Commentary on today's gospel: “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (Jn 1, 29-34)
Today we celebrate the holy name of Jesus! “Yeshouah” (in Hebrew : the Salvation of God) . This name alone evokes the novelty of the Salvation offered by the Lord, himself, to all men.
John the Baptist is the only prophet to have seen with his own eyes the one whose coming he announced. He refers to it as Lamb of Godin relation to the lambs that were offered as sacrifices at the Temple to ask forgiveness for sins.
It is no longer a question of an animal bought at the door of the Temple and offered as a sacrifice, it is a question of the One whom God himself sends for Pardon. John probably did not yet understand that this was the incarnation of the Word of God, but he already discerned that we were entering into a completely new relationship with the Eternal.
The Holy Spirit himself (invisible breath of God who spoke secretly to the hearts of the prophets) now becomes visible to his eyes in the form of a dove.
John immersed those who wanted to convert into the water, thus offering them purification of heart and spirit, so that they would become capable of seeing and understanding the Messiah. From now on it is the One who has revealed himself fully invested with the Divine Spirit who will immerse them directly in this Holy Spirit to give them new life.
P. Francis de Backer
