The day after he baptizes Jesus, John the Baptist sees Jesus and testifies about his identity: “See the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” Note the following:
Jesus takes away the sin of the world, not the church. Just as in John 3:16, we are called to recognize Jesus as the savior of the world.
John the Baptist is again testifying about Jesus, promoting Jesus, and demoting himself.
A little background about John the Baptist. Pontius Pilate was the Roman Procurator of all Judea and ruled over the small village of Beth Hakerem (meaning “House of the Vineyard”) near Jerusalem where John the Baptist was born in 6-4 BC. Today that village in the hill country of ancient Judea is called Ein Karem.Though cousins, John and Jesus did not live near one another and it is not known whether they met during childhood. After his birth, Scripture is silent about John until it records his appearance in the Judean desert where he lived as a hermit until about A.D. 27. When he was thirty, he began to preach on the banks of the Jordan against the evils of the times. John attracted large crowds. He preached a baptism of repentance “for the Kingdom of Heaven is close at hand”. The presence of John and his disciples was not felt until about one year before the beginning of the ministry of Jesus.
Jesus on the other was born in Bethlehem, and was blessed at the Temple in Jerusalem when he was a baby. Jesus grew up in the town of Nazareth with his mother Mary, and his dad Joseph. Nazareth is in northern Israel (Galilee).
Back to our reading, the whole Gospel of John was written for no other reason than to reveal Jesus to us, to provide a space for us to encounter him in his full identity. The author clearly tells you at the end of chapter 20: “But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.” John the Baptist is a significant person to affirm the identity of Jesus. He sets himself apart as one that speaks to the troubled masses of the time, focusing on what is right not what pleases the listeners.
After a day spent with the authorities about why he was not conforming to the norms of the day, Jesus arrives. John does not feel that he can baptize as he realizes that Jesus is without sin. What if Jesus understood repentance to be turning toward? What if the gesture that Jesus was making was one of inclusion, acceptance, or entrance? The next day, John sees Jesus and testifies: “‘Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! The following day, John again proclaims: “See the Lamb of God.” On the basis of hearing the testimony of another person, John’s disciples follow Jesus. It begins with Jesus directly addressing them: “What do you seek?” He invites them to “Come and See.” They hang out with Jesus which leads to their deep intimate encounter with him. This results in a rich, eternal-life-giving experience of their own with Jesus such that their faith is no longer derivative of someone else’s but is now based on their own intimate relationship with Jesus.
The challenge for us is to accept the invitation to “Come and See.” Are you up to the challenge?
Let us Pray:
God of love, we are not perfect people. We have tried and failed. We have strayed from your path. Let us go forward, walking in the assurance that you have called us, equipped us, and given us as a light to the nations. Amen.