Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

Byzantine Museum - Athens, Greece

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! 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 is preferred before me, for He was before me.' I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water." And John bore witness, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God."

- John 1:29-34

As we begin the first week of Lent, we are going through John's Gospel. We have already read the first two passages on Monday and Tuesday. Yesterday, for Ash Wednesday, the reading was from Luke's Gospel: the parable of the Tax Collector and the Pharisee. Today we return to the Gospel of John. We recall from the previous reading that John the Baptist has been preaching a repentance in preparation for the One who is to come. He said, "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know."

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" My study bible notes here, "John's naming Jesus publicly as the Lamb of God recalls Isaiah's 'Servant of God' who dies for the transgressions of His people (Is. 53:4-12). Christ, the true Paschal Lamb, offers Himself for our deliverance from darkness and death (1 Pet. 1:18, 19)." What is remarkable to me is the recognition in John of Jesus, and that tells us about the workings of the Spirit or God's grace in the world. All that happens in these Gospels happens through people. The light that is reflected through us ("you are the light of the world") is at work in this prophet, the greatest of the prophets, and it illumines his work. It is also a reflection of the way faith works, as a kind of recognition, an immediate trust, a knowing. Jesus does not announce Himself until He is recognized.

This is He of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.' I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water." John's baptism has been for repentance in preparation for this One who is to come, to be revealed, as his words tell us. Baptism is a death and rebirth. The concept of repentance is important for us to turn to today, so that we understand the purpose of this work and of our work in Lent. Repentance is from a Greek word (metanoia) that means "change of mind." It prepares us for a turnaround, to set our mind's eye toward that which we might not know, to embrace something new and allow it to transform us, who we think we are.

And John bore witness, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God." John gives his testimony to the One who has been revealed. My study bible says, "The Spirit remained upon Him because Christ possesses the Holy Spirit in His fullness." But what I note again is John's testimony, and the witness he bears within himself: "He who sent me to baptize with water said to me ..." John as been sent for this purpose and the reality and relationship of God is working through him. So testimony, like prayer, comes from grace working in us. We are the lamps that reflect the Light.

John the Baptist plays his great role in the economy of salvation, the announcement of Jesus to the world as Lamb of God. It is astonishing to think about God working through us and with us in all things, and it is beautiful to see and understand that by reading the Gospels, and all the characters that work throughout Jesus' life and are integral to this story. It is not a story of Messiah or Christ alone, but God among us, God with us - and God's Spirit working through us. Jesus Himself will teach, when Peter makes his confession of faith, that it is the Father who has revealed Christ's identity to Peter (see Who do you say that I am?). So, today I think it is worthwhile to ponder what it means for the rays of that Light to shine through us, reflect through us, and to work through us in the world. Repentance means we turn toward that light, and allow it to flood through us, to illumine our minds, so that our "whole body becomes full of light." Can your "eye" perceive that? As we walk through Lent, we seek repentance in order to better receive that light.