
He is the one of whom I said,
‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me
because he existed before me.’
I did not know him,
but the reason why I came baptizing with water
was that he might be made known to Israel.”
John testified further, saying,
“I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from heaven
and remain upon him.
I did not know him,
but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me,
‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain,
he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’
Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.”
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
Today’s Gospel reading is the testimony of John the Baptist concerning Jesus. In the other gospels, John is the forerunner, the one making straight the way of the Lord, and one who baptizes for the forgiveness of sins. In John’s gospel, John the Baptist is more than that; his life is an epitome of a witness to Jesus. His whole life is aimed and directed at witnessing to Jesus and sending others to follow him, even at the cost of imprisonment and death. He has been gifted with faith in Jesus, and knows that he must decrease while Jesus must increase. He is never the center of his mission, but Jesus is always at the center.
The next day Jesus approaches John, and John describes him as “the Lamb of God.” We use this title at Mass. Right before communion is distributed, the priest says, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Happy are those who are called to his supper.” What does “Lamb of God” mean?
In the book of Revelation, the title “Lamb of God” is the main title for Christ, used 28 times. It refers to Christ being the pure and perfect paschal lamb who, by shedding his blood on the cross, saved the new Israel from sin and death.
In Isaiah 53, we have the Suffering Servant, that innocent lamb who gave his life as an offering for sin, who justified many and bore their guilt and who won pardon for many. By his cross and resurrection, Jesus, the innocent lamb, took on our sin and guilt by offering his life for the many, which makes us justified in the eyes of God.
In Exodus 11, we have the tenth plague, the death of the first born male in all the land. The Israelites escaped this punishment by putting the blood of an innocent lamb on their doorpost, and the angel of death passed them by, hence the Jewish feast of Passover. It was the blood of the innocent lamb on the wood of the doorpost that led them from slavery in Egypt to freedom in the Promised Land. Jesus is the innocent lamb, whose blood was shed on the wood of the cross that leads us from the slavery of sin and death to the freedom of new and eternal life.
Then John said that Jesus “ranks before me, because he was before me” refers to John 1:1-18, the Prologue that attests to Jesus pre-existence, that he was present when the world began, and who is the Logos, the Word, that reveals God the Father.
John states that he did not know Jesus. John’s Gospel does not tell of any kinship between John and Jesus as does Luke’s Gospel.
In the other gospels, John’s baptism is for forgiveness of sins. In this gospel, it is to reveal Jesus to Israel as the Messiah, the Servant of God and the Lamb of God.
Jesus doesn’t get baptized in John’s Gospel, but there is a sentence reminding us of Jesus baptism in the other gospels, “I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from heaven
and remain upon him.” John would have seen that in the other 3 gospels, but here it seems to refer to a divine revelation through which John recognizes the mystery of Jesus. This idea is also in John 1:7: “A man named John was sent from God. He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.”
The dove can be seen as a symbol of the new creation (see Genesis 8:8, when Noah sends out the dove to see if the waters had receded; this is God’s new creation), or Hosea 11:11, “Out of Egypt they shall come trembling, like sparrows, from the land of Assyria, like doves; and I will settle them in their homes, says the Lord.”
A second time John says that he does not know Jesus. He is told by the one who sent him (God the Father as per 1:7) that he will recognize God’s chosen one (Jesus, the Lamb of God) when the Spirit descends and remains on him.
John’s gospel uses the word ‘remain’ many times and it has a special meaning. It is one of John’s favorites, and it emphasizes the permanence of the relationship between the Father and the Son and between the Son and the Christian; Jesus is the permanent bearer of the Spirit.
Let’s summarize. What is John saying about Jesus?
• Jesus is the Logos, the Word of God, existing before the world began
• Jesus is the long awaited Messiah promised by God in the scriptures, especially the prophets
• He is the Lamb of God, the innocent one who took on our sins by suffering and dying on the cross; he freed us from sin and death and made it possible to live in the kingdom now and in the next life
• Jesus is our connection to God. He is the permanent bearer of the Holy Spirit who baptizes with the Spirit; not in the sense we normally think of baptism, but in the wider sense of Jesus communicating the Spirit, especially through his word.
• Jesus is also the Servant of God who obediently carries out his mission as the liberating revealer of God’s truth, and as the suffering servant he offers his life for the redemption of the world.
• Jesus is the Son of God. It is interesting to note that the concept of Trinity as we know it is not mentioned in the Bible, but this is one place where the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are mentioned and, with other references, constitute the scriptural backing for the concept of Trinity.
We are tasked with following Jesus, both as a Church and as individuals. We are tasked with continuing the mission and ministry of Jesus. We each have our own part to play in salvation history. John the Baptist is a good example. He was asked to be the forerunner of Jesus, to give his life as a witness so Jesus could be made known to the world. This is what God asked of him. God didn’t ask John to form a community, or to write anything, or to travel to foreign lands with the gospel. God had a specific task for John, and he tried his best to fulfill his own vocation.
God has a specific role for all of us to play in salvation history. We discern that role through prayer, and trying to listen and look for God in our lives, to see where he is leading us. Each one has a different role. Yours role may be doing something extraordinary, such as being a public religious leader with great influence, spreading God’s word through the media, or being a renowned preacher. More than likely, though your role may seem to be small and go unnoticed: being a good parent, someone who prays, or being a good example to others. Whatever God is calling you to, do it as best as you can. No contribution is too small: God will notice.
Don’t get discouraged. John the Baptist was preaching and baptizing, not knowing who he was preaching about, and he kept going. Sometimes life is like that. It takes time for God’s plan to unfold in our lives. Remember what Mother Theresa said; “God doesn’t ask us to be successful but to be faithful.” Don’t let your worries, troubles, or feelings of inadequacy get the best of you. Remember: Moses started out as a basket case.
Fr. Phil
No comments:
Post a Comment