Focus: The Lamb of God—Jesus—does what no one else can do: he takes away the sin of the world.
Function: To move the people to put their trust in Jesus as the One who rescues us from the ravages of sin.
Texts: Psalm 489:1-20; John 1:29-42
When I was a boy, growing up in the Netherlands, I was attracted to things that were powerful and awesome in might—things that stirred the imagination. For example, I liked the Bible stories that feature Samson defeating the Philistines with the jaw of a donkey. And I liked the story of David, the young shepherd boy knocking down the giant Goliath with a slingshot and a little stone. Those stories still appeal to me.
I remember very distinctly a visit to the zoo in the city of Rotterdam. Guess what I wanted to see first? Yep, I wanted to see the lions in their cages and den. I wanted to hear them roar, and I was hoping to see them get fed. And I still remember my disappointment to see them lie in the shade, totally minding their own business, not displaying anything that would have stirred my heart and emotions: no roar, no jumping, and no nothing. Yes, I was disappointed. But I have never lost my awe for lions. I still admire and fear the lion as a “King of the wild.” So, why bother paying attention to the words of John the baptizer when he says: “Look, The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”?
Maybe you are like me and you are a bit skeptical about the removal of the world’s sins. Every age and every generation knows the power and consequences of the world’s wrongs. Simply consider the last 80 years or so. We have seen the sin of tyranny: Hitler and WW II; we have fought the sin of communism: the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Cold War. Ever since the 60’s America has fought the sin of racism and injustice and poverty. You name the wrong—and you’ll see that we are still fighting these wrongs.
Very early on we all learned that taking away the sins of the world takes courage and power and influence. We need lions! It took a Churchill, a Franklin Roosevelt, and courageous Allied soldiers to end WW.II. It took military might, lots of money, and the courage of a president such as J.F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan to stand up against communism and to break down the Berlin Wall. It took a mighty civil leader such as Martin Luther King to break down the barriers of racism and to start the Civil Rights Movement that has led to a better (no, not perfect) country called the U.S.A.
And today we hear the “roars” of presidential want-a-bees, describing for us their recipes for taking away America’s sins of poverty, inequality, and high taxes. What presidential lion will deliver us from immigration problems, drug problems, and social problems? Clearly, the emerging question before us as a nation is: What “lion” will we elect in November as the savior of America and the world?
So, then, why pay attention to this Lamb of God? We are looking for lions. Why be impressed with this Jesus as the Lamb of God?
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Today, the scriptures call us to contemplate this Jesus, whose birth we celebrated a few weeks ago. We marveled at this baby in a manger, born of a virgin, called the incarnate, Son of God-in-the flesh. Now the Bible takes us by the hand and says: look at him as he begins to reveal himself to the world! Take note of his identity! Take note of his work! He is the Lamb of God!
In John 1:19-28, which is the context of this passage, we notice that the spotlight of attention falls on John the baptizer. And we learn that John is a prophet or herald who announces the arrival of Someone far greater than John.
In John 1:29-36, which is the text of today’s scripture, we notice that the spotlight of attention falls on Jesus. And the emphasis is on Jesus being the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
Take note, for example, how the
Holy Spirit frames the text: Verse 29 is the top frame: “The next day
John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes
away the sin of the world!’” Then, a few verses later (vs. 35) we find
the bottom frame of the text: “The next day John was there again with two
of his disciples, When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, ‘Look, the Lamb of
God.’”
Within this framework, John
explains why he tells us that we must consider Jesus as the Lamb of God. It’s
because God himself has revealed to John who Jesus is. God had sent the Holy
Spirit (in the form of a dove) to come down and remain on Jesus. That was the
proof or evidence that leads John to say, “Look, there is the Lamb of God!”
The rest of the verses in the text (vs. 37-42) focus on the response of some of John’s disciples. When John points them (and us) to Jesus as the Lamb of God, John in essence is giving them permission to follow this Jesus instead. John must decrease in stature; Jesus must increase, because Jesus is Someone far greater than John.
And as we note the response of Andrew, and later on, of Simon Peter, we get the picture: put your trust in this Lamb of God. Follow him with all your heart! But why? Drawn and directed to Jesus, why should we vote for Jesus and follow him?
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No one can redeem the life of
another. No one can save himself or herself from death and the grave. No
one—but the Lamb of God! The Scriptures remind us that all have sinned and fall
short of the glory of God. All Adam’s offspring, all of humanity suffers from
the effects of sin and the powerful impulses of the devil. All people—rich and
poor alike, young and old—suffer the consequences from sin. When sin entered
the world, death entered likewise. And no one can rescue us from the clutches
of the power of death. No one. That’s what we also hear the psalmist say in
Psalm 49:7 “No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom
for him—the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough—that he
should live on forever and not see decay.”
Oh, it’s true. Ever since sin entered the world, people
have been trying to save themselves from the clutches and misery of death: some
take refuge in spirituality—and form their own, New Age religion. Others fall
back to some form of paganism, where placating numerous gods becomes the daily
task of millions of people: rites and rituals to appease the deities;
superstitious practices to soothe one’s conscience and to earn some favor of
the gods.
Again, others fall back on themselves, trying to live a good life, scoring “brownie points” with God, only to discover that our own works—no matter how noble and good—can ransom our lives from death. No one can save us from our own sins, or for that matter, from the sin of the world. No one—but the Lamb of God! How can we be so sure about that?
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Because the Lamb called “Jesus” is the lion of God in sheep clothes. Do you remember the story of the exodus? How God instructed Moses and the people of God in Egypt to slaughter a lamb, to smear its blood on the doorposts of their homes, so that they would escape the dreadful work of the angel of death? Do you remember how the sacrifice of a lamb saved the Israelites from a certain death while the Egyptian oppressors suffered horrible losses: every firstborn—both men and animals—were struck down. They perished. But all who put their trust in God’s Word and smeared the blood of a lamb on their doorposts were saved. That was the exodus event. That was the Passover of God’s ancient people, Israel.
Jesus, the Son of God, is our Passover lamb. As a Lamb, Jesus is willing to yield himself to the slaughter, to shed his blood on our behalf. He is willing to redeem us, rescue us from the claws of sin and death. Jesus is God’s Passover Lamb to take away the sin of the whole world.
The psalmist cries out saying, “No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for him--the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough—that he should live on forever and not see decay.” But with the coming of Jesus, the Scriptures now declare: Look, The Lamb of God! Jesus does what no one else can do; he is able to rescue us from sin, Satan, and death. Centuries ago, the psalmist cried out to God in hope and trust saying, (vs.15) “But God will redeem my life from the grave; he will surely take me to himself.” Today, John the baptizer calls us to pay attention and put our trust in Jesus as the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
Soon, beginning on Ash Wednesday, February 6, the season of Lent provides us with the opportunity to walk the path of Jesus’ suffering and death. We will be able to ponder the significance of the sufferings of this Lamb of God. At that time, the scriptures will call us to enter Jesus’ passion. Today, the scriptures call us to look, to put our trust, our faith in Jesus. Our salvation and rescue from the grave lie solely with him!
Jesus is the Lion of lions, the mighty warrior, who comes to us in sheep clothes—as a Lamb. Don’t underestimate him! The text for today does not only refer to Jesus as the Lamb of God, but also as Rabbi (teacher), as the Christ, the Messiah. In fact, he is the Son of God. God-in-the-flesh!
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.