Behold the Lamb of God

John 1:29-42

Good morning, on the first Sunday after we celebrated the Baptism of Jesus. Hearing today’s Gospel, you might think it also sounds like a baptismal story, which it is, but with some very specific differences from what we heard last Sunday. As it was for Christmas, where on two different Sundays we had two different descriptions of the Nativity, so, as last week we had Matthew’s version of Jesus’ baptism, this week we heard the story from the Gospel according to John. 

All four of our Gospels contain a record of the meeting between the Baptist and Jesus, but the Synoptics, i.e. Matthew, Mark, and Luke, all identify Jesus as the Son of God, this is their focus in their baptismal stories. The focus of John the Gospeller, who tradition tells us was John, the Beloved Disciple, is not the same. Last week we heard a story of light and strength and love, but this week the Baptist begins by announcing, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” 

On hearing those words, our minds may turn to images of sacrifice and slaughter, and that wouldn’t be unusual, as we have centuries of Church teaching that Jesus is the sacrificial Lamb who died for our sins.  In this, we reference Isaiah, who prophesied the Suffering Servant, “led like a lamb to the slaughter”.

However, the Baptist’s words may well have called up a different image in the minds of those who centuries ago actually heard the him say them. In the first-century, there was a meaning in the title “the Lamb of God” that appeared in Jewish apocalyptic literature of the time, literature which describes the complete destruction of the world, the end of all things. In these writings “The Lamb of God” was a “warrior lamb” a “conquering lamb” who would destroy evil in the world. The lamb as a warrior wasn’t an odd image to the Jews of Jesus’ day, and it would fit well with the image the Jewish people of that time had of the expected Messiah.

The Baptist identifies Jesus as the Lamb, then tells us of the baptism, but in the Gospel according to John, the Baptist’s most important role is as the one who announces Jesus coming, and then points Him out to others.

In today’s Gospel, the Baptist declares “Behold, the Lamb of God!”, words that make his listeners look at Jesus, and when they do many see the promised warrior lamb who will free the Jewish people from Roman dominance and make things “right” again. At that moment, they probably cannot even imagine the sacrifice of the Lamb, or the sacrifices they themselves will be called to make.

It is interesting that sacrifice probably didn’t cross their minds, since it was such a central action in their daily lives as Jews. All their religious festivals and high holy days involved animal sacrifice – which for them often meant lambs. Sacrifice was integral to maintaining a good relationship with God. But these young men hear what the Baptist says, and what they see is Messiah – liberator, revolutionary – and leaving John the Baptist, whose disciples they undoubtedly were, they follow 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.” 

Last week’s Gospel gave us a vision of what we like to think of when we think of baptism – light, love, the dove descending, a glorious life, the beginning of Jesus’ earthly ministry. This is how baptism looks when we bring our little ones forward – it is a joyous time. This is also how we want our experience of our faith to be – joyful. When we think of lambs, we prefer the misleading but comforting Victorian image seen in many stained-glass windows, of the baby lamb held tenderly in Jesus’ arms.

At some point in our lives, because so many of us were baptized as babies, a minister asked us we if we reaffirmed our renunciation of evil, and if we renewed our commitment to Jesus. We would have responded, “I do, and with God's grace I will follow him as my Savior and Lord.” From that point on, we set our feet on the way that leads to holiness.

Do you remember your confirmation day – and how exciting it was?  Was it because you were finally allowed to receive communion, (the rules have changed since then) or because of the party your family held to celebrate your day? The men who left off following the Baptist and went after Jesus were elated beyond all imagining, and for one specific reason. Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother … found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah.” 

We, like them, have found the Messiah. Like them we have followed, and like them have begun to see, and what we have discovered, as they did, is that the life of a follower of Jesus can be anything but a day in the park. Many spiritual gifts are ours, as is great joy, but what often stops us in our tracks, is suffering. We seem to think that because we belong to Jesus, suffering should not be part of our lives, should not be seen as blessing. In today’s Gospel, the telling of Jesus baptism that so differs from the Synoptics, John the Baptist speaks the words that assure us that suffering and sacrifice will definitely be a part of our lives, one of the many gifts of the Lamb of God.

As John the Gospel writer saw it, John the Baptist fulfilled his role by identifying the Messiah. Our role is eternally more complex, for we not only follow the Messiah, we are called to identify Him in each other, and to serve Him in each other, and to not for a moment doubt that all that we encounter, even the suffering in our lives.

How do we manage, how can we live not of this world, but as followers of Jesus? Think about what we do when we celebrate Holy Communion, a service that over the centuries has gathered several names.  It is called the Liturgy which refers to the structured communal service that includes - Eucharist, which means “thanksgiving”.  And then, it is known as the Sacrifice of the Mass, which is the mystical renewal of Jesus’ sacrifice on Calvary. Speaking for myself, even before my ordination and certainly since, Holy Communion has been a source of exquisite joy, and yet, it is the recreation of a terrible suffering offered up for us in love.

When we receive communion, we take into our bodies the gift of total joy and total sacrifice – that we may live the impossible made possible by The Lamb of God.

Let us pray – repeating the pastoral prayer of last week:

Father in heaven, who at the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan proclaimed Him Your beloved Son and anointed Him with the Holy Spirit: Grant that we who are baptized into His Name may keep the covenant we have made, and boldly confess Him as Lord and Savior; who with You and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.