2nd Sunday after Epiphany on
Grace, mercy and peace in the name of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. Amen.
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! 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
What do you want? A third-grade teacher asked her class what each of her pupils
wanted to be when they grew up. The answers she received were pretty much the standard:
"I want to be President. I want to be a fireman … a policeman … a nurse … a doctor
… a teacher." Then she came to Greg. Greg's answer threw her a little bit. Not a
lot, because third-grade teachers can't get thrown too easily. "Greg, what do you
want to be when you grow up?" He answered her with one word: possible. "Possible?"
Greg's teacher asked. "What do you mean you want to be possible?" Greg was ready
with an explanation. He said, "Mom is always telling me I'm impossible. So I thought
when I grow up, a good thing for me to be would be possible." It's nice to meet
somebody who knows what they want.
What do
you want? I mean, what do you really want? Are you searching for love or security
or to be recognized as someone special? Are you hoping to pay bills or get the kids
through college or figure out an answer to some nagging problem? Are you looking
for forgiveness for some past sin that has never seemed to totally, thoroughly leave
you? Are you looking for a reunion of a family member who is overseas in a war?
What do you want?
I'm not
the first person to ask that question. Almost 2,000 years ago, Jesus asked it of
two men who were following Him. Jesus of Nazareth had come to the spot where John
the Baptist was, well, he was baptizing. That wasn't unusual. Great numbers of people
had been coming to the
Unable
to constrain himself, John said to all those who were within earshot, "Behold the
Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world." By this, John was saying that
Jesus would die so that the sins of humanity might be forgiven. Like the Passover
lamb, Jesus would die without complaint. Unlike the Passover lamb, Jesus would voluntarily
give Himself as the price which had to be paid, if sinners were to be rescued from
sin and Satan, death, and damnation. Unlike the Passover lamb which was killed every
year, Jesus would pay the price of our ransom, once, for all, forever. Continuing
on, John let everybody know the miraculous way in which the Lord had made him aware
of Christ's purpose. Then, at the end of what he was saying, John dropped a blockbuster,
an amazing sentence. He said, "Jesus is the Son of God."
The Son
of God? That's the kind of comment that will make people stop and stare. The Son
of God, the promised Messiah, the Redeemer! He might not look like much, but apparently
this Jesus of Nazareth was somebody quite unique. He still is, even though our generation
may try to decrease Him, may try to diminish His divinity, minimize His ministry,
make light of His sacrifice. But John knew Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away
the world's sins; Jesus is the One who resists the temptations that have tripped
us up; the One who fulfills the laws that had condemned us; who died the death that
belonged to us. Jesus is the One who grants eternal life to all who believe on Him
as their Savior. Having heard such a glowing recommendation from John, I imagine
that night a great many discussions were held among John's disciples. Should they
stick with John or should they follow Jesus? John was a proven commodity. Jesus
was an unknown. John had made quite a name for himself but, if Jesus is the Son
of God, they were faced with a difficult choice.
If there
had been any discussion about whom they would follow, it was resolved the next day
when Jesus once again came to John's baptism spot. Even though the day before John
had given Jesus the highest of recommendations, seeing Jesus, he began all over
again. Without debate, John's two disciples set off following Jesus. We don't know
whether they followed Jesus at a distance or whether they were right on His heels.
We don't know if they followed the Lord for moments or minutes. We do know after
a while, Jesus turned to them and asked, "What do you want? What are you looking
for?" Jesus' question was not a challenge; it was an open-ended question. It was
designed to allow the men to share their inner thoughts, wishes and dreams. What
do you want? Now before these men give their answer, allow me to stop the narrative.
Before they give their answer I would like you to give yours. Jesus asked, "What
do you want?"
They didn’t
know what you know about Jesus. To them, Jesus was someone who had just been pointed
out to them. To you, you know Jesus as the One, who beyond all mathematical possibilities
fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies identifying Him as the promised Messiah.
You know Jesus as the One who loved society’s rejects, who embraced the outcasts,
who listened to those whose voices had been ignored. You know Jesus as the One who
stilled a storm with a sentence, who restored a severed ear with a touch, who fed
thousands of hungry followers with a boy’s lunch. You know Jesus as the One who
had never encountered an illness which proved immune to His touch and the One who
commanded the dead to come out of their graves. You know Jesus as the One who gave
His earthly life so that you might be given eternal life.
You know
Jesus as the Creator of the universe, the Redeemer of humanity and the Shepherd
of His sheep. So when He asks you, “What do you want?” it would be good if you gave
your answer some thought. There is nothing you could ever want that He cannot give
you. Anything. Everything. The possibilities are endless.
So, what
do you want?
Do you
want a long life? That’s not enough. You’d better ask for a long, healthy life.
But that’s not much good if you don’t have the cash to enjoy a long, healthy life.
