John 1:35-42
John was standing with two of his disciples,
and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said,
“Behold, the Lamb of God.”
The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them,
“What are you looking for?”
They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher),
“where are you staying?”
He said to them, “Come, and you will see.”
So they went and saw where he was staying,
and they stayed with him that day.
It was about four in the afternoon.
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter,
was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus.
He first found his own brother Simon and told him,
“We have found the Messiah,” which is translated Christ.
Then he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said,
“You are Simon the son of John;
you will be called Cephas,” which is translated Peter.
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We hear these words at every Mass – “Behold, the Lamb of God”. These words were first spoken by John the Baptist as Jesus walked by. Why was Jesus the Lamb of God?
1) Jesus was born in a manger where little lambs and other animals were born.
2) Lambs were sacrificed for the sins of the people. Of course we know that Jesus offered Himself as the one sacrifice for all time for the forgiveness of sins.
3) Those lambs that were sacrificed were eaten for the Passover. Jesus gave us His body and blood to consume at Mass.
The two disciples followed Jesus that day and their lives were never the same. And Andrew went to tell Peter, his brother, that they had “found the Messiah”, the anointed one.
When we truly encounter Christ our lives are never the same either. And when we do, we cannot contain the love and enthusiasm that fills our hearts. We, like Andrew, want to go and tell everyone we have found the Messiah.
Have you encountered the living Christ?
Are you filled with His love and joy?
Do you seek the Lamb of God every day?
Have a blessed day!
Fr. Burke
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