Epiphany 2
- Series A
15 January 2017
1 Corinthians 1:1–9
John 1:29–42a
God Reveals His Glory in Christ and His Cross
“The Lord,
the Redeemer of Israel” calls forth “his Holy One” (Isaiah 49:7), Jesus,
the Christ, “from the womb” of His
mother (Is. 49:1). The incarnate Son of God is revealed as the Savior, for not
only Israel but also “as a light for the
nations” whose salvation reaches “to
the end of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6).
John came “baptizing with water” (John 1:31) to reveal Jesus as “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29) and who glorifies His God and Father by His atoning sacrifice upon the cross. When Jesus was baptized in the waters of the Jordan, the Holy Spirit descended “from heaven like a dove” and “remained on him” (John 1:32). By our Baptism, we are anointed by the same Spirit, adopted by God the Father and “called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:9). Therefore, we “are not lacking in any gift,” but we can trust Him who promises to sustain us to the end, “guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:7–8).
Collect
for the Day: Almighty
and everlasting God, who governs all things in heaven and on earth, mercifully
hear the prayers of Your people and grant us Your peace through all our days;
through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the
Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Hymn of the Day: 402 “The
only Son from heaven”
When the song of the angel is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins.
To find the lost--To heal the broken--To feed the hungry--
To release the prisoner--To rebuild the nations--
To bring peace among brothers and sisters--
To make music in the heart. [1]
So, who is this Jesus? And how can I know him? How mighty you answer such questions? In this
season of Epiphany, we are on a quest, a journey, a mission. To discover Jesus.
The disciples of John come seeking
answers. Jesus will disclose for us answers concerning Himself.
Discovering Jesus the Christ.
1. He
is the Son of God.
2. He
is the Messiah.
1.
He is
the Son of God.
A.
Christ ranks above any of the prophets such as
John. John is quite clear. “He confessed,
and did not deny, but confessed, “I am
not the Christ.” They asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?”
And he answered, “No.”( John 1:20-21)
B.
John said, “He
was before me.” (v. 30, Christ’s pre-existence.) Jesus has the power to take
away sins. Consequently, John calls Jesus “the
Lamb of God”. This description of Jesus is unique to John’s Gospel. There
is a difference between John and Jesus. John recalls the evidence that he
witnessed as proof of Jesus’ stature and significance. “And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God."
- verse34
John
is a model for evangelists--and disciples--in every age, including today. He
points toward the One who is salvation rather than drawing attention to himself.
He even watches two of his own disciples leave him and follow Jesus.
One
of the challenges of discipleship is not to lose sight of the true center and
focus of our ministry: Jesus. It's easy for our focus to become "all about us" or “all about the building”, or “all about the program”. Above all, it is not about loss, right?
True,
we want to grow. To gain. To expand. And yet, we hear that discipleship costs.
What losses are we willing to suffer for the sake of the gospel? Making a plan
for your life does not work. You don’t control your life. Plan as we may, we
are not the architect of our destiny. John’s message ring true, “He must increase…I must decrease.” –
John 3:30 C. S. Lewis said it this way: “True humility is not thinking less of
yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.”[2]
C.
We need a Savior who tenderly approaches us in
our needs but who also has the divine power and love to raise us up through our
problems. This is why Jesus came into this world. “Behold, right in front of you, is the Christ, bearing and removing the
SIN of the world.” This is Jesus’ ongoing activity. He continues to shoulder
the world's sin. John bears witness. Jesus will carry the world’s sin Himself
to the cross of Calvary. This was John’s consistent theme. His message never
changed. It remains your constant
prayer, “O, Christ, Thou Lamb of God, who
takes away the sin of the world, have mercy and grant us Your peace.”
Transition: As the Son He came into this
world as the Father’s chosen one. The Messiah.
2.
He is
the Messiah.
A.
John revealed the priestly office of Jesus to
Israel. (v. 31)
1.
John said, “For
this purpose I came baptizing with water. “ (v.31) John preached
repentance. He preached the urgency of the kingdom of God. He preached the
forgiveness of sins.
2.
The purpose of Christ’s coming was “that He might be revealed to Israel”
(v.31) and later to you. Think of it
this way…179 years ago there was no church in Adams County. There was no
Christian community. And yet, there was a
man, sent by God. His name was Jesse
Hoover. He ventured into our neighborhood with the message of Jesus Christ. That message continues to this day in the way
in which you network with your family, neighbors, and the people with whom you engage.
You might be the only Bible a person ever reads. Continue to share Christ. Connect
with them. Gossip the Gospel. Become a sermon in shoes!
B.
The priestly office of Jesus consisted in
offering Himself up as the Lamb of God in your place. “Behold the Lamb of God…” (Vv. 29, 36)
When John identifies Jesus, he calls Him
"the Lamb of God." Lambs
were used for the Passover sacrifice, which remembers the liberation and deliverance
of the people by God. "As the
Passover Lamb, Jesus liberates the world from slavery to sin by bringing the
world into new and fresh contact with the presence of God, so that human
alienation from God can end."[3]
John
does not say that Jesus is sort of like the Lamb of God. He is
the Lamb of God. His mission defines His essence. We cannot be sort of like Christians.
We must be Christian. The mission defines our essence… our lives, full-time,
all the time. Until the Father gathers us home, we live in the sacrifice of the
Lamb. And in it you are saved… you are forgiven… you are loved.
How this liberation and deliverance from alienation happen is the story
of the Gospel. It is the heart of the gospel message. It defines you. It’s what
makes this life that you live significant, important and yes, relevant. It you
wish this world to be the good you hope it to be it must find its essence in
the person and work of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of
the world.
Words-
992
Passive
Sentences –7%
Readability
– 80%
Reading
Level – 4.6
[1] Poem
by Howard Thurman
[2] Mere
Christianity, Book 3, Chapter 8, “The Great Sin,” Kindle location 1665
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