We have found the Messiah

 

 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 Jon 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 1:35–42 

 

Yesterday we were given the second day (paralleling the creation story of Genesis) of the beginning of Christ's ministry, the testimony of John the Baptist: 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 Jon 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 comments that the Lord's first disciples had been followers of John the Baptist.  They were Andrew; Simon (also known as Peter), or Cephas;  Philip and Nathanael (also known as Bartholomew), both of whom we will read about in tomorrow's reading; and an unnamed disciple, whom some patristic commentary say was John, the author of the Gospel.  It was a common literary device for a writer not to give his own name (see Luke 24:13). 

 

Today's reading encompasses the third day of the beginning of the story of Christ's ministry.  Here in today's reading, John the Baptist sends two disciples to Christ whom Christ then gathers to be His own.  One of them He declares to be the foundation of the Church (see also Matthew 16:18).  As this Gospel began with the words, "In the beginning" (John 1:1), suggesting the creation story of Genesis (Genesis 1:1), so each day also parallels a day of that creation story.  Today's reading parallels the gathering of the waters and the establishment of growth on the land on the third day in Genesis 1:9-13.  In the story of creation in Genesis, we find that God brings order out of chaos, and fills the world with good things, establishing both order and creativity.  Here John's ministry takes the shape of its fullness by John leading his disciples to Christ, following his testimony to Jesus as the Christ in yesterday's reading (the second day in the unfolding of Christ's ministry).  We could suggest the parallel to the creation story gives us Logos Himself -- both the organizing and creative principle of existence -- as the center of all things.  John the Baptist plays his role by revealing Logos to the world, and also gathering his own disciples to the Christ, thus filling the world with good things, even children to the Lord.  In our own lives, we might consider this same pattern and how it can be set down for us -- and set into motion: a blessed and good way of life.  We first place the Lord at the center of all things in life, for He is the creative and organizing principle Himself in His Person.  He is the Logos.  In John 1:1, the Greek word Logos is translated as "Word" ("In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God").  This, of course, refers to Jesus Christ, whom we know is the eternal Son of God.  My study Bible commented on that verse that Logos can mean "wisdom," "reason," and "action" as well as "word" -- all of these are attributes of the Son of God.  So, when we first place Jesus our Lord at the center of our lives, it is all of these properties of Logos that we are putting front and center in life, and as we pray and as we worship and structure our lives around Christ, so we are bringing the energies of those properties into our lives as well.  We participate in His life through prayer and worship practices and following the things He teaches (such as almsgiving, fasting, repentance, etc.) and in this way we ally with His energies.  This process is called "Theosis" in the Orthodox Christian tradition.  But by putting this principle of Logos first in our lives as the center of our focus, we bring organization, order, creativity, and all that Christ offers into our homes and our lives, into our families and relationships.  This is the story of the unfolding of Christ's ministry, where first John the Baptist serves Christ by revealing Him to the world, and then draws his own disciples to Jesus.  So we can do the same ourselves in our lives.  We can first put Christ in the center, knowing and learning and growing in our understanding of Him, and after that we seek to grow all things in our lives as things which serve Christ.  Whatever we do, whatever we choose, whatever steps we take, whatever we create in our lives, follows the pattern of creatively serving Christ and filling our lives with good things.  In our own practice of discipleship, we seek this constant pattern, so that we in turn are ordered, creative, and serving and enhancing the good with all we produce.  Christ has life in Himself, and the things that come from the Lord remain dynamic, creative, original, unique, and a constant marvel, such as the myriad saints that come from our faith, all of whom are unique and show us original ways in which their uniqueness is magnified in ways that serve God.  In this sense, we return the gift of our lives to our Creator, and in turn our Creator blesses us with ways to serve, to be a true part of this dynamic unfolding creation, and its salvation in Him.  Let us consider this pattern, and the growth of Christ's disciples and ministry, and how that pattern can work and unfold as well in our own lives.  In today's reading, Simon is brought to Christ, and he is revealed by Christ to be Cephas, or Peter (from the Greek Petros, meaning a Stone); that is, he is revealed by the Lord to be the foundation of the Church.  So we also may seek the Lord, and He in turn reveals to us who we are, giving us life and ministry and a way to lead our lives.