FIFTH SUNDAY IN LENT: The Lamb of God

 Fifth Sunday in Lent - Mar 26, 2023;  Mar 17, 2024; Apr 6, 2025  

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’  I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” -John 1:29-31

We have previously talked about the difference between the baptism of John and that of Jesus, and when we did it was noted how some folks make too much of John’s baptism as a baptism of repentance to be emulated by us. But even John himself says that his baptism of repentance was for another purpose: to reveal Jesus to Israel. The uniqueness of what happened to Jesus at his baptism allowed John to proclaim Jesus’ true identity - that he was the One of whom John had spoken.

If we want our baptism to be like John’s, let’s let it reveal Jesus to God's people. Let’s have it direct our hearts to Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. I love that we say these words as our prayer in our liturgy as we rise up to go to communion. When you come forward for communion, you approach from your baptism. From the waters that cry “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” we then take that message and approach him with those same words, 

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us.

May baptism’s cry give you faith to make that communion prayer.

O Christ, thou Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world. Grant me thy peace. Amen.

This post is a part of my daily Lenten devotional on Baptism. You can read more about it here.