Texts: Isaiah 49:1-7; John 1:29-42
When I was growing up, I can remember my parents often saying to one another, “Be careful what you say! You never know who might be listening!” Each time, it would be said, there was a small head bob that always gave away who it was that might be listening: me. I most often heard this when something bad was about to be said, and I was within earshot. If my dad was venting to my mother about a disagreement at work, and was about swear, my mom would nod in my direction, and say, “Mar! Be careful! Someone might hear you!”
Sometimes, I swear, that my parents always knew where I was. I could sneak out of my room at night, knowing they were watching an action movie that I wasn’t allowed to watch. I’d tiptoe down the hall, not making a sound, and try to see what it was that I wasn’t supposed to watch… or listen to. Somehow, they always knew that I was there, because only seconds later, my dad would mute the television and say, “Be careful! Someone might hear something they shouldn’t!”
As I got older, however that message changed. Soon, I’d be hearing my name called down the hallway, “Kari, come downstairs! There’s something you should hear!” Often it was an important story on the news, or one of them would want to tell me something important. It took awhile for me to realize it, but soon I was hearing “There’s something you should hear,” much more frequently.
“There’s something you should hear.”
That seems like a more modern twist on what John the Baptizer was crying out in the desert. There’s something you should hear, because that man over there—he’s the Lamb of God. He’ll take away the sins of the world! In any of the gospels, this is John’s job—the give testimony and witness to who Jesus is.
The last few weeks, we’ve been coming down off of the Christmas excitement. We’ve celebrated the birth of the baby Jesus in a Bethlehem manger. We’ve heard about the visit of the Magi as we celebrated the Feast of the Epiphany. We’ve heard about Jesus’ Baptism. We’ve repeatedly been given snippets—pieces—of information over the past few weeks about who that baby in the manger is.
A few weeks ago, we saw God’s love manifest, incarnate, in the birth of a baby. At the Feast of the Epiphany, we saw the beginnings of the revelation of Jesus to the Gentiles. It is the Gentiles—those who are not of the tribes of Israel—who are among the first to know Jesus as king. Just last week, the sky opened, the Spirit descended and the voice of God testified to who Jesus is—God’s Son.
And now, today, we get another piece of that information. We hear a little bit more about who Jesus is. But today, that testimony does not come from a voice spoken from heaven, but from a man living on honey and locusts, baptizing people in the Jordan River. Earlier in this gospel, we read that John the Baptizer was the one who was to give testimony to Jesus. He is that “voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord.’”[1]
Today we hear that voice crying out “Look! There he is! It’s him! The one I’ve been talking about! It’s the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”…. And so begins the line of those who will bear witness to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. The role of John the Baptizer, regardless of which of the four gospels you read, is to point us toward the One who is coming into the world. This is John’s role. He is a witness. John’s testimony lets us in on another piece of information about Jesus. John tells us two things:
1) Jesus is the Lamb of God, and
2) Jesus takes away the sin of the world
Jesus is the Lamb of God… ok, what exactly does that mean? John never really explains what he means. All we hear in this gospel is that John the Baptizer says this, explains that God revealed this--Jesus’ identity—and that Jesus is the Son of God. But John calls Jesus the Lamb of God. Late in this gospel, this becomes a little more clear. Because Jesus will be handed over and crucified on the day when the Passover lambs are being sacrificed in the Temple. Jesus is the sacrifice that takes away sin.
Jesus is the Son of God who takes away sin. Sin here is not so much about all those things we do that aren’t so good. Sin is when we are living in broken relationships with God. Sin is what continues to separate us from God. And sin is not something that we are able to remove. We need someone else to do that for us. That’s where Jesus comes in. Jesus comes to take away sin.
But wait. There’s more. Because John doesn’t say “Look! It’s the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of Israel!” Nor does he say, “It’s the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the Church!” or “It’s the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the United States!” Rather, John says, “It’s the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” The world. That means everyone. Everyone. All of creation. This is HUGE!
But it’s not just John who says that God’s salvation is for the world. Look back at the text from Isaiah. In this text, God speaks to God’s chosen servant: “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors of Israel; I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”[2] It is too light a thing… It is too important for it to only be for a small group!
As Christians, we understand the Servant to be Jesus, God’s Son, the Lamb of God. In fact, in the Gospel of John, Jesus gives himself this title that God has given to the Servant—the “Light of the world.”
So today, as we continue the season of Epiphany, we learn more about who Jesus is. Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus is the Light of the World. And Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. There are no pre-requisites. There isn’t anything that says, “You have to do this, that, and the other thing in order to have your sin forgiven.” Jesus takes away the sin of the world. It’s done. You’re forgiven.
But something happens when we hear about Jesus. Something happens when we learn that Jesus is that Lamb of God. Because when testimony about Jesus is spoken, people overhear. This is the time to call out “Hey! Come downstairs! There’s something you need to hear!”
Because do you remember what happened when John the Baptizer cried out “Look, here is the Lamb of God”?
Two of John’s disciples got up and followed Jesus! They went, seeking to know more, seeking to stay with him. They ask Jesus where he is staying, and Jesus responds with a very simple answer—“Come and see.” It is an invitation to stay with him, to learn more, and to see. It’s no longer about hearing… but has become about seeing who this Jesus is.
But again, it doesn’t end there! Because one of those disciples, overflowing with excitement, tells his brother, “We’ve found the Messiah! Let me take you to him! You need to see this!” And now we have learned more about Jesus. Jesus is the Messiah.
The truth is, when someone gives witness to who Jesus is, there is a ripple effect. It starts with John the Baptist, preparing the way. A few disciples overheard John’s testimony, and they started following Jesus. Those disciples told others about Jesus. And they, too, started following him. And they told a few more… and the gospel spread.
This is something that others need to hear! They need to know who Jesus is! This is what we are called to do. To continue sharing the news with others. Testifying—evangelizing can be a little scary for us. But this is a story worth sharing! It is a story that must be shared, so that others may hear about who Jesus is, and start following him.
“Come here! There’s something you need to hear!”
The thing is, this message, these words that we hear from John the Baptizer are not just for us. It’s right there in what John says. It’s for the world, because Jesus takes away the sin of the world. Not just mine. Not just yours. Not just the Church’s, or the United States’ or the West’s. But even mine. Even yours. Even the Church’s, and the United States’. Because it is for the world. And that means everyone. And that really is good news.
No comments:
Post a Comment