Friday, August 9, 2024  

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Today's Scripture
John 1:29–42

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.” And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 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.’ And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.” The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!”

The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 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?” 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. One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed). He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter). (NRSV)

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Reflection

A main purpose of John’s gospel is to strengthen the belief of his hearers in Jesus as the Christ. Thus, in his opening sentence of this portion of the first chapter, he gets their attention by referring to familiar Old Testament passages and asserting that Jesus is “the Lamb of God” and that he atones for the sins of the world. But John boldly goes on: this Jesus baptizes, not just with water, but with the “Holy Spirit.” You have to wonder if John’s hearers knew what that meant. A “spirit?” And that he will “remain?”

 

John does not elaborate here on what he means, but I can imagine that his audience would have been scared, challenged, or eager to hear more about how their sins could be atoned, about what a Holy Spirit might be or do, and to learn that, what’s more, this “spirit” would remain. These are strong assertions by John. I think of how I might feel if someone I respected and trusted reassured me that all the bad stuff I’d done or said in my life was now atoned for. And that I had been blessed by a spirit, possibly forever, one that would always be with me. In fact, are these not central beliefs of those of us who profess to be Christians? But in darker moments we forget that that reassurance is there for the taking.

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Prayer
Loving God, thank you for the simple but profound words of John about your forgiving care, ever present through the Holy Spirit. As we pray at the close of sermons, “We believe. Help our unbelief.” Amen.

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Written by Rebecca Dixon, Member of Fourth Presbyterian Church

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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