As Christmastide continues to advance toward the feast of Epiphany, let us take some moment and pause for Christmastide weekly readings so far, with attention to the readings of January 3 and 4 (10th and 11th days of Christmastide)
First Readings: 1 John 2:29–3:6 (January
3); 1 John 3:7-10 (January 4)
Since the Third Day in Christmas Octave (December 27),
we have been reading from the First Epistle of John for weekday Mass (if not opting
to read from the lectionaries for feast days). Now, we have passed Christmas Octave
and we are on the eleventh day of Christmastide, perhaps, it is a good idea to
review what we have read for the First Readings from the First Epistle of John.
John has been writing not only about who Christ is but
also about how Christ relates himself to us. According to John, as the Word of
Life, Christ testifies to eternal life and proclaim us to it, as he is made
visible to us, while being with the Father (1 John 1:1-2). And he calls us to
be in fellowship with him for complete joy (1 John 1:3-4). For God is light,
Christ calls us to be in his light and cleanses our sins with his blood (1 John
1:5-7). But we must acknowledge our sinfulness first (1 John 1:8-10).
Christ has come to us also as our Advocate -Parakletos
to overcome our sins (1 John 2:1). And we also have another Advocate -Parakletos,
because he has asked the Father to send him, as well (John 14:16), to teach and
remind us of teaching of Christ the Advocate-Parakletos (John 14:26).
Christ is also expiation not only for our sin but also for the sins of the
whole world (1 John 2:2) so that our sins are forgiven for his name’s sake (1
John 2:12).
We must make sure we know Christ by observing his new
commandment to love one another (1 John
2:3-11; John 13:34; 15:17). Along with keeping his commandment, we also need to
keep his teaching and grow in our understanding of it to do the will of God and
not to be swayed by the world (1 John 2:13-17). We also need to guard ourselves
against heretical teachings by antichrists, by understanding Christ the Son is
with the Father (1 John 2:18-23).
With his promise of eternal life, Christ anoints us
with the Holy Spirit, who reminds and teaches us everything he teaches so that
we remain in him and in the Father (1 John 24-28; John 14:26; 15:4-7; 17:21-23).
Now, John reminds us that we are children of God, as a
result of being born of Him for acting righteously (1 John 2:29-3:1). Though what
we shall be as children of God has not yet been revealed, we keep our hope for
this for the sake of our purity (1 John 3:2-3).
As children of God, being in Christ, living in the
light of God, we must avoid sin all cost (1 John 3:4-10) and should love one
another without compromise (1 John 3:11-18).
In calling us to avoid sins, John reminds us:
You know that he was revealed to take away
sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who remains in him sins; no one who
sins has seen him or known him (1 John 3:5-6).
This reiterates:
But if we walk in the light as he is in
the light, then we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of his Son
Jesus cleanses us from all sin. If we say, “We are without sin,” we deceive
ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we acknowledge our sins, he is
faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every
wrongdoing (1 John 1:7-9).
This reflects John the Baptist’s identification of Jesus
as the Christ:
Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away
the sin of the world (John 1:29).
John the Baptist recognize the Christ came to take
away the sin of the world as the Lamb of God, the ultimate Korban Pesach
(Passover Sacrificial Lamb), whose blood saved the Israelites from God’s
passing-over judgement against firstborns in Egypt (Exodus 12:5-14).
Christ, therefore, was revealed as the Lamb of God, to
remove our sins, in the hope that we may not sin anymore and remain pure, as
his blood cleanses us from sins (Revelation 7:14).
Though Christ the Lamb of God has come to take away
the sin of the world, cleanse our sins, by his blood, there is always the
danger of deception to tempts us to sin. This is why John calls us not to let
anyone deceive us (1 John 3:7), reiterating his warning against antichrists’ deceptiveness
(1 John 2:18-23).
Now, John gives another important Christological
identification:
Indeed, the Son of God was revealed to
destroy the works of the devil. No one who is begotten by God commits sin,
because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot sin because he is begotten by God (1
John 3:8-9).
Christ has come not only to take away our sins (1 John
3:5) and the sin of the world (John 1:29) but also to destroy the work of Devil
(1 John 3:8; cf. Genesis 3:15; Revelation 20:10). And those who are born by God
cannot sin (1 John 3:9), because of their righteousness (1 John 2:29). And this
is how children of God are distinguished from children of devil (1 John 3:10).
Gospel Readings: John 1:29-34 (January 3); John 1:35-42 (January 4)
After his testimony of Christ to the inquisitors from
Jerusalem as the forerunner ofthe Christ, preparing the way of his coming by
baptizing with water (John 1:19-28), now we see John the Baptist’s progressive
recognition of Jesus as the Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of
the world (John 1:29). And because of John the Baptist’s full recognition of
Jesus as the Christ, some of his disciples began to follow Jesus, and those who
began following him introduced others to him (John 1:35-51).
A day after the inquisition of John the Baptist by the
officials from Jerusalem about him, Jesus was walking toward him. Perhaps, he
was with his disciples then 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 1:29-31).
John the Baptist confesses that he was very cautious
about who the Christ was before, by saying, “I did not know him” (John 1:31).
But having seen Jesus, John the Baptist
recognizes him as the Christ to save us by taking away sins (John 1:29; cf. Exodus
12:5-14). And he saw Christ as John recognizes in his First Epistle (1 John 1:7;
3:5; cf. Revelation 7:14). He also recognized Jesus as someone with a higher
status, for being preexisting (John 1:30; cf. John 1:1; 8:58; cf. Colossians
1:15).
Now John the Baptist gives his explanation how he came
to recognize Jesus as the Christ, though he was absolutely not so sure who the
Chrit was.
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” (John 1:23-34).
What made John the Baptist assured of Jesus as the
Christ was the Holy Spirit, descending on Jesus. Until that moment, he was very
careful not to hastily conclude that Jesus was the one. Perhaps, he was
vigilantly aware of possibilities of false christs’ appearances (e.g. Matthew
24:24).
Now John the Baptist’s disciples recognize how their
master has become sure of Jesus as the Christ, two of them began to follow
Jesus (John 1:35). And chain reaction of recruiting more disciples, starting
with Andrew, one of the two former disciples of John the Baptist to follow
Jesus, bringing his brother, Simon (Peter), to Jesus (John 1:40-42). And later,
Philip followed Jesus and brought his hometown friend, Nathaniel, to Jesus
(John 1:43-51).
Having reviewed the above texts from First Johannine
Epistle and Johannine Gospel, what do we make out of them, in the context of
Christmastide?
The one whose birth that we have been celebrating during
Christmastide is, truly, the Christ, who has come to save us, taking away the
sin of the world as the Lamb of God, cleanse us with his blood to forgive us,
to destroy the works of devil, while protecting us from antichrists’ false
teachings. This is to have us with him and the Father as adopted children of
God.
It is also important to note that Christ, the Son of God,
has come to enlist us on his army to destroy the works of devil.
We are adopted children of God, thanks to Christ. At
the same time, we are also Christ’s fighters to destroy the works of devil.
Christ is our commander-in-chief, whose commands that we faithfully obey.
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