The Lamb Before Its Shearers offers a bold and groundbreaking hearing of the Gospel of Saint John through the lens of the enigmatic Skeireins, a fourth-century Gothic commentary that provides a stark, godly critique of human systems and power structures.
In this provocative exegesis, Matthew Franklin Cooper engages deeply with the first ten chapters of John's Gospel, uncovering themes of light, truth, and the heralding of Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God. Cooper challenges ancient and modern assumptions about power, identity, and faith, presenting John's Gospel as both a searing critique of human arrogance and an invitation to radical submission.
Drawing on Semitic and Greek textual traditions, Cooper skillfully combines rigorous biblical analysis with historical insight. His reflections ask the profound questions that John's Gospel demands: Who truly belongs to the family of Abraham? What does it mean to step out of darkness into light? How does Jesus' self-sacrifice as the Able Herdsman reshape our understanding of leadership, justice, and love? Here, Cooper's foray into the intersection of Semitic and Sinitic linguistics hints at future projects.
With a scholar's rigor and a prophet's voice, Cooper illuminates the Gospel's enduring urgency. From the majestic echoes of the Prologue to the intimate encounters with Nicodemus, the Samaritan woman, and the man born blind, The Lamb Before Its Shearers reveals the stark nature of John's portrayal of Christ as the Lamb who submits to the Father's will-even to death. This is how the command is embodied among us: the Emir coming back to dwell in His tent.
Whether scholar, seeker, or believer, The Lamb Before Its Shearers compels readers to hear the Shepherd's voice, to embrace the unsettling freedom of submission, and to step boldly through the narrow gate into the sheepfold of God's sufficiency. - Fr. Marc Philip Boulos, The Bible as Literature Podcast.
