The Lamb of God
1 John 2:29–3:6, Ps. 98:1–3, John 1:29–34
Today’s gospel reading presents us with “Jesus the Lamb of God” (John 1:29 and John 1:36). Every name of Jesus in the Bible gives a clearer and fuller understanding of who Jesus is. To call Jesus the Lamb of God means that he is the perfect and ultimate sacrifice for sin. It also means that he is the servant of God.
In the Old Testament, the people were already used to sacrificing lambs for the forgiveness of sins; they were also used to the words of the prophets Jeremiah and Isaiah: “Like a lamb, he was led to the slaughter” (Jer. 11:19 and Isaiah 53:7). So the Jews who heard John pointing to Jesus as the Lamb of God instantly had a clearer understanding of Jesus and his mission.
Jesus is the lamb that replaces the Paschal Lamb (Mark 14:12). The Paschal lamb is the lamb sacrificed at the first Passover, on the eve of the Exodus from Egypt (Exod. 12:11–13). Moreso, in Exod. 29:38–42, every morning and evening, a lamb was sacrificed in the temple for the sins of the people. The time of Jesus’ death on the cross corresponds to the time the evening sacrifice was being made in the temple. Therefore, Jesus Christ is the perfect sacrifice God provided as atonement for the sins of His people.
Beloved, Animal sacrifices have stopped with Jesus Christ. In Heb 7:27, Jesus Christ was the ultimate sacrificial substitute once for all time. Any offering of animal sacrifice, therefore, becomes a sin. Some of us, even though we have come to know this truth, still go about offering sacrifices, killing goats and fowl in shrines, rivers, and junctions.
The gospel tells us that John the Baptist referred the people to the Lamb of God. He was a true witness. We are called to be true witnesses. Whatever you do, you are either a true witness or a false witness. Similarly, in the first reading, John emphasizes the identity of believers as children of God; thus, let’s live in alignment with God’s will and character.
Let us pray.
Almighty, ever-living God, who governs all things, both in heaven and on earth, mercifully hears the pleading of your people and bestows your peace on our times. Amen.
Fr. Daniel Evbotokhai
