There is what scholars sometimes describe as a “lovely strangeness” in how the evangelists talk about John the Baptist. Each writer is announcing the same figure, but each tunes John’s ministry to a distinct theological key. Modern scholars tend to emphasize those distinct emphases; the Church Fathers, with their characteristic theological imagination, tend to harmonize them.

Mark leads with moral urgency. John appears in the wilderness: “proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Mk 1:4). Repentance is the doorway into the story. John’s baptism cleans, prepares, and awakens Israel to the coming kingdom. Mark is writing for a community who needs to know that the gospel demands an immediate response.  The Gospel of John gives a different angle. John the Baptist says: “I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel.” (Jn 1:31) And the Baptist’s testimony climaxes in the Spirit descending and remaining: “I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon him.” (Jn 1:32). The Fourth Gospel is not denying repentance; it simply pivots to revelation. John is the hinge by which Israel sees the One upon whom the Spirit rests. The heart of John’s theology is revelation: Jesus is shown as the Lamb of God, the Spirit-bearer, the Son.

Modern scholars today tend to approach each gospel as its own literary and theological world. So they notice that Mark focuses on the ethical preparation of the people. John’s ministry cleans the heart so that one can welcome the stronger One who is coming, focusing on Christological revelation. The Baptist’s job is not primarily to purify Israel but to point out and identify Jesus as the one on whom the Spirit “remains” which will be a major Johannine theme. Modern critics don’t see these as contradictions but as distinct windows into the same historical event. 

The Early Church writers in the 2nd through 4th centuries did not focus on the topics as modern scholars. The Father treated Scripture as a unified symphony, not a set of competing soloists. So they typically harmonize the accounts. They see the accounts as windows with complimentary views of the same historical event. Augustine, Chrysostom, and Hilary of Poitiers all say something like this: John’s baptism is first a baptism of repentance, preparing the people; it is also God’s chosen stage on which Jesus’ identity is revealed. John Chrysostom says that John called Israel to repentance so that they would be ready to see Christ when he appeared. Repentance clears the eyes; revelation fills them. Hilary notes that the Baptist is “the boundary between the covenants”—the last prophet of the old and the first herald of the new. His washing works as a sign, not as a sacrament; its value lies in its direction.

Either way, the outcome is the same: the Baptist’s ministry is a hinge between the old age and the new. The ministry calls Israel to turn back to God and pointing, unmistakably, to the One in whom the fullness of the Spirit dwells.

Image credit: Saint John the Baptist Preaching to the Masses in the Wilderness | Pieter Brueghel the Younger | Galerie de Jonckheere, Paris | Wikimedia Commons, PD-US

As noted above, this gospel lays out the story of a new creation that flows through the “next day” of our gospel reading and into the remainder of the first chapter. In that vein, Flannagan notes that a similar story is unfolding as witnesses to Jesus are gathered. It is the “new creation” of the people of God. No longer defined by ethnic association, but by belief in Jesus as the Son of God. Flannagan continues:

“There is another purpose that John, a man of rich creative genius, may have intended. His list of characters in this first act/period of seven days seems to typify the basic personal elements of the Christian community. In order there appear: (1) John the Baptist, precursor to the new creation, whose sole function is to witness; (2) the Savior; (3) disciples who hear, follow, look for, and stay; (4) Peter, the rock; (5) missionaries like Andrew arid Philip who spread the good news; (6) Nathaniel, the true Israelite in whom there is no guile, who, as some Jewish traditions expressed it, studied law under a fig tree and was rewarded. With this, the founding elements of the community are assembled.”

The Testimony. The Baptist makes clear that until seeing the descent of the Spirit upon Jesus, he did not know Him. This is not to say he had no idea about who Jesus was – after all they were cousins. Given that Jesus was brought up in Galilee and John in the Jerusalem area, perhaps they never met, or perhaps it had been since they were children and so Jesus was not recognizable. But by the time of this testimony, it is clear that the Baptist knows of Jesus and has a sense of his mission – even indicating “he existed before me…” We know the baptist is older than Jesus (cf. the Visitation story in Luke). Does the Baptist have an idea of the existence of Jesus before time itself? With all that is being revealed to the Baptist (by the Spirit?) it is no wonder that he remarks: “I did not know him” akin to “who is this guy, my cousin, I guess I really didn’t know him! But now I see…”

but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel.” ³² John testified further, saying, “I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon him.  ³³ I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the holy Spirit.’ ³⁴  Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.”

