Behold the Lamb of God

The next day he saw Jesus coming towards 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 baptizing 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 baptize with water said to me, “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.’

The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, ‘Look, here is the Lamb of God!’ The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, ‘What are you looking for?’ They said to him, ‘Rabbi’ (which translated means Teacher), ‘where are you staying?’ He said to them, ‘Come and see.’ They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which is translated Anointed). He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas’ (which is translated Peter).

- John 1:29-42

My study bible notes that John the Baptist's naming of Jesus publicly as the "Lamb of God" recalls Isaiah's "Servant of God" who dies for the transgressions of His people. (See Isaiah 53:4-12.) John calls Jesus "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." A note reads: "Christ, the true Paschal Lamb, offers Himself for our deliverance from darkness and death." (See 1 Peter 1:18,19.)

John the Baptist testifies:

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 baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel. 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 baptize with water said to me, “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.’

My study bible notes that the Spirit remained upon Jesus because Christ possess the Holy Spirit in His fullness. This testimony of John the Baptist is a description of the events of what is called Theophany or Epiphany, as it is reported in the evangelist John's gospel (not to be confused with John the Baptist himself). This is the revelation of the Trinity at the baptism of Jesus. John's words "because he was ahead of me" recall to us Jesus' future pronouncement, "Before Moses was, I am." John the Baptist, as a prophet, explicitly states in his testimony that Jesus' identity as Son was revealed clearly to him by his Gift of prophecy: "I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'" So in some sense, John the Baptist is an early apostle, one who was "sent" to reveal Christ to the world. John, ever a man of true integrity, is true to the "one who sent him" and to the grace by which he is a prophet.

The following day, John is again with two of his disciples, and he sees Jesus. For his disciples, he points out again "The Lamb of God." One of these disciples of John the Baptist is Andrew, who is to be the first apostle. John's disciples ask Jesus where he is staying, and Jesus invites them to "Come and see." So they spend time with Jesus - and we have the notation that this was "about four o'clock." These hours are the end of the day, the new will begin at six, as something new will begin at the end of this day. Andrew first found his brother, Simon, and then brings him to Jesus after telling Simon, "We have found the Messiah" - translated "Christ" or the Anointed One, whom John has testified was anointed by the Spirit. Simon, of course, is Simon Peter. Jesus immediately tells Simon, "You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas." "Cephas" is a transliteration of the Hebrew word for stone or rock, which in Greek is "Petros" (Πετρος), and in English is Peter.

So in this passage we see the workings of Spirit, and the gifts of prophecy. In this very beginning of Jesus' ministry, just as it has started, we continue in some sense easily from the Christmastide readings of the events of Jesus' early life. Although those Christmastide readings were taken from the gospels of Matthew and Luke, here in John's gospel we see a straightforward continuity. We observed the action of the Spirit at work in the events surrounding Jesus' birth: the angels announcing the good news to Mary, Zechariah and Elizabeth, in the messages in dreams to Joseph and to the Magi, in the prophecies of Anna and Simeon who recognize the identity of the Child, the host of angels who appear to the shepherds living out in the fields. Here the action of the Spirit continues through the great prophet John the Baptist, who "has been sent" to baptize in order to reveal the Child, now grown as the man Jesus, as the Anointed One, the Christ, the Messiah. That same Spirit testifies to John in the revelation of Jesus' identity at Baptism, the relationship of Father, Son and Spirit, and the knowledge that Jesus will be the One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.

We also see the workings of Spirit in this "end of the day" scene of John's apostles led to meet Jesus and spend the rest of the day speaking with him. The Spirit shares and gives, and works through us to do His work. So John the Baptist - great prophet led by Spirit - shares with his disciples not a selfish claim about himself, but the news of the Messiah so that his disciples may become those of Jesus, the "Lamb of God." Just as we discussed regarding the prologue of John's gospel, the light that comes from true Source is shared - as Mercy and Grace it expands and grows, in the same way that Jesus will later teach is characteristic of the kingdom of Heaven. Jesus' first disciples are followers of John the Baptist. My study bible notes that the unnamed disciple who is companion to Andrew (the "two" who were with John the Baptist in verse 40 above) is unnamed, but is probably John the Evangelist himself. Tomorrow we will meet two more of John the Baptist's disciples who become apostles of Jesus. The kingdom grows and expands; John the Baptist, great prophet, whose Gift is to teach and to lead and reveal, leads his disciples to the true Light, the Lamb of God. We recall Jesus' words about the kingdom comparing it to a mustard seed that grows into the sturdiest of shrubs, and the Light that shines in the darkness, illuminating all who may receive, transfiguring the world. To participate in that light that spreads among us is to follow Him. To share in the light is to partake. Do you pray for the light to illumine your life too? Jesus, Anointed One, Logos himself, recognizes and names Simon "Peter" (rock). The transfiguring light opens our natures too, and gives us our true names or faces, teaching us who we are in truth.