“After me comes a man who ranks before me”
As we hear from the words of St. John, Jesus is superior to him because He reigns over heaven and earth. However, despite Jesus’ superiority, He chooses to be a humble servant.
How is Jesus superior to John the Baptist? It seems pretty obvious how Jesus is superior to St. John the Baptist. Jesus is the Son of God; He is the second person of the Trinity. St. John is not divine; he is the forerunner and servant of the Son of God. However, we have to put ourselves in the shoes of the disciples of St. John the Baptist. He had many followers, and now he is telling them that Jesus is more powerful and has more authority than he does. St. John proclaims Jesus’ superiority when he says, “After me comes a man who ranks before me, for he was before me.” [1] Here St. John “shows us the divinity of Christ” because the Son is eternally begotten from the Father in a way that no human has, is, or will ever been. [2] Pope St. Gregory the Great writes, “He [Jesus] is not limited by the ties of his birth; for although he is born of his mother in time, he was generated by his Father outside of time.” [3]
The title ‘Lamb of God’ describes the divinity of Jesus, for there is only one unblemished Lamb of God. He is the one and only sacrificial Lamb because He is the one and only begotten Son of the Father. Because there is only one Lamb, there is only one pure, unblemished, and acceptable sacrifice. The title Lamb of God also describes the mission of Jesus to take away the sins of the world. He is the sacrificial Lamb that takes away the sins of the world and of whom God is well pleased. “Christ’s divinity shines forth: the Only-Begotten of the Father, he is God like the Father; when he took human nature his divinity was not diminished. Yet he hid it, almost as if annihilating it when he took the form of a servant and abased himself to the state of a lamb offered in holocaust. But precisely by means of this sacrifice, which opens into the resurrection, he recovers his full glory as Son of God, and gains the power of sharing it with all men, redeeming them from sin and presenting them to the Father as sons.” [4]
What impact does the Baptism of the Lord have on John the Baptist? John the Baptist was present at the Baptism of our Lord when the Father said, “This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.” [5] St. John the Baptist says, “I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from heaven 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.” [6] St. John is a witness to Christ, that is what he was born to do and it is that vocation that he fulfills in his life and works.
St. John the Baptist reveals a glimpse into the life of the Holy Trinity. “It [the Baptism of the Lord] is one of the key points in our Lord’s life, in which the mystery of the Blessed Trinity is revealed.” [7] John the Baptist speaks of the dove, the Holy Spirit, descending upon Jesus. He also hears God’s voice upon baptizing Jesus.
How does Jesus use his superiority? Jesus takes on the embodiment of the title ‘Lamb of God’ at every stage of his life. He was obedient to the will of the Father and to will of His Mother Mary. In today’s Gospel we see that Jesus is obedient to being baptized. “The baptism of Jesus is on his part the acceptance and inauguration of his mission as God’s suffering Servant….He is already ‘the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.’…He is submitting himself entirely to his Father’s will: out of love He consents to this baptism of death for the remission of our sins. The Father’s voice responds to the Son’s acceptance, proclaiming his entire delight in his Son. The Spirit whom Jesus possessed in fullness from his conception comes to ‘rest on him.’ Jesus will be the source of the Spirit for all mankind.” [8]
When we think of a lamb we do not think of it as the king of all the animals. We see a lamb as an animal of prey in the animal kingdom. Jesus is both the ‘Lion of Judah,’ but is also the ‘Lamb of God.’ The image of Lion and Lamb are important in understanding the first and second comings of Christ. In the first coming of Christ, Christ comes as the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world. He says to us, “I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world.” [9] In the second coming of Christ, which will be the end of the world, He comes as the Lion who will judge the living and the dead. Saint Paul says of the second coming, “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingly power.” [10] The prophet Isaiah, who wrote 750 years prior to the first coming of Christ, prophesizes both comings of Christ. He writes, “Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; The calf and the young lion shall browse together, with a little child to guide them. [11]
St. John the Baptist conveys how little his power is compared to that of Jesus Christ. We too must realize that any power and authority in this world is nothing compared to that of Jesus Christ. We are given power and authority only because God permits it. “Confronted with the greatness of Christ, John observes his own littleness and confesses: ‘This is he, of whom I said, ‘after me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me’’. Enlightened from above, he recognizes the absolute primacy of Christ and of his mission…In comparison, with Christ every apostle is nothing, or rather has value, and is able to act, only insofar as he depends humbly and entirely on him.” [12]
“Jesus became the spotless Lamb, who offered himself up with absolute docility and meekness to make reparation for the sins of men, for their crimes and their betrayals. This is why we find the title he is given so expressive, for, comments Fray Luis de Leon, Lamb, referring to Christ, means three things: meekness of condition, purity and innocence of life, and satisfaction of sacrifice and offering.” [13] By becoming a lamb, Jesus was raised as a King of Kings. If we are to be like Christ, then we must be like lambs. We are to show humility, patience and obedience just as Christ did.
Saint Paul says, “The devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” [14] Satan cannot touch a soul if we do not get close to him and we remain close to Christ. We would not go near a chained, rabid dog; in the same way, let us not go near Satan. Let us stay close to Christ, Our Blessed Mother, and the Church, so that in the end of our life we can celebrate in superiority of Jesus at the wedding feast of the Lamb.
[1] John 1:30
[2] Navarre Bible, Gospel of John pg. 55
[3] St. Gregory the Great, In Evangelia homiliae, VII
[4] Fr. Gabriel, Divine Intimacy vol. I pg. 154
[5] Matthew 3:17
[6] John 1:29-34
[7] Navarre Bible, Gospel of John pg. 56
[8] CCC 536
[9] John 12:49
[10] 2 Timothy 4:1
[11] Isaiah 11:6
[12] Fr. Gabriel, Divine Intimacy vol. I pg. 154-155
[13] Fernandez, In conversation with God, 3, 7.2
[14] 1 Peter 5:8