Advent Day 38: The Lamb of God

Sgraffito Murals of the Book of Revelation (multiple panels and overall of chapel interior), Adam Kossowski, 1964. St. Benet’s Chaplaincy, Queen Mary University of London,
London, England. Used with permission from St. Benet’s Chaplaincy.

“Worthy is the Lamb” from the album Igniting the Passion, performed by Darlene Zschech with Hillsong Worship, composed by Darlene Joyce Zschech.

"No More Night" performed by Christian Edition, composed by Walt Harrah.

Poetry:

“Upper Room”
by Keith Patman

Stars sing, light-years deep in silent space.
In a bottle’s neck God’s Ghost sings
as the wine is poured.
Out on the edge of eternity, the Father
sees the Lamb slain ere the world is formed.
A soft cough splits the silence of this room
light-years below the wheeling stars.
A hollow prayer; give it breath, O Ghost,
let roar a wind like that which shook
the bones in Vision Vale.
For vision, God spills bread crumbs on the board.
His stars sing, light-years deep in silent space.
Here, emblems speak a mystery of brokenness:
the shattering of him by whom all things consist.

The Lamb of God

Today is the Feast of the Epiphany when the Church celebrates the arrival of the Magi to adore the Christ child. An event that has also been interpreted as an image of the fact that the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that “mystery hidden for ages and generations” has now been “revealed to his saints” (Col. 1:26). But what exactly is being revealed, given the fact that this little infant, helpless and dependent on his parents’ gentle care, is, well, so quintessentially human? How is it that the “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” can be so fragile? When these kings of the Orient arrived at the scene of the nativity, were they surprised that the divine beacon, that unique star in the sky guided them to Bethlehem of all places? To the feet of a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger? Perhaps, but the Christian tradition tells us that they kneeled in adoration, nonetheless. As is often the case, they may not have fully understood but they reverenced and worshipped the incarnate Lamb of God, nevertheless.

Editor's note: scripture and scholarship indicate Christ was no longer in the manger when the Magi arrived, though historical depictions indicate otherwise.

Our images for today depict an event that is yet to come but they are, of course, in continuity with God the Son’s incarnation and appearing to humankind as a babe. Even though a child, Jesus always was and always is the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” John the Baptist did not make it so, it was always so. In the words of the Apostle Peter, he “indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world.” Or in the poetry of Keith Patman, “Out on the edge of eternity, the Father sees the Lamb slain ere the world is formed.” And just as “the twenty-four elders [will fall] down before the Lamb” in heaven, so too do the magi fall down before the infant Lamb of God. And in doing so they join their voices with the ten-thousand-fold choir of angels who sing out with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!” The question for us, of course, is this: do we do the same? Do we recognize the Lamb of God and fall down in adoration? Do we bring ourselves to him as our gift and offer him ourselves, our souls and bodies, to be a reasonable, holy, and living sacrifice? If not, then what prevents us from doing it today, even at this very moment?

Prayer:
O God, who by the leading of a star didst manifest thy only-begotten Son to the Gentiles; Mercifully grant that we, who know thee now by faith, may after this life have the fruition of thy glorious Godhead; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Rev. Greg Peters, Ph.D., S.M.D.
Professor of Medieval and Spiritual Theology
Torrey Honors College
Biola University
Vicar of Anglican Church of the Epiphany
La Mirada, California