Unlike the Lukan account, this gospel does not say whether the sign of the dove was included in the original revelation, or whether he simply recognized the dove for what it was when he saw it alight on Jesus. But what is clear is that he was given a divinely appointed sign, and that he knew Jesus by that sign. The Baptist is the one disciple who received true illumination about Jesus; every other disciple is dependent on another human witness.

John goes on to describe him as “the One who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.” The other three gospels make this point; Jesus came that people might be brought into contact with the divine Spirit who leads people into the infinite divine spiritual resources. This had not been possible previously, for there is a quality of life that Christ and none other makes available. Baptism with water in John’s time was a form of cleansing and an outward sign of repentance. Baptism with the Spirit portends a new thing. It is the bestowal of new life in God. In the Catholic understanding of Sacramental Baptism, both are accomplished. A person is cleansed of all sin and given the Spirit. It is an outward sign of an inward reality.

Image credit: Saint John the Baptist Preaching to the Masses in the Wilderness | Pieter Brueghel the Younger | Galerie de Jonckheere, Paris | Wikimedia Commons, PD-US

²⁹ The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. ³⁰  He is the one of whom I said, ‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’ ³¹ I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel.” ³² John testified further, saying, “I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon him. ³³ I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the holy Spirit.’ ³⁴  Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.” (John 1:29-34)

After John’s interrogation by priests, Levites and Pharisees, the evangelist proclaims Jesus as “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’ This is but the start of a short, compact testimony by the Baptist witnessing to the One he had just baptized.

• “Behold the Lamb of God… (1:29)
• who takes away the sin of the world.” (1:29) 
• The one who existed before John (1:30-31) 
• The one on whom the Spirit came from the sky and remain upon him (1:32-33) 
• “he is the Son of God.” (1:34) 

The Fourth Gospel does not record, as the Synoptic Gospels do, the baptism of Jesus by John. However, the coming of Jesus mentioned in this verse was not his coming for baptism, because, as the reading implies, John had already witnessed the descent of the Spirit upon Jesus when he had baptized him. John already knew who Jesus was, and therefore said to those around, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” 

The celebration of the Baptism of the Lord marks the end of the Christmas season and the entry of the Church into “ordinary time,” so called not because it is the regular, nothing-special liturgical season, but it is the season when we number the weeks. The word ordinary in this liturgical context comes from the Latin ordinalis, meaning “ordered,” “numbered,” or “arranged in sequence.” Ordinary Time is simply the part of the liturgical year counted by ordinal numbers: 1st week, 2nd week, 3rd week, and so on.

Each year as we enter Ordinary Time, no matter which year, the gospel for the 2^nd Sunday is taken from the first chapter of the Gospel according to John. The purpose for this is essentially the same – following the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord, which reveals the relationship of the Father to the Son and to the Holy Spirit – this week’s gospel reveals the relationship of Jesus to the world.  And perhaps no one does so more robustly than the Fourth Evangelist.

The fourth Gospel is a book of “signs;” namely things, events, and people who point to something else. Such “intermediaries” are the means by which people prepare and come to faith. The “lamb of God” is a sign in this sense. Even Jesus is a type of intermediary as the logos — the “Word” or “Revealer” of God. The theme and purpose of the “signage” becomes clear in John 20:31 – “But these are written that you may (come to) believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.” This entirety of the gospel itself is a “sign” to point us to the Messiah, who is a “sign” who points us to God. As O’Day (John, NIB, 524) states about this gospel: “… the story of Jesus is not ultimately a story about Jesus; it is, in fact, the story of God.” 

The exact expression “lamb of God” does not appear in the Old Testament, however, the idea and imagery behind that title, especially when read through the lens of the New Testament, is deeply rooted in several Old Testament sacrificial themes. The primary image is that of the Passover lamb described in the Book of Exodus. In Exodus 12 each family is to take “a lamb, one for each household” (v.3). The lamb must be “a year-old male and without blemish” (v.5). Its blood is placed on the doorposts so that the Angel of Death passes over the house (v.13). The Passover lamb is the lamb appointed by God for Israel’s deliverance; in this way it is the “Lamb of God.” Another way to describe this imagery is a divinely appointed lamb whose blood saves God’s people from death. The Baptist’s use of the phrase anticipates Jesus’ death on the Cross which saves God’s people from something far worse than death.

