Christ the Cornerstone

Like John the Baptist, we are called to give witness to Christ

It is too little, the Lord says, for you to be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and restore the survivors of Israel; I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the Earth. (Is 49:3-6)

Last weekend, St. Matthew’s Gospel (Mt 3:13-17) showed us that the Triune God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) was actively involved in launching the salvific work of Jesus as a teacher, healer and comforter.

Together, by their participation in Jesus’ baptism, the three Divine Persons of the Holy Trinity proclaimed the prophetic message that the kingdom of God is at hand and that Jesus alone is the Savior of the world.

This weekend, as we observe the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, St. John the Baptist is once again a predominant figure in the Gospel story (Jn 1:29-34), but his role is different.

Whereas last weekend John was the reluctant—almost unwilling—instrument of Jesus’ ritual cleansing, in the incident described by St. John the Evangelist, he is a powerful witness to Jesus as the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (Jn 1:29).

John the Baptist reveals the depth of his humility in both Gospel stories. He is reluctant to baptize Jesus because he knows that Jesus is no sinner.

What’s more, this saintly man—a local celebrity whom people from all strata of Jewish society travel miles to see—knows in his heart of hearts that he is unworthy:

A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me. I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel. (Jn 1:30-31)

In another place, John acknowledges that he is not worthy to even loosen Jesus’ sandals (Jn 1:27). He is keenly aware that the differences between them are enormous, and for this reason he does not hesitate to proclaim Jesus as the long-awaited Savior, the Lamb of God who would redeem his people, Israel.

The first reading for the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (Is 49:3, 5-6) expands on John’s vision. Yes, Jesus is the One promised “to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and restore the survivors of Israel” (Is 49:6), but his mission extends beyond the Jewish people. “I will make you a light to the nations,” says the Lord through the prophet Isaiah, “that my salvation may reach to the ends of the Earth” (Is 49:6).

John the Baptist fulfills his role as a wise and holy man in the tradition of the great Old Testament prophets by pointing to Jesus as the Lamb of God. But John readily acknowledges that he received this prophetic insight not on his own but as a revelation of the Holy Spirit:

I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel. John testified further, saying, “I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from heaven and remain upon him. 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.’ Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God” (Jn 1:31-34).

John’s ability to testify to Jesus as the Son of God comes as a result of the Holy Spirit’s gift to him. By his own power, John could not have known who Jesus was. Once again, the Holy Trinity is at work here enlightening and empowering St. John the Baptist to make known to the world that Jesus Christ is Lord.

St. Paul tells the Church in Corinth (and all of us who have been baptized) that we, too, have been selected by the Triune God to make known to the world the saving power of the Lamb of God. We “who have been ­sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy, with all those everywhere who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours” (1 Cor 1:2) are to be Spirit-filled evangelizers who give witness, as John the Baptist did, to the One who takes away the sin of the world.

As we continue our new year of grace, let’s keep in mind our baptismal responsibility to do what John the Baptist did. Let’s point to Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

And let’s encounter him in Word, Sacrament (especially the Holy Eucharist), and in service to all our sisters and brothers in Christ. †