Sunday Scripture Readings

Submitted on May 24, 2007

Fr. Francix X. Cleary, SJ

second sunday in ordinary time, january 20 Isaiah 49:3, 5-6; Psalm 40; 1 Corinthians 1:1-3; John 1:29-34 OUR GOOD NEWS: God lovingly chooses Jesus - and us. All four Gospels record John the Baptist's witness to Jesus, but none more profoundly than John's Gospel (today's selection). Significantly, John ignored the Baptist's baptism of Jesus, stressing instead John's testimony. John was neither Messiah nor Elijah nor the anonymous Prophet popularly expected at End-Times. In contrasting Jesus with the Baptist, this passage recalled and applied four rich Old Testament titles: Jesus as (1) Lamb of God, (2) Pre-existent One, (3) Spirit-bearer and (4) Chosen One. Describing Jesus as "Lamb of God" revealed who Jesus was and what he would accomplish. He is the Christ, enjoying unique intimacy with and total obedience to the Father. This submissive "Lamb" of God is also the Lamb offered by God. Glorification of the Lamb of God and son of Man would involve suffering as well as exaltation, made possible by Jesus' dual origin as human and divine. Lamb imagery also alludes to the Son's saving activity by suggesting the Old Testament pattern of sacrifice in which lambs figured prominently, especially as a vicarious offering for sin. Temporal allusions further clarify Jesus' role in our salvation. Glorified (past tense) through humiliation (cross) and exaltation (Resurrection), Jesus now "bears away (continuous present) the sin (ongoing condition) of the world." Thus, this title of Lamb as applied to Jesus anticipated his work as Revealer of God and Redeemer of humankind. John's second designation of Jesus as Pre-existent One represented a reversal of roles, for normally whoever comes first ranks ahead. Only at the baptism of Jesus did John recognized Jesus' true identity and understand the subordinate role of his own baptism. Thus the outline of John's Gospel: By his own ministry ("baptizing with water") and testimony, John mediated this revelation to Israel, whence it would spread to Samaritans (Jn 4:4-42), Greeks (Gentiles) (Jn 12:20) and the world itself (Jn 21: 1-14). All four Evangelists similarly understood the third title, the gift of the Spirit at Jesus' baptism. It was an act of consecration by which Jesus was installed as royal messiah and suffering Messianic Servant of God in fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecies. The Fourth Gospel adds that the Spirit "came to rest on" Jesus as the Spirit-bearer as well as sin-bearer. He not only carries but confers the Spirit on his followers. The comparison "like a dove" invites our reflection on two well-known Old Testament texts. The Spirit brooding over primeval waters at creation (Gn 1:2) suggests a new creation in Christ. The dove of Noah's ark (Gn 8:8-12) here applied to the waters in which Jesus was baptized, prefiguring crisis followed by healing - salvation through judgment. John climaxed his witness to Jesus' true identity with the fourth title, "God's Chosen One." John's Gospel thus summarizes the heart of Christian faith, revealing the twofold dimension of Jesus as true human being like all of us, yet true God.