Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Today’s readings invite us to pause at one of the most powerful declarations in all of Scripture. John the Baptist sees Jesus coming toward him and proclaims: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). In this simple sentence, John reveals the identity and mission of Jesus, and at the same time teaches us what it means to be a true disciple.

When John calls Jesus the Lamb of God, he draws from the deepest religious memory of Israel. The lamb was central to the Passover, whose blood saved the people from death (cf. Exodus 12). The lamb was also offered daily in the Temple for the sins of the people. By applying this title to Jesus, John proclaims that Jesus is the true and final sacrifice, not offered again and again, but once for all.

Isaiah prepares us for this revelation. The Servant of the Lord is chosen not only to restore Israel but to be “a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6). Jesus, the Lamb of God, does not take away the sin of one people only, but the sin of the whole world. His mission is universal, his mercy limitless. It therefore means that in Jesus, God has decisively acted against sin, evil, and death. Sin no longer has the final word. Forgiveness, reconciliation, and new life are now possible for all who believe.

Equally striking in today’s Gospel is the humility of John the Baptist. He does not draw attention to himself. He does not claim the spotlight. His whole life points away from himself and toward Christ. “I did not know him,” John says, “but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel” (John 1:31).

Our Take home: First, it calls us to trust in Christ’s mercy. If Jesus truly takes away the sins of the world, then no sin is beyond his forgiveness when we repent and return to him.

Second, it challenges us to live humbly. Our lives should echo John the Baptist’s words, not with our lips alone but with our actions: “Behold the Lamb of God.” When people see us, may they be led not to admire us, but to encounter Christ.

Finally, it reminds us of our mission. We are not Christians for ourselves alone. In our families, workplaces, parishes, and communities, we are sent to bear witness by our love, integrity, compassion, and hope that Jesus is the Lamb of God who brings salvation to the world.

Dear brothers and sisters, each time we come to the Eucharist, we hear the same words John spoke by the Jordan: “Behold the Lamb of God.” May those words never become routine. May they renew our faith, shape our humility, and strengthen our mission, so that through our lives, the world may come to know and believe in Jesus Christ, the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world. Amen.

Your Priest,

Fr. Anthony Dim