12,1996
The Message -- for Catholics of Southwestern Indiana
:. ;.
" Commentary--
John the Baptist: Titles of Jesus
Gospel Commentary for
nunaj./ The second influence on Jesus'
4, 1996, Second Sun. title as "Lamb of God" is in refer-
J, vrainay Time. Cycle
John 1:29.34 " A, ence to a passage from Isaiah 53:7,
• "Like a lamb that is led to the
There are t slaughter, and like a sheep that is
this see" _ wo forces at work in mute before its shearers, so he did
to iden:t;: the Gospel of John, not open his mouth. By oppression
r01e ^e,. us, and to clarify the and judgment he was taken
0n °o. the Baptist as sec- away...cut off out of the land of the
tko"=Y that of Jesus John uses livin', struck down for the sin of
lie]wta°e of the first clapter to my people." Acts 8:32 applies this
7 id le aI.ter title upon Jesus" ,B,=F.TR,., passage of Isaiah to Jesus. The con-
Lod life " " uu,' u.,.r=t . . .
tl sh, S^- ' , light, Word made COLUMNIST text m Isaiah s a poem or song
L Y" Irom the Father, Mes that details the suffering of a
",ultimate revealer .... " • ..... "s re'ected b his eo-
aULhoror, . . ow the I m m t,,phet who j y p
ia Lhe ra:..: cOspel of John places ple, yet offers his life for them. This
tie : ,mot John the Baptist several more tO- poem and three others like it are known as the "Suf-
on .= WhoUa_°t U°d, the one who ranks before me, the fering Servant Songs." By the title "Lamb of GOd,"
P . T ^, =plzes with the Holy Spirit, and Son of John, just as Luke in Acts 8:23, is telling his read-
the, c0ou, s examine the meaning of these titles in ers that Jesus is the suffering and rejected servant
0 pei' orthe time in which the formation of the of God who gives his life for his people.
",oOiln took place. The third influence on the title "Lamb of GOd"
is not to be understood as a syn-
CUte and cuddly, as in some type of
At the time of the writing of the
of God" could have several
First it could refer to the Paschal Lamb
that was slaughtered for the family
the feast of Passover. By the time of
had taken on the nature of
indicated by the fact that by the
of the Passover Lamb was
priests in the temple at Jerusalem. The
at twelve noon. The Gospel of
a point when it places the condemna-
esus at twelve noon. He is the true Paschal
Lamb.
is quite prominent in another work of the same
school of thought that produced the Gospel of John.
This other literary work is the Book of Revelation.
The Lamb of God is a primary actor in this book.
The Lamb is seen to have been slain and because of
this is now worthy to receive honor, power, glory to-
gether with the One who sits upon the throne, i.e.
God. The Lamb of the Book of Revelation redeems,
gives salvation. The wicked make war against the
Lamb, but he conquers them and is called, "Lord of
lords and King of kings." Thus we see the depth of
theology in the title "Lamb of God."
The title, "the one who ranks before me" is only
one statement among many in the Gospel of John
that portrays John the Baptist as secondary to
Jesus. This theme is stated repeatedly, beginning at
John 1:7-8 and ending at John 10:41. The title, "the
one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit, is part of
the same theme. Instead of portraying John the
Baptist as secondary, it portrays as secondary the
act or practice which identifies his mission, a type of
baptism. The Holy Spirit was given through the
baptism brought by Jesus, not through that prac-
ticed by John the Baptist.
Finally there is the title "Son of God." Ancient
manuscripts differ as to the correct reading. A very
important 4th century manuscript has "the Chosen
One of God instead of"Son of God." "The Chosen
One" connects Jesus again with the Servant Songs
of Isaiah. The first of those songs begins with these
words "Behold my servant, whom I uphold, MY : ,
CHOSEN ONE, in whom my soul delights. I have
put my Spirit upon him, etc." Thus Jesus is under°
stood as servant of God and bearer of the Holy
Spirit. As to the title "Son of God, there is discus-
sion at to whether or not the Gospel of John already
in the first century understands Jesus as "GOd from
God, light from light, true God from true God, one
in being with the Father, as later Church councils
declared. Whether or not John so understood the
title "Son of God may be unclear, but the basis or
core of such understanding is certainly present.
Today's gospel reading gives us the opportunity to
review what we believe about Jesus and to renew
our faith in him: "Behold the Lamb of God, who
takes away the sin of the world," the Servant of
God, the Chosen One, the Son of God who gives the
Holy Spirit.
Readings: Isaiah 49:3, 5-6; I Cor 1:1.3.
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