John 1:29-34 Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world

Sharing Guidelines
*Sharing is not a time for teaching or debate; it is a time to sense the marvelous work of the Holy Spirit who leads the gathering.
*Reflection sharing is not meant to teach others but to share the meaning you personally have discovered. Therefore, do not criticize or debate another person’s sharing. Avoid boasting of your own understanding or knowledge.
*Respect the grace of the Holy Spirit, who reveals the meaning of the Word while dwelling among us, and listen attentively to others’ sharing, holding it in your heart.
*Keep confidential any personal reflections or stories shared in the group; practicing brotherly love means not passing along private matters outside the meeting.
*When speaking, always use the first person singular (“I”). Be careful not to distance or generalize your story by using the third person (“he,” “they”) or the first person plural (“we”).
*Keep it short.

Gospel

<Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world>

✠ John.1,29-34

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. He is the one of whom I said, “A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.” I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel.’

John testified further, saying, ‘I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon him. I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, “On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.” Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.

Today’s Reflection

John the Baptist received a special grace from God that allowed him to recognize Jesus as the Son of God. God gave John a special revelation because John was chosen to prepare the way for the Savior. John shared what he saw when he baptized Jesus: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven like a dove and rest on Him.” After this, John introduced Jesus as the One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.

John the Baptist is a prophet who personally witnessed the power and grace of baptism.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit brings complete cleansing and makes us children of God. This actually happens to us when we are baptized “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19-20). Because of this, we too have received a special grace from God, just like John the Baptist. As Scripture says, “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God” (Romans 8:16).

However, we often forget that the Holy Spirit is quietly working in our hearts and souls. The “spirit” within us is the part of our soul that is most open to God. Since the Holy Spirit works deep inside our hearts, we need silence and stillness to meet Him. We need to turn our whole heart and mind toward Him.

Only then can we understand how great the blessing of being God’s children is, and how deep Jesus’ love is as the One who baptizes us with the Holy Spirit.
(류한영 베드로 신부)

Sharing

1. Let’s share a word or phrase that touched your heart.

2. Like the grace given to John the Baptist, who recognized Jesus as the Son of God, let’s share any moments when you personally experienced Jesus or felt His presence. Also, let’s talk about what efforts might help us deepen and grow that experience.

3. Let’s share how we are witnessing to Jesus, the Son of God, in our daily lives as we continue our faith journey.

4. Resolution: Based on today’s message, let’s share how we feel called to live going forward.

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Today’s Reflection

Giving testimony is not about analyzing or studying something in detail. Testimony is a sincere cry that comes from our own life and experience. In today’s Gospel, the “Lamb” is a symbol of that cry.

For the Jewish people, the “Lamb” meant someone who sacrifices himself to save others. Their history was full of suffering under many empires, and they felt too weak to rise again on their own. Because of this, their despair turned into a hope that God would save them, and the “Lamb” became a symbol of future salvation and hope.

In the Gospel of John, John the Baptist calls Jesus the “Lamb of God.” At that time, people believed the world was full of sin. Still, calling Jesus the “Lamb” meant that God Himself was entering the world to bring hope. Jesus is the one who takes away the sins of the world. Sin breaks relationships, divides people, and causes pain. But Jesus came as the One who loves this world to the very end, and the world He desires is a world where people live in love and unity.

To give testimony is to speak about the world we live in and to reflect on how we understand God who has come into this world. Through the symbol of the “Lamb,” the Gospel of John reminds us that what the world truly needs is harmony, trust, and love. These were the deep hopes of the early Christian community at the time the Gospel was written.

Today, we must also ask ourselves: What does our society desperately need now? And how are we called to respond? (박병규 요한 보스코 신부)