Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

January 14, 2018

Readings:

First Reading – 1 Samuel 3: 3b-10, 19

Psalm 40

Second Reading – 1 Corinthians 6: 13c-15a, 17-20

Gospel reading according to John (1; 35-42)

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Homily:  Behold the Lamb of God . . . Come and you will see!

John the Baptizer introduced Jesus to his disciples, among them Andrew and John, “as he watched Jesus walked by” (John 1: 35). Where Jesus came from and where he is going?  We don’t know.  It was afternoon while John was teaching and/or preaching his disciples on penance and repentance for the forgiveness of their sins, and even (maybe) the meaning of the Lamb of God.  Maybe his disciples were reclining on the ground; some were sitting while others were standing in the open field in the desert. And suddenly, Jesus passed by John said to his disciples, “Behold the Lamb of God” (John 1: 35).

When John the Baptizer said, “Behold the Lamb of God,” what does he mean?  What does “Lamb of God” mean when he referred it to Jesus as the Lamb of God?  And because of this calling/naming, John’s disciples followed Jesus.  How did these disciples understand the meaning of the words, “Lamb of God?” for immediately they left John and followed Jesus?  How do they understand the meaning of these words?

Cross References: 

Looking back the meaning of the Lamb of God in the Old Testament, we can understand and give meaning to the word Lamb of God.

In the Book of Genesis 22:7
“Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." And he said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"

In the Book of Numbers 7:27
“. . . one young bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; . . .”

In the Book of the Prophet Isaiah 53:7
“He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth.”

Another in the Book of Isaiah 53:10
“But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.”

In the Book of the Prophet Zechariah 13:1
"In that day a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for impurity.”

These examples of saying in the Old Testament illustrate what the Lamb of God is.  As Isaac asked his father Abraham, “Where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”  Isaac and Abraham knew what to offer, as “. . . one young bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering.”  Jesus, the Son of God, is the lamb to be burned as offering.  Isaiah described him as, “He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth.  But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.”  Also the prophet Zechariah once said about the Lamb of God, "In that day a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for impurity.” Therefore the Lamb of God is one to be offered to the almighty God.  It is the bearer of the world's sin and sorrow who will take away the sins of the world. As in John’s gospel; "Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29).

So, the disciples of John understood what he meant when he referred Jesus as the Lamb of God, they followed Jesus.  Jesus, because he was sensitive, “turned and saw them following him and said to them, ‘What are you looking for’?” (John 1:38).  Instead of saying, Why are you following me, he asked them, What are you looking for?  Andrew and John did not answer Jesus but instead they asked him, “Rabbi, where are you staying?  He said to them, ‘Come and you will see’.” (John 1:38-39). “So they went and saw where Jesus was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was four in the afternoon” (John 1:39).  Maybe after going with Jesus, they found what they were looking for.  If you want to know something to someone you have to see where he or she is staying, and you will discover who he/she is.     

Afterward, after that encounter, it is right to share to others the experienced we seen.  Like Andrew, the experienced was overflowing, so he brought the good news to his brother Peter what he saw and experienced.  “Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus.  He first found his own brother Simon and told him, ‘We have found the Messiah.’  Then he brought him to Jesus.  Jesus looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon the son of John; you will be called Cephas – which is translated Peter’.” (John 1:40-42)    

In Jesus, he can see/look the person and the temperament in us.  He can also give us new names that suit to us.  He is always ready to accept us as friends and brings us to where he is staying, to show who he really is. Jesus the Lamb of God is ready to offer his self for our salvation and enlightenment of the heart.