This week's Gospel text covers two distinct pericopes which work together to close out John's introduction of Jesus and to lead the mission of the Messiah onto center stage. Considerable evidence suggests that one of the challenges confronting the Johannine community came from overly zealous venerations of John the Baptist. These steadfast followers failed to shift their allegiance from the proclaimer, John the Baptist, to the proclaimed one, Jesus the Christ. They continued to celebrate the pre-eminent voice and vision of the Baptist. John's Gospel thus takes great care in presenting the Baptist - emphasizing his highly specific calling and establishing a clear hierarchy between Jesus and John.

Already in John's prorogue John the Baptist's presence had intruded into the flow of the hymn. …