The coming of Jesus to the world in view of His mission means the call to discipleship issued to all types of people invited to a new way of life (John 1:35-42). Receiving the call and following His invitation is to be open to whatever God will ask of us.
The discovery
John the Baptizer, the proto-witness of Jesus, was literally standing there with his own personal experience and deepening discovery of Jesus. He started with his not knowing Jesus (1:31.33), but he knew that the one coming after him ranks ahead of him because this existed before him (1:30) and is the one on whom, he was told by the one who sent him, he would see the Spirit come down and who would baptize with the Holy Spirit (1:33). About himself, John knew that he was sent to baptize with water so that this one might be made known to Israel (1:31). Now John could say: “I have seen and testified that He is the Son of God” (1:34). The divine voice within him led John personally to discover Jesus and to interpret what he saw and experienced.
Now, the revealing voice is through John in his human witnessing to Jesus. In the presence of two of his disciples, John expresses the divine truth about Jesus and interprets Him in the image of a lamb, which as sacrificed atones for the sins of the people and reunites them to God. John calls the attention of his disciples to behold the one who overcomes human alienation from God. Interested through John’s instigation, the two begin to follow Jesus. But Jesus turns to them Himself and engages them personally, asking them about their desires. They want to know more about Jesus, where He is “staying,” what He is all about. “Come and see”—Jesus invites them to a personal knowledge of Him. And they accept—they “see and remain,” receiving into the core of their being His revelation to them. The grace of their discovery is noted to be about four in the afternoon, the time of temple worship, as Jesus the new “lamb of God” unites them to God.
The transforming call
The pattern of evangelization is set. John, through an inner guidance, sees the divine truth about Jesus and witnesses to it. He inspires and encourages his two disciples to follow the lead. These two disciples personally experience the truth about Jesus, and one of them, Andrew, immediately witnesses to it and brings his brother to Jesus. People need to find out for themselves what is really about Jesus, who He really is and how it really is to be with Him and for Him. There is no substitute to a personal encounter with Jesus whether at first directly or indirectly, in order to establish a personal relationship with Him for life.
Jesus renames Simon to Peter. This highlights the reality that close fellowship with Jesus is life-changing. To be identified with Him is to be transformed into someone like him, somehow to be “Christified.” To be a “rock” (Cephas), is to be constant and firm in imitation of Jesus, to be durable and reliable in the service of others just like Jesus who is the original rock and foundation of our communion with God and with one another.
Alálaong bagá, the birth of the Son of God among us makes the difference to us when we personally encounter Him and enter into an interpersonal relationship with Him. This intimacy to the point of identifying with and imitating Jesus is a discipleship that we are invited to, a grace given. It comes when God calls us whether in the innocence of childhood, in young adulthood or in the wisdom of years, and whether through an inner call and inspiration, or attracted by a witness or an event beckoning us to investigate further. It needs discernment to discover our Christian vocation and a radical transformation to be true to it. To be part of the mission of Jesus Christ is to belong to the reign of God.
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