Today,
this fragment of Saint John's Gospel shows a
characteristic testimonial dimension. A witness is somebody who
declares somebody else's identity. John the Baptist is introduced as
the prophet par excellence who states Jesus' centrality. Let's
look at it from different perspectives.
Firstly
he states, like a seer: «There is the Lamb of God, who takes
away the sin of the world» (Jn 1:29). Later on, he says:
«It is he of whom I said: A man comes after me who is already
ahead of me, for he was before me» (Jn 1:30). He then
confirms it because he is very aware of the mission he has been
assigned: «I myself did not know him, but I came baptizing to
prepare for him, so that he might be revealed in Israel» (Jn
1:31). And finally, as the prophet that he is, he states: «I
myself did not know him but God, who sent me to baptize, told me:
‘You will see the Spirit coming down and resting on the one who
baptizes with the Holy Spirit’. Yes, I have seen! And I
declare that this is the Chosen One of God» (Jn
1:33-34).
Given this testimony,
which has kept the very same energy within the Church it had 2.000
years ago, we should ask ourselves: Do I contemplate Jesus as the One
who is going to save me from moral evil in a laicised society which
denies sin? Do I believe in Him as the One who has always existed,
before John, before the world was created as opposed to the current
of belief that places Him as simply an extraordinary religious
figure? In a world with a thousand opinions and ideologies, do I
accept Jesus as the One that makes my life something true? In the
middle of a civilization which disregards faith, do I adore Jesus as
the One in whom the Spirit of God lies?
And one last question:
Is my “yes” to Jesus, so absolute that I, like John, can
say to the people I know: «I can tell you that Jesus is the Son
of God!»?
