Today, John’s Gospel gives us insight into how his focus differs from the other synoptic Gospel writers, Matthew, Mark and Luke. While all four Gospels tell us about the life of Jesus, John’s focus is on who Jesus was and what He did as the divine Son of God, and what this means for all mankind. John was not so much concerned with recording the historical words and deeds of Jesus. John pulls from the writings and stories of the other three Gospels writers to create a theological reflection to strengthen the understanding and faith of the early Christian community. Persecution was becoming prevalent at the time of this last Gospel written late in the first century. The Christian community was shaken. Was this Jesus they followed really the Son of God? We need John’s message as much today as they did 2000 years ago. Many in the world today question the divinity of Jesus, viewing Him at best as a holy teacher or a prophet but not God. In the reading today, John the Baptist assures his followers that he is not the Messiah. John tells the crowd that the true Messiah had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove appearing over Jesus at His baptism. Further, the Holy Spirit revealed that Jesus had existed from the beginning before everything and is eternal. John tells his followers that Jesus is the “Son of God” and the “Lamb of God”. As the Son of God, Jesus is equal to His father and is our Lord; and as the Lamb of God, He is also our Savior. John was reminding his listeners of the Passover lamb, whose blood was sprinkled on the door posts of the Israelites in Egypt so that death would pass over their homes saving them. 2000 years later this Son of God, Jesus, is our savior too if only we choose Him. This is the essence of our faith. May we be like the apostle Thomas who had his own doubts but found the faith upon seeing the risen Christ to profess “My Lord and My God.” (Jn 20:28) While we do not see Jesus with the eyes of our body, may we see Him through the eyes of faith, “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” (Jn 20: 29)