Behold, the Lamb of God (cf. Jn 1:29-34)
When John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him, he gave a testimony about Him, which is a "concise theology" of the person of Jesus: "Behold the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world." These words are still spoken today by every priest during the Eucharist, revealing the broken Host.
John's testimony contains a paradox. He first confesses Jesus as the Lamb of God, and then states that he did not know Him before. These words are surprising because John was a cousin of Jesus. An ancient tradition says that as children, they spent time together, playing. Later, they probably met many times. Moreover, John already in the prenatal period "recognized Jesus" and "rejoiced" at the visit of Mary, who was in a blessed state (cf. Lk 1:44).
John knew many facts of Jesus' life, but he did not know Him. There is a difference between knowing the facts of a person's life and knowing that person. Today, the computer and the Internet make it possible to get to know everyone more and more. This does not mean, however, that through these tools we reach the depths. A living person can always amaze us with its originality and hidden secret. In the same way, we come to know and learn Jesus continuously, permanently. And we can never say that we have come to know him deeply.
John came to know Jesus intimately only when he saw the Holy Spirit "descending and remaining upon him." The Holy Spirit makes us recognize the truth about man. Until we see the Spirit present in him, the reflection of God, we will not understand him. We will remain outside him, beyond the "outer armor," unaware of his depth.
In the sacrament of Confirmation we have been strengthened and filled with the Holy Spirit. From now on, our life's task is to grow in Him and allow Him to grow in us. The first step on the path of life in the Spirit is not to grieve him (cf. Eph 4:30), that is, to remove obstacles, sin, overcome selfishness. "It is not possible to coexist peacefully between the Spirit of God and sin, between love and hate, between fire and ice" (W. Stinissen).
John's testimony is a "theological pill." The "Lamb of God" is Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, present today in his Church under the species of bread and wine. Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who took away the sin of the world, is at once triumphant and alive. He lives with the Father (in the Father), but at the same time he is with us (in the Church) "always, to the end of the age" (cf. Mt 28:20). In the Easter Preface we sing: "He does not cease to offer himself for us and intercedes for us as our Advocate. Once sacrificed, he does not die again, but always lives as a lamb slain."
What is "my theology" of Jesus? What do I usually think when a priest shows the Host and says, "Blessed are those who have been called to the banquet of the Lamb"? Do I "feel" that Jesus is with me and intercedes for me before God the Father?
But why are some people indifferent to this, even indifferent to the matter of their own salvation? Why do some people not enjoy the Savior's coming at all? Why do some people act as if they don't need the Lord Jesus at all?
Looking carefully at the figure of John the Baptist, we find the answer to these questions. Namely, John's entire work was to get people to recognize that they were sinners and to yearn for reconciliation with God and to beg Him for mercy.
As we know, some people John failed to lead to this. It was these people who decided that they did not need Christ. They were Pharisees. They considered themselves righteous men, and the news of salvation only irritated them. The Lord Jesus once said of them, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees." The leaven of the Pharisees is a false sense of justice, it is the attribution of evil to everyone but oneself.
Well, the condition for recognizing Jesus as our Savior, for truly rejoicing in our faith in Jesus Christ, is our openness to this experience at the Jordan, when people confessed their sins and begged God for mercy. It is worth realizing at least from time to time that sin is an act of hostility towards God. Through sin, we offend the image of God in us that the Creator has placed in us. With our sins, we transform this divine world into the antechamber of hell, where good is mixed with evil, where lies often reign and the truth is ridiculed, where indifference to human harm is considered natural.
To truly rejoice in Christ, we must first be frightened by the fact that we are sinners and that we too are co-creators of this world, in which God does not exist. For the true Christ is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Whoever does not see this will never truly know Christ.
Until Tomorrow
fr. george