Behold the Lamb of God!

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."

Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!" The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, "What do you seek?" They said to Him, "Rabbi" (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), "where are You staying?" He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour). One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, "You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas" (which is translated, A Stone).

- John 1:29-42

In yesterday's reading, we read about John the Baptist's ministry. Priests and Levites were sent from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ." They asked if he was Elijah, or the Prophet -- figures expected to return. He said he was not, but rather, "I am 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness, "Make straight the way of the LORD," ' as the prophet Isaiah said." The inquirers were sent by the Pharisees, and they said, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose."

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." My study bible says, "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)." He was before me once again indicates the timeless nature of Logos, the divine. John the Baptist's testimony is that of a prophet: he did not know Him in His divinity, but that He should be revealed to Israel. Therefore John baptizes with water and not the Spirit; only Christ will do that.

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." The Baptist gives his testimony. The One who sent him to baptize told him of the sign he would see of the Christ. His prophecy is fulfilled; the purpose of his baptism of repentance is revealed. My study bible tells us, "The Spirit remained upon Him because Christ possesses the Holy Spirit in His fullness."

Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!" The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, "What do you seek?" I think it's kind of remarkable that these are the first words of Jesus to His future disciples. Here we see the transition from the ministry of the Baptist to the ministry of Christ. Jesus draws them out in conversation. There's no command here, just a question. In John's Gospel we will read later on of Jesus' personable nature, how He engages with people and draws them into dialogue, prompting their faith. Here, He asks them directly to tell Him what they want, or more specifically, what they are looking for.

They said to Him, "Rabbi" (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), "where are You staying?" He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour). "Come and see" is yet another invitation. He draws them into relationship, but there also is an election in their hearts, on their side. This isn't a Man who leads like a conquering Caesar, but the Lamb of God, whose yoke is easy and whose burden is light. The tenth hour is 4:00 P.M.

One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, "You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas" (which is translated, A Stone). My study bible points out that Jesus' first disciples had been followers of John the Baptist. "They were (1) Andrew; (2) an unnamed disciple, probably the author of this Gospel; (3) Andrew's brother, Simon, given the name Cephas, which is the equivalent to the Greek 'Peter,' meaning 'rock.'" In tomorrow's reading, we'll get to the next disciples. This is the third day described in John's Gospel: the first was when John the Baptist witnessed to Jesus in the presence of the leadership, the second when he spoke to his own disciples.

In today's reading, we're introduced to the various personalities that populate Jesus' ministry: John the Baptist, the interaction with the Pharisees and those sent by them, John's disciples Andrew and Peter, and another anonymous disciple, by tradition the author of this Gospel, John Zebedee, who doesn't name himself. In John the Evangelist we have a man writing who has thoroughly known this ministry and all its characters, a witness to so much by the time of its writing. And John gives us personae, personality. Through so many hints, we read of his sharing of his experience with all of these people; he's writing the Gospel many years later, after a life of preaching and experience, and caring for Jesus' mother. So as we go through this Gospel, we will find hints of John's knowledge of each of these people and the interactions of their personalities. Already in the speaking of Jesus we see His style of engagement, Jesus' communication with others. John will teach us about relationships. He's already taught us about the Divine in the Prologue, Logos, and here we begin to understand the ministry of Jesus, those whom He chooses and how it happens. But it is a story about relationships, and ultimately about love (see John's Epistle here).