The Next Day
John 1:29-42 NRSV (mod)
to the fulfillment of that acclamation in Jesus’ crucifixion and death the day the lambs were slaughtered for the Passover feast at the end of the story. And then “feed my lambs” at the very end. So this is our gospel reading for today, and it’s all Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia.
29 The next day he (John the Baptist) saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.”
35 The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Behold the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed). 42 He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Kephas” (which is translated Peter).
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Yes, I make a lot of noise about Mark being my favorite gospel, and Mark is my favorite of the synoptics, being in my mind the first and most legit and independent, and unadorned, with the most intriguing agenda, and the oldest -- although if we consider Q for Matthew and Luke, the Q Gospel may date more than a generation earlier than Mark. But for splendiferousness the Gospel according to John is insuperable. From John’s glorious opening prologue, to John the Baptist’s acclamation of Jesus as The Lamb of God at the very beginning of the gospel,
to the fulfillment of that acclamation in Jesus’ crucifixion and death the day the lambs were slaughtered for the Passover feast at the end of the story. And then “feed my lambs” at the very end. So this is our gospel reading for today, and it’s all Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia.
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