Come And See

 

We see God in human flesh in Jesus.

Reflection on Today’s Readings, Friday Before Epiphany, January 5th, 2024
Texts: 1 John 3:11-21; Psalm 100:1-5; John 1:43-51 

St. Philip challenges us, today, to win souls for Christ. As Christ called us to follow Him, so also we are to call others to do the same. Hence, in today’s first reading, St. John says, “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” As God teaches us to love brethren by loving us first, so it is when He called to follow Him. This should be our message to the world: "We have found him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote,  Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. Come and see."

Telling the world that we have found Him is offering ourselves as proof of an encounter with Him. This means that our lives must bear the evidence of our encounter with Christ. St. John affirms this in the first reading: “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren.” He also says, “Little children, let us not love in word or speech but in deed and in truth. By this we shall know that we are of the truth”. This comes by following Jesus Christ. Hence, Jesus Christ said to Philip, “Follow me”.  

Our message is God in human flesh 

What do we see by following Jesus Christ? We see God in human flesh in Jesus. Hence, Jesus Christ says, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man." By those words He speaks of the fullness of divinity in Himself.

This reminds us of Jacob’s dream in which the angels of God were ascending and descending on a ladder that connected the earth and the heaven; and God revealed Himself: “I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac” (Gen. 28:12-13). Jacob said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven” (Gen. 28:17). The ascending and descending of the angels of God upon Jesus Christ signifies the fullness of divinity in Him. The angels worship Him. Our message is God in human flesh.  

Prayer  

Cast your kindly light upon your faithful, Lord, we pray, and with the splendour of your glory set their hearts ever aflame, that they may never cease to acknowledge their Saviour and may truly hold fast to him. Amen (Collect) 

Fr. Andrew  Olowomuke