April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
GOOD NEWS FOR KIDS
What's in a nickname?
Jesus, help me enjoy nicknames I like and ignore the ones I don't! Amen.
John the Baptist was teaching that Jesus would be coming soon when he saw Jesus walking toward him. "There He is - the Lamb of God!" John said. "He's the person I was talking about. I saw the Holy Spirit come to Him from heaven like a dove, and God said, 'He's the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit. He is the Son of God.'"
Nicknames can be embarrassing. You may not mind that your family has called you "Puppy" since you were a baby - unless your friends are around! Of course, your family may be so used to calling you that, it just slips out.
Nicknames can also be comforting. When someone uses your nickname, you may feel close to the person: He or she knows you well enough to use your nickname. A good nickname can also make you feel special, like when everyone on a sports team has cool nicknames.
In this week's Gospel (John 1:29-34), as John the Baptist is talking about Jesus, Jesus arrives. Jesus is John's cousin, so it's not surprising that John has another name for Him: the "Lamb of God." It's easy to picture John and Jesus hanging out as teenagers, with Jesus talking about saving the world and John joking, "Sure, Lamb of God, you're the chosen one."
Some nicknames are just silliness, but nicknames can also mean something. By the time the Gospel story happened, John realized that Jesus really was the Lamb of God. He was in the world to help people get close to God.
John explained that Jesus was the person John had been waiting for when he was baptizing people. John had just been getting people ready to meet Jesus, the Son of God - the real Lamb of God.
A nickname can make you feel honored or uncomfortable, depending on how you look at it. There are nicknames that are hurtful (and should be ignored), but most nicknames are signs of love. When John called Jesus the "Lamb of God," Jesus just rolled with it. He knew John meant it lovingly![[In-content Ad]]
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