A reading from the Holy Gospel According to 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 the sky 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: After John the Baptist was born, his father Zechariah proclaimed, “And you, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way…”. In today’s Gospel, we hear about John the Baptist fulfilling his ministry of preparing the way for Jesus. John sees Jesus and proclaims, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” With these words, John shows us Jesus’ mission and identity. He calls him the Lamb of God, the one who will sacrifice Himself for our salvation.
Although John and Jesus were cousins, John did not live his life knowing that Jesus was the promised Messiah. John admits that he did not know him, but the reason he came baptizing with water was that He might be revealed to Israel. John understood his role as the one who was to prepare the way for Jesus and to point others to Him. John, in his humility, did not seek glory for himself. This Gospel shows us that there was a particular moment when John recognized Jesus as the Messiah through the working of the Holy Spirit.
As we reflect and look back on our own faith journeys, was there a time in our lives when we recognized Jesus as the Lamb of God, the one who takes away our sins, when we came to call him our Savior and Redeemer? This moment may have been a powerful “aha” moment or something that may have come to us over a period of time. Once we came to this belief of Jesus, the Lamb of God, what did we do? Did this encounter change our lives? As disciples of Jesus, we are called to point and bring others to Jesus through our words and actions, just like John the Baptist.
Action for the Day: First, thank Jesus that he is the Lamb of God who takes away our sins. Then we can pray for the grace to live our lives, by our words and actions, as witnesses to Our Lord, by proclaiming, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” and lead others to encounter His mercy, forgiveness and love.
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