John was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” John 1:36

Jesus is referred to by many titles – the Messiah, the Christ, Son of God, Son of Man, Lord and Savior.  In today’s gospel reading we hear another title.  John the Baptist sees Jesus approaching and tells us “Behold, the Lamb of God.”

The titles we use to address Jesus are significant for they reveal to us aspects of His nature.  Messiah and Christ are both terms that address Jesus as the Anointed One.  They reveal Jesus as priest, prophet and king.   The title “Son of God” reveals Jesus as being truly divine, while Son of Man reveals Jesus as fully human.  Jesus, as the Lamb of God, signifies none of these things. So the question is “What aspect of Jesus does the title ‘Lamb of God’ reveal to us?”

The key to understanding this title is found in the Old Testament and the story of the first Passover in Egypt.  I think all of us know some of the details. During that fateful night, every firstborn son in Egypt perished except those in Israelite families – but only in those Israelite families that followed Moses' stipulations carefully. God gave to Moses certain stipulations regarding how that first Passover was to be observed. For instance, every family had to find an unblemished male lamb and slaughter it. Then they had to take its blood and sprinkle it upon the doorposts using a hyssop branch. Then they had to roast that lamb and eat that lamb that evening, standing up with their loins girded, ready to flee Egyptian bondage in haste.

Jesus Christ is the Passover Lamb. He is the one who fulfills and completes every detail of the Old Testament Passover. But he is also the sacrificing priest. Jesus is both priest and victim.

During the Eucharistic prayer, when the priest elevates the consecrated host and says, “Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world,” we are seeing the one and the same Lamb of God that John the Baptist saw in today’s gospel reading.  It is only our five senses that block our view. 

Let us pray that God will give us the grace to increase our faith, so that we might increase our awareness of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.  Give us eyes of faith that we too might “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.”

Blessings, 

Deacon Jack

St. Clare of Assisi

Houston, TX

I invite you to join us at St. Clare’s Eucharistic celebration:

TODAY, Sunday 9:00 AM (in person and livestream via facebook and our website) and 11:00 AM

Looking forward to welcoming y’all!

Fr. Vincent