Reflection: John 1:27-34

Christmas Weekday - John 1:27-34

A few verses before today’s Gospel reading begins, John the Baptist had been approached by some of the Pharisees.  They asked John: “If you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet, why do you baptize”?  John replied: “There is one among you that you do not recognize: the one who is to come after me; and whose sandal strap I am not worthy to unfasten.”   John is trying to prepare his listeners for the coming of Jesus.  He hopes that the people will recognize that Jesus is the One whose coming they have been awaiting for centuries.  Until this dialogue, many of the people had believed that John may have been the Messiah whose coming they had longed for.

The next day, John caught sight of Jesus and he exclaimed: “Look!  There is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.”  Then John solemnly adds: “After me is to come a man who ranks ahead of me, because he was before me.”  What humility John must have had!  After all, the crowds had been enthralled by John and his teaching. 

John was very honest with the people.  He said, “I confess that I did not recognize Him, though the very reason I baptize with water was that He might be revealed to Israel.”  What humility John had!  The focus had been on him for quite awhile.  The people had gathered around him anxious to hear him preach, yet none of that was important to John.  He understood that he was the forerunner of the One who would come; and John was content with that role!  John also was honest with the people: “I did not recognize him”!  John and Jesus grew up together!  John who knew Jesus as well as he would know his own brother, yet even he did not realize that Jesus was the Messiah.  Then John testifies: “This is God’s chosen One.”

Do we recognize Jesus as “God’s Holy One?”  Does Jesus have a significant role in our lives?  Or do we “know” in our heads that Jesus is the Holy One but Jesus is not really a part of our lives?  Jesus longs to walk with us every hour of our day!  The question for us is: Will I open the door of my heart to Jesus today and allow Him to walk with me everyday of my life?