The Second Sunday after Epiphany
\nJanuary 15, 2017
\nJohn 1:29-41<\/p>\n
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!\u00a0 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’\u00a0 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”\u00a0 Then John gave this testimony:\u00a0 “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him.\u00a0 I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’\u00a0 I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.”\u00a0 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples.\u00a0 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”\u00a0 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.\u00a0 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”<\/em>\u00a0 They said, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?”\u00a0 “Come,”<\/em> he replied, “and you will see.” <\/em>\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him.\u00a0 It was about the tenth hour.\u00a0 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus.\u00a0 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ).\u00a0 (NIV1984)<\/p>\n Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,<\/p>\n \u201cEureka!\u201d\u00a0 Can anyone tell me what that word means?\u00a0 That\u2019s right!\u00a0 It is a Greek word that very literally means, \u201cI have found it!\u201d\u00a0 Now, do you know where that exclamation originated?\u00a0 Supposedly, a man by the name of Archimedes (a mathematician\/inventor who lived from approximately 287-212 B.C.) was the first person who uttered this exclamation.\u00a0 Archimedes had just discovered a way to determine the purity of gold by applying the principle of specific gravity.\u00a0 When it worked he said\u2014 \u201cEureka!\u00a0 I have found it!\u201d<\/p>\n There are a number of situations that could easily elicit someone to exclaim, \u201cEureka!\u201d\u00a0 I\u2019m told that during the Alaskan gold rush people were prone to say, \u201cEureka!\u201d when they struck gold.\u00a0 Many people have been anxiously waiting for the development of a hydrogen fuel cell car\u2014 a car that emits no emissions except water.\u00a0 If you are one of those individuals you are now able to say, \u201cEureka!\u201d\u00a0 Toyota is now producing the Mirai\u2014 a hydrogen fuel cell car!\u00a0 It only costs $57,500, but that includes three years of complimentary fuel!\u00a0 While the closest refueling station right now is Mill Valley, Toyota has plans to add a refueling station in Rohnert Park.\u00a0 If someone is looking to purchase a house in our area that they can afford, it may take some time to find just the right one.\u00a0 But, when they find it do you think they just might say, \u201cEureka!\u201d?\u00a0 It would not surprise me at all!<\/p>\n \u201cEureka!\u201d\u00a0 Our sermon text for today, my friends, places before us a number of people who might have said \u201cEureka!\u201d\u2014 as well as one person who actually did! With the joy and the excitement that leads a person to exclaim \u201cEureka!\u201d I would like us to study our sermon text for today under the theme:\u00a0 Look, the Lamb of God!<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0 As we focus on the Lamb of God<\/em> let\u2019s highlight three things.\u00a0 First, we need to see what the Lamb of God<\/em> has done.\u00a0 Then, we need to listen to what the Lamb of God<\/em> says.\u00a0 Finally, we need to share the Lamb of God<\/em> with others.<\/p>\n If you have your Bibles with you today, open them up to John chapter one.\u00a0 Look at the verses which immediately precede our text for today.\u00a0 John the Baptist had made such a powerful impact on the people that the religious leaders in Jerusalem sent representatives to find out if John was perhaps \u201cthe Christ\u201d<\/em>\u2014 the \u201cMessiah\u201d<\/em> whom God had promised to send into this world.\u00a0 John faithfully and humbly confessed that he is not<\/strong> the Christ.\u00a0 He is \u201cthe voice of one calling in the desert, \u2018Make straight the way for the Lord\u2019\u201d<\/em> (John 1:23).\u00a0 We are told, however, that the very next day, \u201cJohn saw Jesus coming toward him and said, \u2018Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!\u2019\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Note very carefully, my friends, that when John points people to Jesus he not only proclaims who<\/strong> Jesus is, but he also proclaims what<\/strong> Jesus came into this world to accomplish<\/strong>!<\/p>\n \u201cLook, the Lamb of God!\u201d\u00a0 <\/em>The term \u201cLamb of God\u201d<\/em> has a deep rich Old Testament background that was perhaps more familiar among the people of God in the days of John the Baptist than it is among the people of God today.