Gospel Meditation

01-15-2017Weekly Reflection

"Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God." John the Baptist had an important message to impart. He was called by God to prepare the people of Israel to recognize Jesus' true identity. In a sense, he helped establish credibility for Christ by confirming that he was in fact the Messiah. Jesus didn't just have to claim it on his own; John also "testified" to the fact. We, of course, also benefit from the witness of John the Baptist recorded for us in the Gospels. And we have additional witnesses from the rest of the people throughout the Gospels who knew and recognized Jesus as the Son of God. But we also have the benefit of two thousand years of Church history! We have countless testimonies of saints and believers throughout the centuries who have known Jesus in their own lives and acted accordingly.

This raises two questions. First, are we willing to believe these testimonies from those who have gone before us? Consider how much credence we give to the experiences and the stories of our forefathers and foremothers in the faith--whether they are blood relatives or members of the larger communion of saints. Sometimes these personal accounts of coming to know the Lord are much more powerful than any "proof" or intellectual proposal about Christianity. They do require a degree of faith and trust, but they nonetheless provide us with real evidence about the impact of being close to Christ.

Secondly, let us consider whether or not we are willing to give testimony to who Christ is to us? It's one thing to believe in Jesus; it's another thing to share that faith with others. But like John the Baptist, we are called to share the truth so that others may come to believe.