Thursday, December 5

 

 

 

“Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”
(John 1:29, RSV)

 

When this scripture is read the accent is most often placed on the second part of the verse: sin. Because God’s plan of salvation is such a wonderful provision, we are prone to continually re-examine the fact that Jesus came into the world to free us from it. Indeed, freedom from the bondage of sin is at the core of the Good News of the Gospel, but I would like to take a few moments to examine the first part of the verse: Behold, the Lamb.

 

What does it mean to behold? The dictionary defines the process of beholding as, “to gaze at, or look upon.” The word is also used to express amazement. Middle English usage includes the idea of possessing or holding onto something. Today, that meaning is nearly lost, and the notion of beholding is rarely used. But just what is beholding, particularly in the context of “the Lamb of God,” and why is it of any significance?

 

It is one thing to read the scriptures and learn of God’s wonderful purpose of salvation entering the world the day Jesus of Nazareth was born, and quite another thing to behold Him in our hearts and realize that He, indeed, is our Savior, our Shepherd! Something deep and transformational happens when we begin to behold our Lord.

 

My first Christmas in Christ was like that. For 17 Christmases I was in church with my family. From infancy, mom had me by her side. But it was not until I truly beheld the Lord and received Him as my own, that I knew what the Presence of the Lord meant. What a joy to learn that the incarnation was not only an event in history, but that Jesus Christ was alive, and I could know Him and actually walk with Him in the Spirit! It was not until that 17th year of my life that I began to turn my gaze upon the living Lord and experience the reality of salvation, truth, meaning and purpose in my life. What dazzling Christmas gifts ⏤ gifts that far surpass anything money could buy. “Oh what fellowship, oh what joy divine” ⏤ I began to learn the true meaning of Christmas!

Before very long I learned that to “behold the Lamb of God” was not just for Christmas day or for the three wise men. With each year it seemed the Lord bid me to come and fellowship with Him, to transform me and get a hold of my heart in deeper ways. This process is part of the normal Christian life and accomplished in as many ways as there are people, but always through the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 12:1-5). As I grew in my faith I learned that the great Apostle Paul discusses this need for transformation at length and in one instance to the young Christians in Corinth he wrote, “But we all are beholding the glory of the Lord, and being transformed into His same image, from glory, to glory” (2 Cor. 3:18). Indeed! There is a glory and a joy of first beholding the Christ, but there is an ongoing and increasing glory as we get to know Him better! As we behold the Lord, or gaze upon Him intently, our lives are inexplicably changed. How the Lord actually does it, we do not really know, but in beholding Him, it is clear that we take the focus of our eyes off our needs, our desires and our day-to-day challenges, and bring the focus of our attention on who He is and all that He is doing. In His Presence, we begin to see things as they really are; we begin to gain a view of life from the eternal perspective.

 

Moving more deeply into this Christmas season let us remember that He is the gift, and we need only behold Him. Behold … the Lamb of God.

 

Dr. Stephanie Bennett
Professor of Communication and Media Ecology
Fellow for Student Engagement