Exodus 29 and Numbers 28 point to a daily morning and evening offering of lambs understood as offerings to the LORD, commanded by Him as an ongoing and atoning sacrifice on behalf of God’s people. Again, although not titled “Lamb of God,” the imagery is clear when seen through NT lenses.

The reference with the most theologically charged background comes from Isaiah 53 and is associated with Lent and Good Friday. “Like a lamb led to slaughter, or a sheep silent before shearers, he did not open his mouth.” Isaiah 53 describes the Suffering Servant whose life becomes an offering for sin as “The LORD laid upon him the guilt of us all” (v.6) and “He shall take away the sins of many” (v.12). This lamb is not literally a sacrificial animal but a figure of a person who fulfills the role of a sacrificial lamb given by God for sin.

In Genesis 22 we read the account of the binding of Isaac the son of Abraham. The father tells his son: “God himself will provide the sheep for the burnt offering.” (v.8) And indeed, God provides the lamb for the offering that will redeem all humanity. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

When the Baptist proclaims “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” – there is a whole story of promise, covenant, and redemption that is being announced. It is time to prepare.

Image credit: Saint John the Baptist Preaching to the Masses in the Wilderness | Pieter Brueghel the Younger | Galerie de Jonckheere, Paris | Wikimedia Commons, PD-US

The Gospel of John begins with the well known prologue that proclaims Jesus as the preexistent and incarnate Word of God who has revealed the Father to us: “And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14) The rest of the first chapter forms the introduction to the gospel proper and consists of the Baptist’s testimony about Jesus. John is presented as “a man sent from God” who “came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to testify to the light.” (John 1:6-8) That naturally raises the question – who exactly is this wilderness character? Which is exactly what the Jerusalem delegation asks of him. They want to know if he is some end-time figure: the Christ, Elijah, the promised great prophet like Moses (cf. Deut. 18:15, 18)? After denying each one of those identities he finally tells the delegation who he is. He is the end-time figure spoken of in Scripture. He is “the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord’” (1:23) 

That phrase often heard in the season of Advent is taken from Isaiah 40:3 which, interestingly, reads slightly different than the Baptist’s response. In John 1:23 it is the voice of the one crying out in/from the wilderness – in other words, telling us the location of the messenger.  In Isaiah the messenger cries out, “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord.” – in other words the messenger is speaking to those who are in the wilderness. Why the difference? The Hebrew version of Isaiah 40:3 is slightly different from the Greek translation of Isaiah in the Septuagint (LXX). John 1:23 is clearly taken from the LXX.

John the Evangelist adapts Isaiah’s message to the person of John the Baptist. If God intends people to be prepared in the wilderness, it makes sense for the voice to cry in the wilderness to call for such preparations. Another important part of the message is that God will come to his people through the wilderness. The wilderness reference echoes many such OT references, for example, Habakkuk 3:3 – “God came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. His glory covered the heavens, and his praise filled the earth.” Both Teman and Paran are wilderness areas. In particular, Paran is connected to Israel’s wandering in the wilderness after the events in and around Mt. Sinai (Num 10:12; 12:16). Paran is described as the place from which God’s glory “shone forth” in Moses’ Blessing (Deut 33:2). The wilderness is a fitting figure for the desolate condition of God’s people in the Baptist’s day. There is a sense that the Spirit of God that Ezekiel saw leaving the Jerusalem Temple during the Babylonian siege of Jerusaleam almost 600 years prior, is now returning – not to the Temple – but to the people.

How are God’s people to prepare the way for this moment in salvation history? While, again, not explicitly stated, the probable answer is by way of repentance. If Yahweh is to return, his people must prepare the way by repenting of the sins that caused them to be led into exile. This is borne out clearly by the Baptist’s own message: “Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance.” (Mt 3:8). As Isa 40:1–2 makes clear, God’s ultimate purpose for his people is not judgment but salvation, life rather than death (cf. the Fourth Evangelist’s words in John 3:17–18; and Jesus’ words in John 12:47). According to the Johannine Gospel, the Baptist’s witness centered on Jesus’ role in the divine plan of salvation as the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (1:29, 36). At its very heart, the purpose of John’s baptism and ministry is described as being bound up with revealing Jesus’ true identity to Israel.

Image credit: Saint John the Baptist Preaching to the Masses in the Wilderness | Pieter Brueghel the Younger | Galerie de Jonckheere, Paris | Wikimedia Commons, PD-US