John 1:29-42 NIV
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming
toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the
world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A
man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31 I
myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he
might be revealed to Israel.”
32 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw
the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 And
I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with
water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is
the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I
have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”[a]
35 The next day John was there again
with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus
passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”
37 When the two disciples heard him say
this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus
saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”
They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are
you staying?”
39 “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”
So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent
that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.
40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one
of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The
first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have
found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 42 And he
brought him to Jesus.
Here He Is!
There He is! John the Baptist is probably witnessing Jesus
coming out of the wilderness after Jesus’ temptation. John exclaims for all of
us to hear. There He is! There is Jesus! Maybe John even pointed to Jesus! But
in any case, there He is! And John doesn’t beat around the bush with his
message. See! Look! This is God and He is carrying a huge load on His back. The
load of the sins of ALL the world. There He is! Look and see, this is God in
flesh. This IS Jesus. He is the Lamb of God.
Think back on it. Think back to the Bible of that day. People
would remember how the lamb in the Tabernacle was the sacrifice to cleanse the
people of sin. People would remember how Abraham told Isaac that God Himself
would provide the Lamb for the sacrifice on the altar. And as John the Baptist
now proclaims, here is the Lamb of God. The Lamb of God coming forth from the
temptations of Satan, carrying this huge load of sin all wrapped up on His
back. Our sin, not His own. I agree with John the Baptist and I give thanks to
God for His only Son Jesus, that here IS the Lamb of God, that takes away the
sin of the world. Thanks be to God!
See! I told you so! You may hear me speak of the Lamb of God,
but this is no weak creature. This Lamb is carrying, in such a strong and
powerful way, ALL the sin of the world. This IS the Guy! This is the Guy I was
telling y’all about. He so surpasses all
that I had to speak of, that I can’t even untie his sandal. This IS the Man!
Here is the One that I’ve been speaking of. Look! See! And yes, Listen to Him!
Now go figure this out, for sure, He’s greater than I am, and
I was born before this Jesus was born, yet He was and always has been BEFORE
me! And yep! Here He IS! This guy right here is why I am. I was sent to Point
to Him. That’s why I’ve been calling y’all together to repent. He IS the
reason. Turn and Look and See!
Talk about some conviction from John the Baptist. He tells it
loud and proud and clear for all to hear. John the Baptist and Jesus may have
been cousins, but John really didn’t know Jesus. Well now he does. John knows,
and recognizes Jesus as the Lamb of God, and not only that, John now recognizes
Jesus as God.
Now John understands. Now John understands why he was sent to
baptize all these people, who repent and rise out of the waters of their
sinfulness. They were rising to witness something NEW. They were rising out of
the waters of the Jordan to see God in flesh, right here, right now, as Jesus
emerges from the wilderness of temptation to prove to all the world that God
loves His people. God loves His people enough to take on this huge backpack of
ALL the sins of ALL the people throughout ALL time and forgive and save. Not in
some magical easy way. But as the Lamb of God to be sacrificed upon the altar
in our own place. Jesus is tough and able and ready and sent by God to carry
our Salvation.
And John has the proof. John saw the Spirit descend upon
Jesus at His baptism. And that Spirit stuck for good and for all time. That
Spirit became One with Jesus and One with the Father and became One in the
flesh and blood of Jesus. Yes, John the Baptist saw what he saw, and heard what
he heard, and now John the Baptist, in no uncertain terms proclaims in trust,
hope and faith what he saw and heard with his own ears and his own eyes.
May I boldly proclaim Jesus and Point to Him with the passion
of John. Lord help and guide me and all disciples to do just the same with as
much passion and conviction as John the Baptist has done.
Sometimes we don’t know the plan of God. I would guess most
of the times we don’t know what is going on. But when that plan that we have
been involved in opens up right before our eyes… well that’s the JOY of God!
That’s the joy of being God’s disciple. That’ the great joy of knowing that God
has used you in His service for a reason.
John sees Jesus the next day as he is with a couple of his
own disciples. Make no mistake about it, this is God in Jesus! There He is!
There is Jesus, the One about whom I am pointing. Go! See! Listen to Him!
Yes, focus your gaze and look at this man, this God. Jesus IS
the Lamb of God. The main act of God is here and now.
Jesus alone is the One to follow. He will teach you; He will forgive
you and He alone will save you from sin and death, to live with God forever
into eternity. Follow Him!
So, as Jesus sees John’s disciples following Him, He wants to
know what they want. Well, come on and find out! That’s how we point to Jesus.
We not only point we get up and go and follow and learn. Since baptism, we are
called to not only point to Jesus but get up and go and listen to His Word and
teaching, see the Word made flesh not only through Jesus, but through our own
very actions in loving God and one another. It’s not just a passive call; God
calls us and gifts us to an active call to use the gifts God freely gives to us
to love God and each other.
Now look and see what happens next. After John pointed to
Jesus, after his disciples followed Jesus, Jesus spreads himself to the world. Jesus
seeks out more and more and pulls disciples to Himself. A ministry is coming to
life, God in the flesh, here with us and among us. God comes to us and hunts us
down to take us to Him to grow in Him and out into all the world.
As I reflect upon my own life, the joys and the struggles; I sometimes
get a glimpse of Jesus. There are other times that I stew in my own
selfishness. I stew and become selfish, I fret and worry and fail to use the
gifts God has given to me since baptism. And when I’m down and out, there are
times, recent times, when all of the sudden God smacks me in the face. God
smacks me in the face while I’m floundering in my selfish sin, WITH His love
and compassion. Times when God makes it abundantly clear that He is with me and
has always been with me. Times when God puts His gifts to action through people
He calls and gifts and gives me His love through others.
It’s then that I must, I can’t help, but to turn to God. God
has turned to me and shown me His love. I can’t help but to confess my sin, it’s
right there before me. And when this happens God repents me and forgives me.
Sounds strange, doesn’t it? But yea, God smacks me in the face with His grace,
love, forgiveness, and ultimate healing, as he repents me and forgives me.
I rise out of the waters, of my death, selfishness, and idol
worship to a new life in God. And there He is! Point to Him! Follow Him! Join
in with Him and “get over yourself!” For God has called you to live your life
for Him and for all those He gives to you to act out in love.
How recent! How abundant! How truthful! God moves out, and in,
at the same time.
Jesus is the servant of God sent to save all God’s people…
ALL
Jesus reveals God’s love to all the world, pulling His people
out of sin and into His righteousness
As Jesus pulls you in to Himself, you will be enriched with
His gifts of grace, knowledge, and skills to go out to love not only God Himself,
but to demonstrate the love of God in Christ Jesus to your neighbor and all the
world… today… tomorrow… and forever. Thanks be to God!
Pause and relax to this YouTube Music Video – one of my
favorites for so many reasons!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEbQswNB6Wc&list=RDcEbQswNB6Wc&start_radio=1
No doubt about it… Right now… this day… I feel Jesus standing
in the fire beside me.
Picture - Carlo_Maratti_-_Saint_John_the_Baptist_Pointing_to_Christ_in_a_Landscape
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