The Lamb of God

The day after their encounter at the River, the day after John saw Jesus declared as God’s Chosen one, these two men encounter each other again. But this time there was something different to do. The first day was about rightness and water. The second day is about witnessing to who Jesus is. John boldly declares for everyone to hear that he has seen God anoint Jesus and that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. In effect John has said, “I came, I saw, and I have revealed to you this man is the Lamb of God.”

Two days after the baptism, these two men cross paths once more, and Jesus is walking away from the river and away from John. And as he does, John once more revels what he knows to the crowd around him, “See! Look at him! The Lamb of God!” Two other men who were standing near John looked at Jesus as he was walking away from the river and they decide to go and follow this Teacher. Please note that they did not choose Jesus. Jesus chose them. Yes they “followed” him but as the Gospel describes it, they followed him as his disciples. They already were his disciples when they went after him. So it might be important to know that God is at work all the time in the lives of those he calls. Plus we need to keep in mind that God chooses whom God chooses and we are called to love every person whom God calls. It is not optional. It is a command. Remember? “If you love me, you will do what I command you… A new command I give to you: love one another as I have loved you.”

Being a Christian is more than a single moment of epiphany; of realizing just who Jesus is for us and for the world. Being a Christian may begin with a fantastic conversion experience and it could also be the living out of what we have been taught and believed for a lifetime. It could be living out a sacramental moment and figuring out what it means in the here and now for a lifetime. We do not arrive as fully formed, perfect Christians. We still have to grow into the fullness and stature of Jesus Christ. We still are being christened – that is, made like Jesus – not only in the good things, but also in the pain and the suffering and the compassion that this world needs to know. And whatever else it is, Christianity is about living out the life that we have been given to show people that we have come, that we have seen and that we are making known to the world around us that we see the Lamb, he is here and he is calling us… and that means he’s calling you too!

So what happens when we start out on the road with Jesus? We get to come and see! We are invited into all of his life, to spend time with him, to see how he really lives and how he really abides in God. We are called to abide with him so that we might be tended on by God – pruned and dressed so that we would be able to bear much spiritual fruit and grow in what we offer to God. And because we are called to abide and to come and see, we are confronted with the question, “What do you want?” or “What is it that you are looking for?” This is an important question for us not only as individuals but also as community. What is that we seek? It is not about who we seek but what we are searching for.

As a community of believers we are called to community and to servanthood; we are called to service and to companionship. This is why the Church was created! Our following begins with the first breath and is delayed by death for a time as yet unseen and unknown. And as we intentionally come and search, we will come to see God for who God is and we will find ourselves finally at home with him. What makes the Church holy is neither the rules it keeps nor the theology they have discovered. The Church is holy because God calls it holy and is making the Church so. Remember that the Church is God’s chosen people and therefore they are family.

So let us take this opportunity to make Christ known and to draw in those who are called to be family and in the process point out the way to God – look, the Lamb comes to us!