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29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.” 35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” 37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?” 39 “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon. 40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter ). John 1: 29-42 NIV
Happy and Blessed Monday to you, Friend! May the Light of Epiphany continue to shine in all the recesses of your soul. May Jesus bring you to life, a fullness of life that can be found nowhere else other than in the arms of Jesus.
I find it so fascinating that many birds love the HEB parking lot. I often search my grandkids visited back seat to see if a crumb or two of something missed by the mouths of my dear boys is there for the birds to enjoy. I often say that I will buy a bag of birdseed and place it in the back seat of my truck and have it there so that I can feel hungry birds. When we lived in Corpus Christi, Nellie and I would take slices of bread and visit the T-heads and the seagulls put on quite the show as they squawk and scream what sounds, "Me, me, me!" In the same way I still long to be able to share Jesus with others as this passage is saying those first disciples did. We find John the Baptist seeing Jesus come to him and John makes that awesome declaration, "Behold (Look), the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" This coming after so many presented themselves to him for a ritual cleansing of sin; something or Someone touched their souls and they recognized that they did indeed need to be cleansed of their sin. They realized that sin can lead to death; and to be alive, fully alive, they needed to have their sin taken away. And John has called Jesus the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world!" Like hungry birds, they had found the seeds of faith that began to feed their spiritual hunger.
This is an epiphany—a sudden revelation, a divine disclosure. John doesn't say "a lamb" but "the Lamb"—the specific, prophesied, long-awaited sacrifice. "Of God"—provided by God, belonging to God, sent by God. "Who takes away the sin of the world"—not just covers it temporarily like the Old Testament sacrifices, but removes it permanently. Not just for Israel but for the world. Every person, every nation, every sin—past, present, and future—dealt with definitively through this Lamb. John continues explaining: "This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel." John's entire ministry was preparatory, pointing beyond himself to the one coming after him who actually existed before him—a reference to Jesus' pre-existence as the eternal Word. John baptized not as an end in itself but as a means to reveal the Messiah to Israel. Everything John did served this single purpose: to make Jesus known.
John then describes his own epiphany moment: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' I have seen and I testify that this is God's Chosen One." John didn't initially know Jesus was the Messiah—they were relatives, but John needed divine revelation to recognize Jesus' true identity. God told him what sign to look for: the Spirit descending and remaining. When John saw this at Jesus' baptism, everything became clear. This is the one who will baptize not with water but with the Holy Spirit—giving not just external cleansing but internal transformation. John's testimony is emphatic: "I have seen and I testify." He's an eyewitness declaring under oath what he observed. "This is God's Chosen One"—the Messiah, the Son of God, the fulfillment of all promises. Epiphany reminds us that Jesus' identity isn't based on human speculation or religious tradition but on divine revelation confirmed by eyewitness testimony. God revealed His Son through the Spirit's anointing and through faithful witnesses like John who pointed others to Jesus.
The next day, John is with two of his disciples when Jesus passes by. "When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, 'Look, the Lamb of God!' When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus." Notice what happens: John points to Jesus, and his disciples leave him to follow Jesus. This is the mark of true ministry—not gathering followers for yourself but directing people to Jesus. John doesn't resent losing disciples; this is precisely why he came. The disciples follow Jesus, and Jesus turns and asks, "What do you want?" Their response is telling: "Rabbi, where are you staying?" They're not asking for a miracle, a sign, or even teaching—they want to know where He's staying because they want to spend time with Him. Jesus responds with an invitation that echoes through the centuries: "Come, and you will see." Not "Let me tell you about it" but "Come and see for yourself." "So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him." This is Epiphany in action—divine revelation leading to personal encounter. They came, they saw, they stayed. They moved from curiosity to commitment, from secondhand testimony to firsthand experience, from hearing about Jesus to being with Jesus.
One of these two disciples is Andrew, and what he does next is beautiful: "The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, 'We have found the Messiah' (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus." Andrew's first impulse after encountering Jesus is to share the news with his brother. "We have found the Messiah"—though more accurately, the Messiah found them. Andrew doesn't just tell Simon; he brings him to Jesus. This is the pattern of Epiphany: God reveals Jesus, we encounter Jesus, we tell others, we bring others to Jesus. When Simon meets Jesus, "Jesus looked at him and said, 'You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas' (which, when translated, is Peter)." Jesus immediately sees Simon's true identity and future potential. He gives him a new name—Peter, the rock—prophesying who he will become through relationship with Jesus. This is what happens when we come to Jesus: He sees us truly, knows us completely, and speaks over us who we're becoming, not just who we've been. Epiphany celebrates that Jesus is continually being revealed—not just historically to John and Andrew and Peter, but presently to all who will come and see, to all who respond to the invitation, to all who spend time with Him and discover that He is indeed the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, thank You for being revealed through faithful witnesses who point us to You; thank You for the invitation to "come and see," to move from hearing about You to being with You; help us, like Andrew, to bring others to You so they can encounter You personally and hear You speak over their lives with hope and transformation, in Your strong name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: This Epiphany season, identify one person in your life who needs to encounter Jesus, and like Andrew with Peter, don't just tell them about Jesus—invite them to "come and see" by bringing them to church, a Bible study, or simply sharing your own experience of spending time with Him.
I love you and I thank God for you! You matter to God and you matter to me! Be a bird-feeder if you have already been fed!
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
