Saturday, January 3, 2004
Week Before Epiphany

1st Reading: 1 Jn 2:29-3:6
Gospel: Jn 1:29-34

When John saw Jesus coming towards him, he said, "There is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. It is he of whom I said: A man comes after me who is already ahead of me, for he was before me. I myself did not know him, but I came baptizing to prepare for him, so that he might be revealed in Israel."

And John also gave this testimony, "I saw the Spirit coming down on him like a dove from heaven and resting on him. I myself did not know him but God who sent me to baptize told me: 'You will see the Spirit coming down and resting on the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' Yes, I have seen! and I declare that this is the Chosen One of God."

Commentary

JESUS is called "lamb of God" more than thirty times in the New Testament. The title has overtones of the Jewish annual Passover feast, when a yearling lamb was killed and eaten. This lamb became linked with the Exodus text (13:11-16) about the substitution of an animal for the firstborn of every family.
It is an enduring image of Jesus. A lamb is a figure of innocence. "Like a lamb that is led to the slaughter-house, like a sheep that is dumb before its shearers, never opening its mouth" (Is 53:7). Sheep, let alone lambs, have no real means of self-defense. Before they were domesticated more than 10,000 years ago they could defend themselves by climbing to inaccessible places in the mountains, but since they came among us they are particularly at our mercy. One could say the same about the Lamb of God.

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