Such contrasting images are used for Jesus, Lamb of God among them. First, it's odd to picture God as an animal, a lesser creature even than man. Thought to be without free will, easily led (like a lamb to the slaughter), mild (meek as a lamb). A lamb does not present a flattering picture of God Almighty. Second, lambs were routinely offered as sacrifices to God (sacrificial lamb). Only the best lamb would do. It had to be a lamb without flaws in body, coloring or wool in order to be given as a sin offering to God. So why would God permit his divine Son to be called "the Lamb of God?" For that is what John the Baptizer calls Jesus when he first points him out to his followers. "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29). John is speaking far beyond human understanding when he identifies Jesus as the Lamb of God who is capable of taking away the sins of the world. What a wild statement that is - a man, as a sacrificial lamb, who can somehow obliterate the sins of the entire world. Really? Who would believe that? And yet Jesus did it. He offered himself as a sin offering to God, his Father, not just for one person's sins for one year but for the sins of all the people in the world for all time. He and the Father had that plan in mind before the first human came to be and the first sin was committed. The plan of the lamb came before the fall of man. For Reflection: See Genesis 22:8, Exodus 12:21, Isaiah 53:6-7, Luke 10:3, 1 Corinthians 5:7. Let us pray. With the elders, we sing: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation." With the angels, we sing: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" With all creation, we sing: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!" (based on Revelation 5:6-14)
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Do you know who you are? When you introduce yourself, what do you say? "I am . . . ." Usually our name is the first thing we give. But what if we could not give our name, we had to say something else. And the next word after "I am" has to be a noun, not an adjective. You must say something about who you are (spouse, spreader of the Good News) and not what you are (blessed) or how you look. It may not be easy at first thought for us to name ourselves in this way. But Jesus gave us several examples for himself. He said, "I am the Light of the World" (John 8:12). It's a huge claim. He didn't say, "I am the Light of Jerusalem" or "I am the Light of Israel." Who is big enough, important enough, bold enough to be the Light of the World? Only Jesus. For Reflection: "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. I know where I came from and where I am going" (John 8:12, 14b). Do I know where I came from and where I am going? How do I complete the sentence, "I am . . "? Let us pray. Jesus, you are the Light of the World. You are the light that draws everyone. You are the light that banishes the darkness of evil, corruption, inhumanity and sin. You are the light set on the hill of Calvary. You are the light of our lives. You are the light of the universe. You are the light of heaven. "I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever!" (Revelation 1:18). Some years ago it was proclaimed, "God is dead." Hardly. Imagine the surprise of the people who said this to find, upon their own death, that not only is God not dead but neither are they. We live eternally either with God or without God. Our choice lies not in living eternally or dying, but in how we will spend that eternity. For Reflection: Many of us live day-to-day, not looking too far into the future. Christianity calls us to take the long view, looking toward eternity. Where are my choices leading me? (For further reflection see Romans 6:8-10, Revelation 4:9-10, Colossians 1:18.) Let us pray. Jesus, you are the Living One, the firstborn over all creation, the firstborn from the dead. You are before all things and You have supremacy in all things. You are the head that holds the body together. You live and reign for ever and ever! As we enter this time of thanksgiving and preparation to remember the birth of our Lord, let us begin a series on titles of Jesus. We won't get around to all of them, even all the ones in the New Testament, but we will learn more about Jesus by meditating on the descriptors used for him by the various authors. Learning more about Jesus in turn enriches our prayer life and helps us to praise him. The book of Revelation is an excellent source of vivid images of Jesus and our first title is Morning Star taken from 22:16. "I am . . . the bright Morning Star." The image of the morning star or the rising sun, the light that shines in the darkness is threaded throughout Scripture. In the Old Testament it is a promise of the one to come. In the New Testament it refers both to Jesus birth and to his return. Until the glorious day of his return, we have the light of Scripture and the inspiration or light of the Holy Spirit to live in our hearts and guide our way. For Reflection: Think of the Morning Star as you make transitions throughout your day. For other New Testament references see Luke 1:78, Ephesians, 5:14, 2 Peter 1:19 and Revelation 2:28. Let us pray. Jesus, you are the bright Morning Star, the light of my life, the dispeller of darkness. Your are my lamp, my flashlight, my illuminator. You are the brightness in every dark day. |
AliceI started this website and blog on May 1, 2012. I am a Catholic who has been in ministry for many years. I first developed what I would call a close relationship with Jesus in the early 1970s. Ever since then I have been praying with people for healing and other needs. It is because I have seen so many of these prayers answered that I am so bold as to offer to pray for you individually through this website and phone line. Archives
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