\u00a0 Ever since the days of Moses God\u2019s people were commanded to celebrate the Passover Feast.\u00a0 This annual feast very powerfully reminded the people of God\u2019s miraculous deliverance of His people from slavery in the land of Egypt.\u00a0 At the center of that feast was the Passover Lamb\u2014 the lamb whose blood averted the destruction of the firstborn among the faithful children of God.\u00a0 (See Exodus 12:11-13)\u00a0 Ever since the construction of the Tabernacle God\u2019s people were required to sacrifice two lambs every single day.\u00a0 One lamb was sacrificed in the morning to atone for the sins that God\u2019s people had committed the night before.\u00a0 The other lamb was sacrificed at twilight to atone for the sins that God\u2019s people had committed that day.\u00a0 (See Exodus 29:38-42)\u00a0 Ever since the days of the prophet Isaiah God\u2019s people knew that the Promised Messiah would be \u201cled like a lamb to the slaughter.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 (See Isaiah 53:7)\u00a0 All of that undoubtedly went through the hearts and minds of John\u2019s hearers when he pointed to Jesus of Nazareth and said, \u201cLook, the Lamb of God!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n At the same time John was certainly not shy about proclaiming what<\/strong> the Lamb of God<\/em> came here to accomplish<\/strong>!\u00a0 The \u201cfocus\u201d of Jesus\u2019 \u201cmission\u201d here on this earth was to \u201ctake away the sin of the world!\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 Notice, my friends, that John the Baptist does not focus our attention on the \u201cindividual\u201d sins that people commit\u2014 the sins which so many people try to downplay and excuse and explain away.\u00a0 Instead, John emphasizes \u201cthe sin\u201d<\/em> of the world.\u00a0 The Greek word that is translated here as \u201csin\u201d<\/em> emphasizes the picture of \u201cmissing the mark.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 The \u201cmark\u201d<\/em> that God requires we \u201chit\u201d<\/em> is the \u201cbull\u2019s-eye of perfection.\u201d\u00a0 Each and every time we \u201cmiss\u201d<\/em> the \u201cbull\u2019s-eye of perfection\u201d we \u201csin.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 Each and every one of those \u201csins\u201d<\/em> is an abomination and a rebellion against God\u2014 an abomination and a rebellion that God<\/u> says is worthy of eternal punishment in hell.\u00a0 The \u201cLamb of God<\/em> came here to \u201ctake away\u201d<\/em> or \u201cremove\u201d<\/em> the \u201csin of the world.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Take a moment to savor the glory of that truth, my friends.\u00a0 Your \u201csin,\u201d<\/em> everything that made you an abomination in the eyes of the God of heaven has been<\/strong> \u201ctaken away.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 It has been<\/strong> completely \u201cremoved\u201d<\/em> from you through the perfect sacrifice of the spotless Lamb of God<\/em>!\u00a0 And if ever\u2014 if ever!\u2014 you need to be reassured of that truth listen closely to what the Pastor says to you as you stand at the altar of the Living God to receive the true body and blood of the Lamb of God <\/em>\u00a0in the Sacrament of Holy Communion.\u00a0 According to the Lord\u2019s own words, the holy Sacrament of Communion guarantees <\/strong>to you that through faith in what the Son of God has done for <\/strong>you on the cross and through faith in what the Son of God gives to <\/strong>you in His holy Supper all <\/strong>of your sins are completely<\/strong> forgiven!<\/p>\n Look, the Lamb of God!<\/em>\u00a0 Not only is it essential to know who<\/strong> the Lamb of God<\/em> is and what<\/strong> He came into this world to accomplish<\/strong>, but here in our text for today we are reminded of the importance of regularly listening to what the Lamb of God<\/em> says.\u00a0 If you still have your Bibles open to our text look at verses 37-39.\u00a0 John the Baptist had once again pointed to Jesus as \u201cthe Lamb of God.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 Then we are told, \u201cWhen the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.\u00a0 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, \u2018What do you want?\u2019\u00a0 They said, \u2018Rabbi\u2019 (which means Teacher), \u2018where are you staying?\u2019\u00a0 \u2018Come,\u2019 he replied, \u2018and you will see.\u2019\u00a0 So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n It was one thing for these two disciples (this would be Andrew and the apostle John) to hear about<\/strong> Jesus through the testimony and the preaching of John the Baptist.