Homily
for January 20, 2008
Liturgical Year A- Cycle II
2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Fr. Andrew Moyo Topic: Behold the Lamb of God
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Gospel : John 1: 29-34 John the Baptist saw
Jesus coming toward him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes
away the sin of the world. He is the one of whom I said, 'A man is
coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.' I
did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was
that he might be made known to Israel." John testified further, saying,
"I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from heaven and remain upon
him. I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water
told me, 'On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is
the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' Now I have seen and
testified that he is the Son of God."
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Behold the Lamb of God Last Sunday we celebrated the feast of
the Baptism of our
Lord. On the Baptism, God the father
revealed the identity of his son, “This is my son my beloved one, with
who I am
well pleased.” Today’s reading also
speaks about the identity and mission of Jesus.
John the Baptist who has just baptized Jesus proclaims to the people
who
Jesus is. John the Baptist uses a Biblical image to reveal the identity
and
mission of Jesus, “Behold the Lamb of God; who takes away the sins of
the world.” The words “Lamb of God” reveal the identity
of Jesus, “Who takes away the sin the world” speaks about the mission
of Jesus.
Jesus as the Passover lamb John the Baptist uses the phrase,
“Lamb of God”, to point
Jesus as the messiah of the people. This
phrase speaks volumes in Jewish sacred history.
The lamb was the animal selected to obtain the forgiveness for the sins
of the people and the entire Jewish nation.
In the preparation of the night of liberation, the Israelites
celebrated
the night of the Passover. They were
told to smear the blood of the lamb on the door posts of their
houses. This was the sign that the family was an
Israelite family and were not to be harmed. The angel of death passed
over the
Israelite houses and in this way they were the blood of the lamb
preserved them
from destruction. In the new covenant, the lamb is no
longer an animal but
a person. The families do not provide
the lamb but God himself provides the lamb.
This lamb is Jesus, the Son of God.
His blood, shed on the cross, replaces the blood of lambs in acquiring
forgiveness of sins for the people. His is, is the true and only
sacrifice
which can wash away our sins and free us from condemnation. In
the book of revelation, Jesus is depicted
as the victorious lamb slain for our sins and now risen in the glory at
the
Father’s right hand in heaven. “And
between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders,
I saw a
Lamb standing, as though it had been slain.”
(Revelations 5:6) St. Peter
writes, “The blood of Christ redeems us from our sins. For you
know that it was not with perishable
things, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish
or
defect. ( 1 Peter 18,19). At every Eucharistic celebration, we
either sing or
recite the Lamb of God. When we do this
we remember what Jesus did for us: he shed his blood on the cross for
the
remission of our sins. As we come to
receive the Lord in the Eucharist today, let us be grateful and thank
God for
such immense love.
John the Baptist’s mission was
to point out the Lamb of
God to the world. His mission is not
different from the mission of every Christian.
We are to point out the Lamb of God to the world. We do that
effectively
by the way we live.
Billy Graham relates this
experience. He was in Delhi preaching: Then an Indian
said to him. “I would become a Christian
if could see one,” and he was looking right straight at him when he
said those
words. Thus, the greatest sermon Billy
Graham ever heard preached. People want
to see a Christian, they can read the Bible on their own.
Let us pray that we may be able
this year to give an
authentic Christian witness through authentic Christian living.