Epiphany 2 “Behold, the lamb of God”

    John 1: 29-42

Opticians are very keen to impress upon us the importance of being able to see clearly.

Specsavers have got their catchphrase “should’ve gone to Specsavers” into all our brains.

 

You might remember this advert from the last few years – as it includes the tune we have been singing for the words  “behold the lamb of God”, and includes both sheep and the importance of seeing, I couldn’t resist using it to introduce this sermon:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DV2qiOeUT9E

 

It is hard to navigate the world if we can’t see clearly.

We need to pay attention, look and see.

 

John’s gospel is full of references to seeing, looking, watching.

The part of the gospel we heard this morning contains at least 10 references to seeing, and John the Baptist is clear that he wants the people around him to look and to see Jesus for who he is :

“Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”.

 

The gospel of Luke tells us that when Mary became pregnant with Jesus she went to visit ‘her relative’, Elizabeth, wife of Zechariah, the priest.

Elizabeth is herself pregnant, at long last, and the child in her womb leaps to welcome Jesus, in the womb of Mary. Elizabeth’s child is John, who grows to become John the Baptist.

So Jesus and John are related – they are often referred to as ‘cousins’ – whether that is second or third or sometime removed doesn’t really matter.

 

But when the adult John now sees the adult Jesus he doesn’t refer to this relationship – ‘here is my cousin, Jesus’ . John wants the crowd around him to know that despite looking like any other Galilean carpenter, Jesus is far more than just that.

“Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”.

 

John knows that what we see depends not only on how well our eyes work .. it also depends on what we expect to see, or even need to see.

The people around John need to look and see just who Jesus is, how vital he is to their lives, what he has come to do for the world.

 

Up to this point John has been preaching to people their need to turn away from sin, from all that divides them from God, and to accept a fresh start, more secure in God’s love. To mark this new start, he has been baptising people in the River Jordan.

At the same time, in the temple, people were used to the idea that the way to get themselves right with God was to sacrifice an animal. This was a sign of the penance they were prepared to offer to God, a sign of putting right all that is wrong in their lives.

The best animal to offer, the one that was offered at the Passover feast each year, was a lamb.

 

When Jesus walks by and John says “Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”, he is pointing out not just Jesus the man, but Jesus as the one who will open up the way to God’s love for all people, who will help people bridge the gap they feel exists between them and God. For those who think that sacrificing a lamb might help make put things right with God, John says ‘Jesus is like the lamb God has sent to deal with all the sin which separates the whole world from God’s love’.

 

No wonder some of John the Baptist’s disciples decide to follow Jesus and find out more.

 

If this whole scene were to happen today, I wonder what John the Baptist would say to us?

 

We are not people who expect animal sacrifice to help us. But that doesn’t mean that we are not people who are looking for things to help us with the problems in our lives.

 

Perhaps to those who are deeply concerned with the state of the world – and that might be any of us who regularly watch the news – John might say

“Behold the prince of peace, who can still all the strife in our world”.

 

To those who are struggling with their health, or worried about the well-being of those close to them – John might say

“Behold the saviour, who comes to heal us in body and in soul”.

 

To those who wonder which way to turn in life, how to make good decisions, how to lead a life of holiness – John might say

“Behold the wonderful counsellor, who calls us to follow him”.

 

To those who need to have more comfort and security in their lives – John might say

“Behold the one who has come to show us the love of our eternal father”.

 

To those who feel trapped by the past, or by present difficulties, or by future fears – John might say

“Behold the gracious one, who declares release to every prisoner”.

 

We are still early enough in the new year to be looking to make something of a fresh start.

Perhaps this year we can look for and discover new ways that God comes to us in Christ.

Like those first disciples, we can look around us, look and see where the living Jesus is at work in our world.

 

The United States Conference of Roman Catholic Bishops issued this prayer in 2021.

I think it is a useful one for us as we begin 2026 and look to see the Lamb of God:

 

Jesus, although you are God,
you hid yourself in Mary's womb to come into the world.

May we see you hiding in everyone we encounter
and grow in our ability to recognize ourselves as one family.

 

In this season of joyful hope,
help us believe in the possibility of a more charitable world that will overcome polarization and brokenness.

 

Give us the grace to patiently listen to others
as we wait in joyful hope for your coming.

Transform our minds and our hearts to see our neighbours and our world as you do.

 

Set aflame our hearts to tirelessly bring about your kingdom where all will find peace.

 

Amen.