Lamb of God
Christopher B. Harbin
John 1:29-42
What would we do with Jesus if he showed up in town today? How would we recognize him? How would we respond to his words, his teachings, his interactions with people? A lot of people in First Century Palestine had trouble with Jesus. They did not like the way he upset the apple cart. They took issue with how he called the religious structures to task for failing to give people greater importance than rites and rituals. They walked away from him for telling them to serve God, rather than seek after wealth. They despised him for letting go of power so as to treat people with grace, love, compassion, and mercy they could not deserve. They criticized him for fraternizing with the rabble and ignoring the upstanding members of society. How would that play in our midst today? Are we any more amenable to receiving the Lamb of God on God's terms?
As we read the gospels, we should recognize at the outset that they are theological literature. It is not their primary intention to relate history and biography. It is their purpose to introduce us to Jesus with a proper understanding of who he is and what he taught. One of John's contentions is to present Jesus as our Passover Lamb supplied by God. While the synoptic gospels relate that the Last Supper was a Passover celebration, John presents an altered timeline in which Jesus' death on the cross occurs at the time the Passover lambs would be slaughtered in the Jerusalem Temple. When the Baptist introduces us to the Lamb of God, John is preparing the way for us to recognize Jesus as the Lamb God has sent to redeem us after the manner of that original Passover in Egypt. Theology trumps history here, as John's purpose is to teach us about God and how God has come to us in Christ Jesus.
In today's gospel reading, we find John's take on the same episode we read last week in Matthew. Several details have changed, as John's purpose in writing is different from Matthew's. While ...
Christopher B. Harbin
John 1:29-42
What would we do with Jesus if he showed up in town today? How would we recognize him? How would we respond to his words, his teachings, his interactions with people? A lot of people in First Century Palestine had trouble with Jesus. They did not like the way he upset the apple cart. They took issue with how he called the religious structures to task for failing to give people greater importance than rites and rituals. They walked away from him for telling them to serve God, rather than seek after wealth. They despised him for letting go of power so as to treat people with grace, love, compassion, and mercy they could not deserve. They criticized him for fraternizing with the rabble and ignoring the upstanding members of society. How would that play in our midst today? Are we any more amenable to receiving the Lamb of God on God's terms?
As we read the gospels, we should recognize at the outset that they are theological literature. It is not their primary intention to relate history and biography. It is their purpose to introduce us to Jesus with a proper understanding of who he is and what he taught. One of John's contentions is to present Jesus as our Passover Lamb supplied by God. While the synoptic gospels relate that the Last Supper was a Passover celebration, John presents an altered timeline in which Jesus' death on the cross occurs at the time the Passover lambs would be slaughtered in the Jerusalem Temple. When the Baptist introduces us to the Lamb of God, John is preparing the way for us to recognize Jesus as the Lamb God has sent to redeem us after the manner of that original Passover in Egypt. Theology trumps history here, as John's purpose is to teach us about God and how God has come to us in Christ Jesus.
In today's gospel reading, we find John's take on the same episode we read last week in Matthew. Several details have changed, as John's purpose in writing is different from Matthew's. While ...
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