Go Ahead and Stare

Second Sunday after the Epiphany

January 19, 2014

John 1:36

Go Ahead and Stare—It's Him, the Lamb of God

In the name of Jesus.

I.

At most ordinations of pastors that I've attended, one of the pastors will always bless the new pastor with these words of John the Baptist,

“A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’ The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less.” (John 3:27-30)

Jesus must become greater and greater; the preacher must become less and less. What a beautiful promise for a new preacher of Christ, especially when he considers how Pastor John the Baptist practiced what he preached.

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Here is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the One I told you about: ‘After me comes a man who has surpassed me, because He existed before me.’ I didn’t know Him, but I came baptizing with water so He might be revealed to Israel.” (John 1:29-31)

II.

To all the sinners gathered around John, he pointed them to Jesus, the Lamb of God, who is taking away the sin of the world. The whole big disgusting lump.

To all those who last night had shoved a blade into another man's back, John preached, “Take a close look at the Lamb of God!”

To all the unwed couples who conceived a child last night, John preached, “Take a close look at the Lamb of God!”

To all the parents that ignored their babies' cries, John preached, “Take a close look at the Lamb of God!”

To all the wretched husbands who beat their wives with fists and words last night, John preached, “Take a close look at the Lamb of God!”

Last night, much evil was accomplished. You and I accomplished much of it. And Jesus, the Lamb of God is taking it away from you.

The Lamb, our Lamb,

takes the trespasses away from the trespasser and

takes comfort to those who have been trespassed against.

III.

So go ahead and stare. John the Baptist, who considered himself the worst trespasser of them all, stared.

Again the next day, John was standing with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look! The Lamb of God!” (John 1:35-36)

It's easy to miss in English, but in Greek John didn't just see Jesus passing by. He was looking in at Him, looking intently at Him, staring at Him, his eyes were boring in on Him. How natural. When Jesus is known to you, and He walks by, you can't not look. You stare for as long as can at the Man Who Saves walking by.

IV.

This Saving Man saves us by spilling blood. Every human being who has lived, including us, assumes that the blood required must come from us. The Man Who Surpasses all men must be a great hero of renown who kills our enemies and asks us to sacrifice our blood on behalf of the great struggle for Salvation. We messed it up; the Hero that God sends must naturally ask us to pitch in to clean up the mess. Surely the Great Man would demand that man up and shed their own blood to save their own skins.

But instead He lambs up. Instead of power, He chooses pain. Instead of our blood, He sheds His own. In the centuries that passed by before Jesus passed by John, thousands of lambs had been slaughtered for their blood. All that blood was a sermon as loud as John's and served the same purpose: “Look ahead and stare at Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, who is taking away the sin of the world!” Your sins, whatever they are, aren't yours anymore; they're His and you can't have them back! Come and see; stare, even, because He's the Lamb of God.

In the name of the Father

and of the † Son

and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.