I’m not sure about you, but it has always struck me as odd that John the Baptist says that he did not recognize Jesus at first. Come on! This is the one who leapt for joy in his womb at the visitation.
I haven’t found a good explanation in any of the biblical commentaries on this. St. John Chrysostom and St. Cyril of Jerusalem each point out that according the Gospel of Luke 1:80, that John “grew up in the desert.” So maybe he never grew up with Jesus and knew what he looked like.
The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947 confirmed the presence of the Essenes in the desert hills along the southwest shore. Like all monastic communities, they took in children and raised them in the monastic life. Modern scripture scholars speculate that it is possible that if John was raised in one of the Essene communities and would not recognize him on sight.
However, John does recognize Jesus when he sees the Holy Spirit descend on him like a dove from heaven. At that point, he proclaims him to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. The presence of the Spirit makes all the difference.
It’s the same for each of us. All too often we go through life not recognizing Jesus acting in our lives and in our world. The presence of the Spirit makes all the difference.
With the Spirit, we recognize Jesus present with us in our parish family as we gather for worship, for “wherever two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in their midst.” (Mt. 18:20)
With the Spirit, we recognize Jesus in the Word of God as the scriptures are proclaimed in the midst of the sacred assembly.
With the Spirit, we recognize Jesus in the person of the priest who by virtue of his ordination presides in the person of Christ as another Christ, an “alter Christus.”
Finally, with the Spirit, we recognize Jesus in the breaking of the bread in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. His true and substantial presence is effected in the prayer of the Church invoking of the Holy Spirit upon the people and the eucharistic elements.
Like John we may not recognize him at first, but with the Spirit we not only come to know him, but help to make him known.
This statement of the Holy Spirit is so true. I find after experiencing the Holy Spirit in so many things I do is always after I do them I don’t realize till later what happened.