Behold the Lamb of God!

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Those are the words that John the Baptist exclaims as he sees Jesus walking by in the Jordan wilderness. Soon John’s own disciples will begin following Jesus as John’s ministry decreases and Jesus’ increases. 

Last week we saw Jesus revealed to the nations as the Magi visited the child and his family. This week we will see Jesus revealed as the Lamb of God and the Son of God because John the Baptist sees the Spirit of God descending on him like a dove. 

Moreover, the Exodus reading will remind us of the Passover and how the blood of the Passover lamb stayed the hand of the death angel as it passed through Egypt to strike down every first born. The only protection from death was the blood of the lamb. 

I look forward to seeing you this Sunday as the season after Epiphany continues, and we all seek to behold the glory of God in the face of Christ. 

Jay+

As we behold the face of God in the face of Christ, we are transformed into his image. This is what it means to be fully human—to become like Jesus, the truly human one, and to grow more and more in the freedom of the children of God.