OT 2 A – Behold the Lamb of God

On this Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, we read:

John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.  He is the one of whom I said, ‘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.”  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” (John 1: 29-34).

As Christians, we often call Jesus the “Lamb of God,” that is, that God sent Jesus to be killed like a lamb for our sins.  In the Old Testament of the Bible, 85 out of 96 times that the word “lamb” is used is to refer to it as a sacrifice. 

In every Eucharist, we call Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, the “Lamb of God,” and we ask him to “take away the sins of the world.”