I'm going to take this session in a single reflection. This session addresses what are probably two of the most important answers to the first question in the title of this step - and certainly two that matter most to me.
The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" - Jn 1:29
This week one of the radio evangelists I sometimes hear during my short commute has been talking about this identity of Jesus, and to do so he has been talking about the Day of Atonement sacrifices of which Jesus' sacrifice is the fulfillment. In fact, I myself believe that the chief reason that these sacrifices exist under the Mosaic law is to enable us to recognize Jesus as the Lamb of God. The radio preacher described the thousands of lambs which were slaughtered on this single day each year, during which he says the lambs' blood would literally run in the streets. Jesus is both the great high priest who offers sacrifice once for all so that no more animal sacrifices are ever again required, and the lamb of sacrifice, the Lamb of God, sacrificed for our sins.
The preacher pointed out that there is a decidedly different emotional dynamic to our deliverance from sin in Jesus versus that provided under the law of sacrifice. There were sacrifices for sin made throughout the year, but what if we missed some? The Day of Atonement was intended to cover that, but as soon as someone committed some other sin they were bound by it until the next sacrifice. Jesus' sacrifice was one time for all sins, and we need never fear the punishment of them again. St. Paul is careful to make sure we don't interpret that as license to sin freely, but now it is a matter of our desire to respond to God's infinite love as completely as possible.
Someone like me may sometimes be tempted wonder, though, whether this entire belief system is just a way to help me live with myself.
"This is he of whom I said, `After me comes a man who ranks before me, for he was before me.' I myself did not know him; but for this I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel."
And John bore witness, "I saw the Spirit descend as a dove from heaven, and it remained on him.
I myself did not know him; but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, `He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God." - Jn 1:30-34
Were back to testimony again, a common theme in St. John's gospel, and St. John the Baptist provides the first public acknowledgement of Jesus' divinity in this gospel, besides the writer's own assertions at the beginning. The works of Jesus will serve as the greatest witness to the truth of his divinity. The reason that one sacrifice can suffice for all is that Jesus was both sinless man and eternal Son of God.
I agree with C. S. Lewis that Jesus intentionally leaves us with only two possibilities. He can't be merely a wise man, a sage whose wisdom is to be embraced but who has been deified , given what he claimed to be. Either he was a deranged nutcase or he is who the Scriptures proclaim him to be.
And so we are back to Jesus' own question to the disciples, and to us: Who do you say that I am? (Mt16:15, Mk 8:29, Lk 9:20)
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