Beyond the Memory, The Presence That Remains.
“John the Baptist serves as the archetypal witness, pointing to Jesus as the “Lamb of God” who remains a permanent presence in history. Unlike a temporary visit, the Spirit remains in Christ, offering a new life that fulfills the human heart’s deepest longings and frees us from the isolation of sin.”
Julián Carrón - The Witness of John the Baptist: A Reflection.
II Sunday of Ordinary Time – Year A
Notes from the homily by Julián Carrón January 18, 2026
The Paradigm of Witness: Why the Baptist Must Decrease So Christ Can Increase
With the Christmas season behind us—having contemplated the Mystery of the Incarnation and the Epiphany—the Church does not immediately plunge us into Jesus’ preaching and miracles. Instead, she keeps us on the threshold of the mystery of His identity. The liturgy makes a slow transition to help us fully grasp what we have celebrated. From the manifestation to the Magi and the baptism in the Jordan, we now move toward the human reception of this Mystery through the archetypal figure of the witness: John the Baptist. John grasped the significance of what happened at Jesus’ baptism and understood that his mission was to bear witness to what he had recognized.
What is the content of his testimony? We see it immediately. Seeing Jesus coming toward him, John exclaims: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” John’s task is to point to Jesus and turn everyone’s gaze toward Him. When the Baptist says, “Behold, the Lamb of God,” he is pointing to the new instrument of definitive liberation. John uses the singular—“sin,” not “sins”—to show that with the Presence of Jesus, the One who can free us from our distance from God and the wrong orientation of our existence has entered history. He comes to bring us to a fullness that truly sets us free.
The eternal paradox: understanding Jesus' pre-existence despite his historical birth.
The existential weight of this mysterious phrase is revealed when we see the change it sparks in those who first encounter and follow Him: John and Andrew. After spending time with Jesus, the two of them are so attracted to Him that they tell everyone: “We have met the Messiah!” Finally, a Presence that truly corresponds to the longing of the heart! This is a Presence with which to challenge sin, because it is capable of fulfilling us more than any of our whims. A new life begins—finally full, more attractive than any of our clumsy attempts at happiness.
Immediately afterward, John the Baptist utters a statement that seems like a chronological paradox: “After me comes a man who is ahead of me, because he was before me.” Historically, we know Jesus was born after John. According to the logic of the ancient world, seniority conferred authority, so John should have been superior. However, the Baptist overturns human categories by affirming the pre-existence of Jesus: “He was before me.” He is not referring to a temporal birth, but to the eternal origin of Christ, the Word. John recognizes that the One who follows him in time precedes him in eternity.
The Permanent Spirit: how the Spirit “remains” in Jesus making him a constant source of life.
A third element allows John the Baptist to understand the newness Jesus brings: “I saw the Spirit descend like a dove from heaven and remain on him.” Every Jew was familiar with how God acted: giving His Spirit to a judge like Gideon or a prophet like Isaiah. People recognized the Spirit by the difference they saw in those men. But the newness witnessed by the Baptist marks a turning point: the Spirit descends upon Jesus and remains in Him. It is not a temporary visit; Jesus is the permanent dwelling place of the Spirit. In Him, human nature and the Spirit are indissolubly united.
Because the Spirit “remains” in Jesus, He becomes capable of giving it: “He is the one who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.” In Him, the Spirit is finally revealed. For us, the Spirit is often a pure abstraction. In Jesus, however, the Spirit reveals its true nature, making Him overflow with life. Thanks to Christ, the Spirit remains as the principle of a new life—an attraction so full of life that it allows us to “remain” in Him in turn. Through Baptism, we are grafted into Christ. We finally see the possibility that life—true life—is not a passing thing. We can constantly nourish ourselves with this life that remains in Him. Because the Spirit received in Baptism imprints an indelible “seal,” God has bound Himself to humanity forever.
“I have seen and testified,” says John the Baptist, “that this is the Son of God.” With these words, he sums up his testimony and shows us the way to become witnesses ourselves. John is not just a historical pointer; he is the perennial paradigm for every believer: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” The golden rule of the Christian witness is that Christ dwells in the heart of the other. Nothing makes a witness happier than to see Christ take root in another person. This fullness frees the witness from any attempt to possess or to "draw others to himself," because he is already enjoying the fullness that Christ pours out.
As Paul tells the Corinthians, we are “sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints.” We are saints because the “Lamb of God” has drawn us so close to Himself that we have begun to overcome sin, because the Spirit “remains” in us. The gift we have received, the attraction we have seen, urges us to become "lived life." Witness is the process through which what we are by grace becomes visible in our lives, so that His glory may shine through every moment of history. It then becomes possible for everyone who meets us to bear witness to Him, just as John the Baptist did.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What does it mean that Jesus is the "Lamb of God"? A: When John the Baptist calls Jesus the "Lamb of God," he identifies Him as the definitive instrument of liberation. This title signifies a Presence that enters history to overcome "the sin of the world"—the distance between humanity and God—by offering a fullness that truly corresponds to the heart’s longing.
Q: How does John the Baptist define a Christian witness? A: John the Baptist serves as the perennial paradigm: "He must increase, but I must decrease." A witness does not draw others to themselves or attempt to possess them; instead, they point toward Christ, finding joy in seeing Him take root in the life of another.
Q: Why does the Church focus on John the Baptist immediately after Christmas? A: The liturgy uses John the Baptist as a bridge to help us transition from the Mystery of the Incarnation to the reality of Jesus' public life. He helps us grasp the identity of Christ through human reception, moving from the manifestation of God to the personal testimony of those who recognized Him.
Q: What is the "chronological paradox" mentioned by John the Baptist? A: John states that Jesus comes "after" him yet is "ahead" of him because He was "before" him. This refers to Christ’s eternal origin as the Word. While Jesus was born later in time, He precedes John in eternity, overturning human categories of seniority and authority.
Q: What is the significance of the Spirit "remaining" in Jesus? A: Unlike a temporary visit or inspiration, the Spirit indissolubly unites with Jesus’ human nature. Because the Spirit remains in Him, Jesus becomes the permanent dwelling place of God, capable of giving that same life to others through Baptism.
Related reflections.
Baptism - more than a ritual.
The Mystery of the Incarnation.