Better ask for a long, healthy life with lots of money. But if the market crashes,
a lot of money won’t help too much. Better ask for a healthy, long life with lots
of money and a steady economy. Of course, what good is a healthy, long life with
lots of money if you are lonely? Better include companionship.
But what
happens to your long, healthy life with a steady economy and companionship if there
is a war or terrorist attack or plague or natural disaster or persecution or … There
is always something you’ll forget, some loophole that needs to be plugged, some
anticipated trouble that will reduce your well-thought plans to ashes. Give it a
try.
Because of sin, because this world is not a nice place, we can plan, but we can
never be sure that we have taken care of every possible contingency. We don't have
the ability to create a perfect life, no matter how hard we try.
Maybe
you think you already know what you want. Are you sure? I've seen a lot of people
who searched for a fortune, and when they found they had everything money could
buy, they also found they hadn't bought anything which made them happy. I've read
about the athletic and Hollywood stars who, although the world was at their feet,
got caught up in some strange self-destructive behavior. Those stars were shooting
stars, who burned themselves out as they plummeted to the earth. We've seen the
lust for power that motivates so many rulers, dictators, and despots. No matter
how big their country's borders, those borders could not contain the needs of their
leaders. The lives of their people, and the peace of their nation were inconsequential
as they wanted more and more. What do you want? Happiness? Peace? Contentment? Joy?
How do you wish for those?
A pastor
asked a 6-year-old whether she wanted a baby brother or a baby sister. Apparently
the little girl's father and mother, who was still about two months away from delivery,
had spent some time discussing the possibilities with their daughter. Her reply
to the pastor's question was given with a sigh and a tone that said the preacher,
who had asked such a silly question, might be just a little bit slow. The girl said,
"Pastor, sometimes you just gotta take what God gives you." Pretty profound, isn't
it?
A few
minutes ago, we left the men who were following Jesus. When we left them, they had
not yet given their answers. Let's go back and see what they said to Jesus' question.
You'll never guess. If I gave you a million years, you couldn't guess. Jesus asked,
"What do you want?" and the men replied, "Rabbi, Teacher, where are you staying?"
That's it. That's what they said. "Where are you staying?" They wanted to know where
Jesus was spending the night. It's not what you would have said. It's not what I
would have said. But they did. And Jesus said, "Come on along and see."
Those
men did go along, and they did see. They saw Jesus share the heavenly Father's love
with tens of thousands of sinners. They saw Jesus calm storms, walk on water, and
turn water into wine. They heard Jesus put down those who were overly proud, and
lift up those who were crushed down by guilt. They saw Jesus raise those who were
dead in body and soul. And they also saw Jesus arrested. They saw Him condemned,
and they knew He died on the cross. But they also saw an empty tomb; they saw Jesus'
burial clothes left in the grave. They saw a living Jesus, and they had the opportunity
to listen to Him, and eat with Him, and if they had chosen, to touch Him. They saw
Jesus ascend into heaven, and they saw the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day
of Pentecost. That day the church was born, they talked about the things they had
seen. They shared how Jesus had the ability to forgive sins, to snatch souls from
the fires of hell. They shared how Jesus cared when no one else was concerned; how
Jesus would listen, even when everybody else had tuned you out; how Jesus would
be with you, when family and friends had forgotten you.
They shared
that Jesus did for us what we could not do for ourselves. What do you want? Do you
want a long life? Jesus gives you eternity. Do you want to be rich? He can take
you to a place where money is meaningless. Do you want to be surrounded by people
who care for you? Heaven is filled with such souls. Do you want freedom? Jesus died
to grant you freedom from sin, death, and Satan. All the things that we want, all
the things that are deep within us, Jesus knows about and supplies.
That's
why when people seem unsatisfied with life, when they seem to be searching without
ever finding, seeking without finishing, when they seem to be unsure and unhappy
about what they want, the Church has said, "Come and see Jesus. He can help."
What do
you want? Jesus should be at the top of the list. Come and see Him. Meet Him. Today
He invites you to see the greatest love you will ever encounter. He offers you the
greatest gift you can ever receive. He invites you into His family, into His home,
into a peace which passes human understanding.
There
was a little boy who loved his father very much. He wanted to be around his dad
"24/7." The boy tried to walk like his dad; talk like his dad; laugh like his dad;
be like his dad. He was Dad's second shadow. One day, when Dad was working in his
home, the boy came in and stood silently on the other side of Dad's desk. The boy
didn't say anything, he just watched his dad. Dad looked up at his son. The son
looked at his dad. After a few minutes, Dad looked again; the son hadn't blinked.
Finally, in order to break the boy's unshakable gaze, Dad asked, "Well my little
man, what do you want?" "Nothing, Dad," came back the reply, "I just want to be
near you." That’s as good an answer as any. Jesus asks you, “What do you want?”
and you can reply, “I want nothing more, dear Savior, than to be near You, today,
tomorrow, and forever.” Amen.