\u00a0 Their intention now was to learn from<\/strong> Jesus\u2014 on a firsthand basis\u2014 all about who Jesus is and what Jesus came here to accomplish.\u00a0 To achieve their goal Andrew and John took the time to sit at Jesus\u2019 feet and learn from Him directly.<\/p>\n We need to have that exact same goal, my friends!\u00a0 No, we may not be able to literally or physically sit at Jesus\u2019 feet and hear Him teach us the Truth.\u00a0 What we can<\/strong> do and what we need<\/strong> to do is to \u201csit at Jesus\u2019 feet\u201d and learn from Him through regular attendance here in His house, through regular attendance at Bible class and Sunday school, and through regular reading and studying of the Scriptures at home.\u00a0 If our only contact with God\u2019s Word is here in church on Sunday morning, if our only \u201cmining\u201d of God\u2019s Truth comes through whatever the pastor places before us we will be missing out on some of the most precious opportunities we have been given to \u201csit at Jesus\u2019 feet\u201d!\u00a0 So I encourage you to follow the example that Andrew and John give to us today.\u00a0 Take the time\u2014 make the time\u2014 to sit down with your Bibles so that the good Lord himself can come to you and say:\u00a0 Look, the Lamb of God!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n That leaves just one more point to emphasize, doesn\u2019t it.\u00a0 \u201cLook, the Lamb of God!\u201d<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0 Not only do those words proclaim to us who Jesus is and what He came there to accomplish, not only do we need to be reading and studying our Bible so that God Himself can led us into a deeper understanding of what those words mean to us and for us, but we need to take that message of \u201cLook, the Lamb of God!\u201d<\/em> and proclaim it to people around us.\u00a0 Look at verses 40-41 of our text.\u00a0 John writes, \u201cAndrew, Simon Peter\u2019s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus.\u00a0 The first thing Andrew did<\/u> was to find his brother Simon and tell him, \u2018We have found the Messiah\u2019 (that is, the Christ).\u00a0 And he brought him to Jesus.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Andrew was so excited that he could not keep this glorious truth to himself!\u00a0 He had<\/strong> to share this Good News with someone\u2014 and who better to share it with than his own brother, Simon Peter!\u00a0 Do we have that same excitement, my friends?\u00a0 Are we so overjoyed at knowing who Jesus is and what He has accomplished for us that we can hardly wait to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with the people around us?\u00a0 I pray that each and every one of us is like Andrew here in our text.\u00a0 But, if we are not let me suggest three things.\u00a0 #1\u2014 Focus on the people you know and love, people with whom you\u2019ve earned the right to talk about the things recorded in the Bible.\u00a0 #2\u2014 Spend time, significant time, with Jesus.\u00a0 Be in the Word, in worship and in fellowship with other Christians.\u00a0 The desire to tell grows from there.\u00a0 #3\u2014 Introduce the people you know and love to your friend, Jesus.\u00a0 Make clear not just who Jesus is, but also make clear what Jesus has done for you.\u00a0 Then you will also be able to make clear what Jesus has done for them as well.\u00a0 \u201cLook, the Lamb of God!\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 There is an entire evangelism presentation contained in those simply glorious words!<\/p>\n \u201cEureka!\u201d\u00a0 If we truly want to use that exclamation correctly in our relationship with the Lord, my friends, we need to turn it around 180 degrees, don\u2019t we?\u00a0 In reality we did not \u201cfind\u201d the Lamb of God.<\/em>\u00a0 No, rather, the Lamb of God<\/em> \u201cfound\u201d us!\u00a0 Now that we have been found one of our greatest joys is to apply to our own lives the three things that are emphasized here in our text:\u00a0 We need to see<\/strong> what the Lamb of God<\/em> has done for us.\u00a0 We need to listen<\/strong> to what the Lamb of God<\/em> says to us.\u00a0 We need to share<\/strong> the Lamb of God<\/em> with others.<\/p>\n To God be the glory!<\/p>\n Amen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Second Sunday after Epiphany January 15, 2017 John 1:29-41 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!\u00a0 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’\u00a0 I myself did 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