1 John 2:29-3:6
John 1:29-34
We have begun the new year and the title of Jesus as the Lamb of God emerges in our gospel reading of today. By calling Jesus the Lamb of God, John the Baptist points to the role and mission of the Messiah.
This title also had emerged from their early Johannine Christian community as a liturgical practice and devotion, but it has remained and is still part of both our own liturgical prayer as well as a formulation that expresses our faith. They saw God as One who calls and sends his only begotten Son, they experienced the Holy Spirit as a guide who is indwelling and bearer of graces and saw Jesus as both pre-existent and Immanuel whose sacrifice sets them free once and for all.
This Trinitarian love of God was revealed to them, with that experience, they saw too their own role – it’s as if John represents them and they like John went before the Lord, perhaps not called by God to a baptismal ministry but nevertheless called to announce Jesus and proclaim him as the true Lamb of God.
We too have been touched by the love of the Blessed Trinity and we will have to announce and bear testimony to the unconditional love of God through repentance and radical step of following Jesus closely. May the Lamb of God help us to be overcomers of evil in our society as we bear authentic witness to him. Amen
Fr Joseph Osho
