The lamb of God
Published Jan 3, 2023 12:05 am
REFLECTIONS TODAY
What’s in a name? Today is the feast of the naming of Jesus. The name “Jesus” (Hebrew Yeshua) means “the Lord saves.” A name, therefore, that fully expresses who Jesus is or what he was born for. He was sent to a world full of sin, and evil, thus a world needing salvation. Before Jesus came, humanity “walked in darkness” (Is 9:1); when he came, “light has shone” (Is 9:1), and humanity was saved. Today’s Gospel declares Jesus as the “Lamb” (amnos in Greek) of God—the unblemished lamb that was slain and offered as a sacrifice to cleanse sinful humanity by his blood. This is another image of Jesus being savior, being salvation.
Nowadays, there is less attention to what name to give children. Some are given unheard-of names, names which mean nothing. Of course, there is more to a person than her or his name, but we can put the person “in the right track” from the start by naming her or him properly or meaningfully so she or he can embody or manifest its meaning in daily life.
First Reading • 1 Jn 2:29—3:6
If you consider that God is righteous, you also know that everyone who acts in righteousness is begotten by him.
See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure, as he is pure.
Everyone who commits sin commits lawlessness, for sin is lawlessness. You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who remains in him sins; no one who sins has seen him or known him.
Gospel • Jn 1:29-34
John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. He is the one of whom I said, ‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’ I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel.” John testified further, saying, “I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon him. I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.”
Source: “365 Days with the Lord 2022,” St. Paul's, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; Fax 632-895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.
What’s in a name? Today is the feast of the naming of Jesus. The name “Jesus” (Hebrew Yeshua) means “the Lord saves.” A name, therefore, that fully expresses who Jesus is or what he was born for. He was sent to a world full of sin, and evil, thus a world needing salvation. Before Jesus came, humanity “walked in darkness” (Is 9:1); when he came, “light has shone” (Is 9:1), and humanity was saved. Today’s Gospel declares Jesus as the “Lamb” (amnos in Greek) of God—the unblemished lamb that was slain and offered as a sacrifice to cleanse sinful humanity by his blood. This is another image of Jesus being savior, being salvation.
Nowadays, there is less attention to what name to give children. Some are given unheard-of names, names which mean nothing. Of course, there is more to a person than her or his name, but we can put the person “in the right track” from the start by naming her or him properly or meaningfully so she or he can embody or manifest its meaning in daily life.
First Reading • 1 Jn 2:29—3:6
If you consider that God is righteous, you also know that everyone who acts in righteousness is begotten by him.
See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure, as he is pure.
Everyone who commits sin commits lawlessness, for sin is lawlessness. You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who remains in him sins; no one who sins has seen him or known him.
Gospel • Jn 1:29-34
John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. He is the one of whom I said, ‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’ I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel.” John testified further, saying, “I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon him. I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.”
Source: “365 Days with the Lord 2022,” St. Paul's, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; Fax 632-895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.