Behold The Lamb of God



I was awakened by the sound from the window.

"What is it?" I said as another rock hit the glass just as I was getting out of bed.

"Just a minute, I'm comin', I'm comin'" I said.

"Hey get up ya lazy butt and hurry up" came the voice from the street below.

"What's all the fuss about?" I replied

"Come on or we'll miss a good seat." Came the response as I got to the window and looked out to see Thomas waving his hand to come on down.

It was a beautiful day. Sun was shining brightly and the smell was fresh in the air, from the cleaning rain of the night before. Felt like the touch of spring with the newness in the air. People hustling about and heading out of town towards the river.

"Oh, it's you Tom. Thought I recognized the voice. What's up now?" I asked.

"There's a big commotion down at the Jordan. Some nut case screamin' and hollerin' at the Priests, Levites and all. A whacko from Waco in the wilderness, come to town, they say. Hurry up. Let's go." Shouted Tommy.

So I got my clothes on, brewed some Starbucks and strolled on out to greet Thomas, who was almost half way up the street by now, still waving his hand to hurry up.

Everyone had gathered down by the Jordan. People from all around town and the
surrounding area. Some seated on the hillside, some on the shore, watching and listening to this rag-tag individual hollering to one and all.

I found Tommy seated on a rock halfway up the hillside, and went and sat beside him, still taking in the beauty of the day and trying to wake up with the help of my java.

"Cool, eh man." Said Tom.

"What's so cool?" I asked. "Have you been able to find out who this guy is?" I continued.

"Ya, someone said he was one of the Priests son. Zach, they called him. Apparently he was the Priest that was struck dumb for a while, some 30 years ago. Son's name is John." came the reply of Tom.

"Then after the son grew a bit, he left his dad and wandered into the wilderness. Ain't no one heard from him since, 'till today", said Thomas.

So we sat there and watched as this scruffy guy hollered and at the same time dunked people in the river, one at a time.

"Listen to this guy, will ya" said Tommy. "What a case, callin' our Priests vipers and everything." He continued.

"Hey, ya filthy pig, shut up and leave. We don't want you here insultin' our Priest,." hollered Tom and shaking his fist at the man.

"Do you know who you are talking about and to. Who do you think you are?" screamed Tommy at the top of his lungs.

"Tom, sit down and keep quiet. You'll get us in trouble with the local congregation." And I grabbed his arm and sat him on the rock.

"Man, can't you hear him? Listen to his rantin' and ravin' and the name callin' of our Priests." Said Tom. "We can't just sit here and do nothin' while he vilifies our Priests. They serve God in the Temple, offering up sacrifices for us. We gotta defend them. We can't let this village idiot insult them. No way, Hosea." said Tom, still furious.

Well Tom calmed down just in time to see a stillness in the crowd. We watched as the man stopped what he had been doing and looked toward another in silence.

John was coming out of the water and was looking at a man walking down to the
shoreline. The people just seemed to part in the way for this man, dressed in white raiment and not speaking a word.

"Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world", bellowed John as he met the other man and seemed to worship Him. Everyone watched the scene unfold. Then I felt a jab in my side and was distracted again by Tom.

"What do you want now?" I asked.

"Well, now I've heard it all", said Tom.

"What do you mean?", I asked, puzzled by his look.

"Did ya hear the village idiot? Did ya hear what he just said?", said Tom, in amazement.

"Ya, so?" I said.

"What do ya mean, ya, so. First we got the whacko from Waco, screamin' at our Priest's, then this new boy comes out of nowhere and the nut case says he's gonna take away the sin of the world. Come on, get real." Said Tommy.

"Heard buddy over there, say this newby was from Nazareth. Ya know nothin' good
comes from there. What a rip." He continued.

"So here we got Abbott and Costello putting' on a show for us. Costello the idiot and Abbott the straight man." Said Tom.

"What are you so upset about, Tom?" I asked.

"Well can't you see what's goin' on? I can. We got Costello screamin' bloody blue murder, drownin' people, and then he points to his buddy, Abbott, and says He's gonna do, what our Priest's have been doin' for centuries." Said Tom.

