The Lamb of God

This is the English-Translated outline of the sermon preached by Rev. Musubi Tabuchi to the congregations of Ashiya Christian Church and Unfinished Community on Sunday, January 18, 2025, drawing from John 1:29-42

My seminary professor, Dr. Susumu Kinosaki, would always come to the pulpit with a sermon related to the Chinese zodiac sign for the new year. Today's lesson, unfortunately, is not about the horse but the “lamb” instead. Incidentally, horses are not highly valued in the Bible and seem to have been feared even as mounts for warfare (Zechariah 9:10). The Israelite people, in Max Weber's terms, were “Bedouins: small livestock keepers.” They apparently lacked the economic means to handle large livestock like horses, cattle, or camels, instead leading their lives by tending flocks of sheep. This is precisely why shepherds feature so prominently as protagonists in the Bible. Jesus Himself declared, “I am the good shepherd,” and John the Baptist, upon seeing Jesus, proclaimed Him “the Lamb of God.”

Today's Bible passage is the account of Jesus' baptism, also presented last week in the Gospel of Matthew. Upon baptizing Jesus, John the Baptist declares that Jesus is one greater than himself, the “Son of God,” and the “Lamb of God.” Within the Bible, especially against the Old Testament background, the “lamb” refers to the sacrificial lamb slain as a substitute to bear the plagues intended for the Israelites, as described in Exodus. For John, Jesus' greatness and divine sonship were understood by looking ahead to the meaning of Jesus' death (John 19). This is the primary and greatest reason Christianity accepts Jesus as the Son of God and the Christ. Therefore, displaying the “cross” is essential to us, even for the church building itself.

The central message is that Jesus was crucified for our sins. At the conclusion of the Catholic Mass , the prayer recited is precisely “the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” – in Latin, “Agnus Dei qui tolis peccata mundi.” This prayer is followed by the words “Dona nobis pacem.” It closes with the plea: Grant us peace (pacem = pax = peace). Jesus' death on the cross was meant to give us true peace and tranquility. As we begin the new year and consider the year ahead, may we find true peace and security by focusing on the fact that Jesus has taken away our sins—our anxieties, worries, troubles, sufferings, and fears. In this sense, we desire to walk forward with the cross held high in our hearts.

Dear God, in this New Year, we remember anew the immense significance Jesus has in our lives. Please grant us the grace to walk this year's path together with Him. May we be a people who live each day bearing that cross together. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, who was obedient unto death on the cross and loved us.

Amen.