The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!  This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’  I myself did not know him; but I came baptising with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.”  And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him.  I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptise with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptises with the Holy Spirit.’  And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.”

Look, there is the lamb of God

 

One phrase from today’s Gospel has made its way into the Mass: Look, here is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. Why is that image of the Lamb of God so important? The Lamb of God is an echo of the Passover lamb and meal. And the Passover meal celebrates freedom. In the biblical narrative, it points primarily to freedom from slavery in Egypt, political and religious freedom. At a different level, Jesus, our Lamb of God, our passover Lamb, as Paul puts it, also sets us free: from whatever binds us and holds us back, from sin, from death, from the power and even the fear of death.

 

POINTERS FOR PRAYER

1. The words of John point to a deep recognition of Jesus’ identity. Can I recall times when this recognition took place for me, first of all on a human level, and then on the faith level?

2. John the Baptist admits to not knowing him—a place of real honesty which is the beginning of the pilgrimage of faith. At some point, perhaps, I heard the words of the Psalmist in my heart: a voice I did not know said to me, I freed your shoulder from the burden (Ps 81).

3.  Jesus baptises with the Spirit—a baptism I too have received, perhaps too young. In later life, there can be an awakening of the Spirit, an inner hunger and thirst, a sense of the Spirit’s help in our weakness.

4. Witness is the key. Who have been witnesses to me of the Good News? To whom am I today a witness?

In John’s Gospel, the first thing that any human being says of Jesus is found on the lips of John the Baptist: Look, there is the Lamb of God. We think naturally and correctly of the Passover lamb and of the Passover, the feast which marks the liberation of Israel. To be set free is a wonderful experience and we could reflect on how I experience my freedom in Christ. From what have I been set free? (For example, fear of death, the risk of absurdity, sins and false directions in life…) Even more important, for what have I been set free?