"I can see the Jerusalem Post tomorrow mornin'. "Headline News. Whacko from Waco
and His Buddy White Knight, Trying to Oust Local Priests From Their Position. Story Inside." Continued Tom.

"Oh, Oh here's another one from the Kibbutz Chronicle; "Nut case and Nazarene No
Gooder Instigate Infighting Among Local Religious Leaders. Priest's In An Uproar, Demand Government Intervention.'" He said.

"I mean, think about it, man. Think about what this nut has just said and what they are tryin' to pull off. Can ya imagin' these two guys tryin' to remove the Priest's from their jobs. All the work they do for us and the leadership they show. The sacrifices and burnt offerings they make on our behalf, in the Temple. And they ain't gonna give up all those benefits either. Not for love nor money. This ain't Kosher Bro." Said Tommy.

"Do ya really believe the Priest's are gonna give up their positions without a fight? I'll believe that when I see it!" he said.

"Ya know, Bro., this would make a real good story. Maybe I'll write it up and sell the screenplay to those two guys from Jollywood, Goldburg and Spielwyn. I think I'll call it, 'The Devine Comedy.' No, no, maybe 'Poof, Gone, But Not Forgotten'" said Tom cynically.

"But I got an even better one. How about, 'The Greatest Story Ever Told", he said. "should get me the Bald guy next year. Maybe even be on the best seller list for a couple of weeks or so. What do ya think, man?", he jibbed.

" I mean. Bro. Consider this. Can you see this guy with all the carcasses of flesh and blood on His shoulders and back. That's after He somehow manages to turn Himself into a sheep, of course. Man, you wouldn't even be able to recognize Him under all that flesh and blood. It would bury Him in seconds. Kill 'em, probably. And then after that, He is supposed to make all that disappear. Poof, gone. Ya, right. I'll believe that when I see it." He proclaimed again."

Tom continued, "I'd give him about 3 to 6 hours and then they would have to drag Him out from under all that weight that had been placed upon Him. And if that didn't kill 'em, He'd at least be out for 2 or 3 days, before He was able to get up again."

I listened to him. I knew he was expressing our beliefs. We had had our Priest's all our life. It had been this way for centuries, and everyone knew we had the truth, for we had been chosen by God. We were His people and had been given the commandments, which had been passed down to us, since Moses. The Law was to be obeyed and not taken lightly. And the Priests were men of God, doing the work of God, for the people of God. We all knew that.

"Behold the animal of God that makes the sin of the world go poof. Ya, right. I'll believe it when I see it." Said Tom, again.

"I doubt it", and finally began to walk away laughing and furious at the same time. Many would probably be feeling the same as Tom.

I sat there for a while longer and thought about what Tom had said. I certainly could see his point and understood where he was coming from. The Priest's had always taken care of us and they weren't about to let their positions go quietly. Probably end up crucifying the bastard if He tried to carry out any such plan!

But the voice of the one crying in the wilderness, kept ringing in my ears. Could this guy be right? Could he be telling the truth? Was this the One we were waiting for that the Law talked about. Wouldn't it be something if it were true? No sin, no death, no strife. Back in union with God! I wondered if anyone would believe it, or if they even could? Seemed to great a declaration to fulfill! But just think, wouldn't it be...

"Hey, you comin,'' came the startling voice that brought me out of my thoughts.

"Wake up. Day dreamin' again, eh" said Tommy. "Let's get outta here and go home.
Maybe we can catch the Priest's slittin' some throats up at the church," he continued as he walked down the path towards town.

I walked behind him still contemplating the words of the vagabond: "Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the Sin of the World."

Then I looked at Tommy and thought, could he be right?

---------I doubted it-------


Many doubt that the Son of God did just as John had declared. Many still see the world in sin and damnation. But if that is so, then the Son failed to do that which He was sent to do and He is a fake. And John was just a nut case who lost his head over a sheep, and a liar for proclaiming something that didn't take place. And if it ain't so, then Jesus was a con man who has led ALL down the garden path, and have no hope in hell of ever being reconciled back to God. Or, He did as was proclaimed and God no longer sees any sin, for it has been removed by the Blood of the Lamb. One doesn't need to see it to believe it, for blessed are they who have not seen and believe.

*POOF, GONE*.

Namaste

Sirius8


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