Festival of the Epiphany of our Lord
Posted on January 6, 2023 by under
Scripture: St. John 1:35-42 (NKJV)
1:35 Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. 36 And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!”
37 The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. 38 Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?”
They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), “where are You staying?”
39 He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).
40 One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus.
Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is translated, A Stone).”
Devotion
Advertising is all about attention-getting. The goal of the advertiser is to get and hold your attention. If the plan succeeds, you’ll end up purchasing the product. And if the advertiser is really successful, you’ll tell others about how great the product is. Throughout Scripture, especially in the New Testament, we also see “advertising.” We come across the words “Behold!”, “Lo!”, and “Look!” In each case, those words are there to grab your attention. But those words are wanting you to notice something far more important than a consumer product. God Himself is trying to capture your attention, to “stop you in your tracks,” and point you to the truth.
In the text for today, we hear the advertising cry of God’s prophet John: “Behold! The Lamb of God!” That was John’s job: to be God’s “pointer.” And now that is our job: to point to the Lamb, and direct people to the Lamb. To the world, “Lamb of God” seems like such a strange title for one who is supposed to be conquering sin, death, and the devil; for lambs are only good for sacrificing and eating, which is hardly the stuff of conquering. But to the believer, it makes perfect sense. Our God plays by a different set of rules. He wins while appearing to lose. He gives Himself over to death, that death might be defeated. He allows Himself to be eaten as bread, that our bodies might receive the “medicine of immortality.”
Prayer: O God, Who by the leading of a star didst manifest Thine Only-begotten Son to the Gentiles: Mercifully grant, that we, who know Thee now by faith, may after this life have the fruition of Thy glorious Godhead; through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
