Recognition is a powerful thing. When someone recognizes you because of something you’ve done or someone you are, it feels good. It feels really good to be seen. I think, that at the heart of much of social media, is a desire to be seen as who we are- to curate a vision of ourselves so that others recognize what we value in ourselves.
“Feeling seen is a state in which a part (or parts) of our identity, emotions, needs, and/or physical presence get fully recognized through various means—such as representation, validation, support, and/or inclusion. While it’s not often noticed, feeling seen by others can also be an incredibly empowering experience. The recognition of various parts of our being helps us feel connected to others, less isolated, and more understood. Being seen allows others to help us meet our needs, and vice versa.” (Pineda).
I bring this up because I feel like this moment in John is one of the first moments where Jesus is seen for who is is and who he will be. John recognizes Jesus. John SEES Jesus, and John makes a very public declaration, “Look, Here is the Lamb of God.” In saying this, John is announcing to those around him that Jesus is indeed someone special, but also he’s telling Jesus, “I see you and I know you.” It happens again in the second part of the scripture- this time Andrew says, “We have found the Messiah.” Another statement of recognition- another moment of “I see you and I know you.”
Twice in today's passage, we are given moments of deep recognition of who Jesus is and who he is to become- Lamb of God and Messiah. And Both of these occurrences are within earshot of Jesus himself. I think there is something powerful about this because in both cases, there is a declaration heard twice- once by those who are nearby, and once by Jesus himself. And I think BOTH of the matters of the audience.
First, we have those who are around. These two proclamations name specifically name Jesus and declare who he is to an audience. This is the first time in John that Jesus is called the Messiah, and John is the ONLY gospel that uses the term “Lamb of God” for Jesus. It’s important to remember the context here. While this Gospel doesn’t specifically describe the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist, the Baptizer does publicly recall the moment when he saw the “Spirit of God descending like a dove.” He has come to a deep understanding of who Jesus is, and he shares that with the disciples who are nearby, and those disciples then declare that Jesus is the Messiah. They share in John’s vision and understanding of who Jesus was, is and is becoming. The audience- these two disciples then shared their knowledge with others.
But also, within earshot was Jesus himself. And that’s the part I find really interesting. Jesus was nearby both times these comments were made and he would have heard them, even if he wasn’t a part of the conversation himself. He was being named- pointed out even. And this is what got me thinking about the power of being recognized- of being seen. In John’s gospel, no one has yet said these things out loud about Jesus. No one has proclaimed that he was anything other than a man with an important ministry. But after Jesus’ baptism, and after seeing the spirit of God descending like a dove, John the Baptist he was made this declaration, and then Simon who became Peter also made one.
And Jesus heard it.
I know I keep coming back to that, but it’s really important that Jesus heard what was being said about him. That Jesus understood what was being proclaimed about him. His purpose was to be publicly validated by these words. He was being SEEN for who he was. Being understood in that way had to be empowering for Jesus. There had to be a moment of feeling good that others saw this in him. But also, being SEEN can be a calling.
Think about it…if you do something publicly and then overhear someone saying “Oh they were so good at that” doesn’t that move you to do more? There’s something powerful in hearing that other people think you are someone of value or importance. And that recognition can push you to do more. When we see kids doing a good job at something we might say “Oh you could be a great soccer player when you grow up” or “you should become a nurse.”
There’s a story like that about my mom from her childhood. She used to play nurse for her kittens and dolls. She was always told that she would grow up to be such a good nurse. And that’s exactly what she did. In fact she became an RN and later got her Masters in Nursing education. For most of my life, my mom was educating nurses. All because someone had told her she would be a good nurse when she grew up.
Recognizing a calling in someone else can become almost a prophetic event. By hearing those words and believing in them, the person might indeed choose to take that path. There were so many people who told me that I was “called to ministry” long before I saw it in myself. And a neighbor of ours knew I was “meant to work in academia” long before I ever went to library school. Somehow, other people are often more equipped to see our gifts than we are.
Of course, Jesus knew he was called to something special, and he likely understood what it was that he was supposed to be doing. But I can also imagine that that moment of hearing other people recognize his calling would have been very significant for him. Hearing someone else call you the Lamb of God or the Messiah for the first time? That would have been a moment of recognition that helped him to feel seen and understood. I imagine that the enormity of Jesus’ calling often weighed on him in a way- and we get glimpses of this from time to time throughout all four gospels. So hearing about his calling from someone beyond what he already knew and had experienced, had to have been powerful.
There’s something uniquely human about the need to feel seen and recognized by others. And perhaps, Jesus didn’t actually need this moment, but I like to think that he felt empowered by it nonetheless.
So, sometimes, I think there is power in hearing GOOD things said about you rather than to you. It is sometimes not easy to take a compliment when it’s delivered in person and face to face. Sometimes it’s harder to hear people say good things than it is to hear them say bad ones. Sometimes, it’s really difficult to face nice things being said.
There was a common advertising technique I used to hear used, it said something along the lines of, “If you are satisfied, tell others; if not, tell us.” And there’s some truth in that concept. Vince Lombardi, the famed football coach, stated that his recipe for team success relied on the idea of “praise in public, criticize in private.” See, we hear praise better when it is also heard by others. I don’t know if it makes us more able to accept the praise or if it expands the reach of said praise, but either way, it’s more effective. So whether he realized it or not, John was practicing this principle. He was publicly recognizing Jesus for who he was and by doing so he was expanding the reach of his recognition
So I think I’ve gone a long way around saying that John does two things here. Yes, he praises publicly, but in doing so he also lets Jesus know that he is seen for who he is. And I think that’s the lesson for us from this gospel. Sometimes, it’s important to praise publicly but do so within earshot of the person who is being praised. This might help someone answer a call, find their passion, or just feel seen in a way they never have before.
Amen
Pineda, Kirk. “The Importance of Being Seen.” Humantold, 17 May 2022, https://humantold.com/blog/the-importance-of-being-seen/.