2nd Sunday After Epiphany 1/20/08 Text John 1:29-42a Title: This little light of mine, I am goning to let it shine."
2nd Sunday after Epiphany
1/20/2008
Text: John 1:29-42a
Title: "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine."
This morning’s Gospel lesson in John can be seen as somewhat ho hum, for it appears to tell a rather simple story about Jesus after his baptism. Last Sunday Jesus was baptized. We see in our reading for today that the next day John spots Jesus as he came to him. He calls out, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”
Saint John continues to record John the Baptizer remarks for us in verses 30 through34. We hear John say that Jesus is the promised one that John had been prophesying about. Not only is he the Lamb of God but that the proof that he is was that he saw the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove come down and remain on Jesus.
John the Baptizer had gotten, we are not told how, the word from God that this was going to be a sign of the Messiah. Maybe it was through the words of the prophet Isaiah from last weeks Old Testament reading where we read that God would put the Spirit on the one chosen to redeem the world.
In verse 35 we see another day has passed, making it the third day after Jesus was baptized. The number three was significant to the people of Jesus’ day for it meant accomplishment, the completions of something.
He then The Gospel writer does not tell us why Jesus was hanging around, but I can guarantee you one thing, it was no accident. Anyway, John spots him and tells two of his He tells his disciples that the man they see is the Lamb of God.
John records that John the Baptizer calls Jesus “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world”, for a reason. He wants his readers to know that this is the one who has been prophesied about for a long time. Jesus is the fulfillment of all those prophecies and the world needs to know it.
In verse 35 John is standing there on the third day after he baptized Jesus, with two of his disciples, when he sees Jesus again. He tells them that Jesus is the “Lamb of God” and the two disciples leave John and follow Jesus. This is something not usually done. It would have been an insult to John, but the leave John and follow Jesus.
We see that they spent the rest of the day with Jesus because I was four in the afternoon and getting late. We are not told, but I bet they talked late into the night.
In verse 40 we are finally told who one of the disciples were who left John to follow Jesus. His name is Andrew. He goes right away to his brother Simon to tell him that Jesus was the Messiah.
In verse 41 Jesus names Simon Cephas which means in Aramaic “rock”. He is now to be known by Simon Peter, the rock.
Just a little side note here. When God or Jesus renames someone that is a heads up, for he has a reason, just like when Abram’s name was changed to Abraham which means father of nations.
There is a lot going on in this text, but one thing that I think probably gets missed the most is that in this passage is a wonderful sermon. Here it is again in case you missed it. “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” John’s sermon is short and sweet, but amazingly powerful.
Jesus is the promised Messiah, the Lamb who is of God, not of some sheepherder. This Lamb takes away the sin of the world, unlike the lambs that were slaughtered that could never take away the sin of even the person sacrificing the lamb.
This short, but powerful sermon of John leads two of John’s disciples to follow Jesus. This short, but powerful sermon leads to the calling of the first of Jesus’ disciples.
Let’s take a quick look at how powerful those words were and what effect they had on others. Those words led to Andrew telling his brother Simon Peter about Jesus. I think that that is Andrew’s claim to fame. For we see that if Andrew had not told Simon Peter about Jesus Simon would not have come to faith and we would not have God’s church as we know it for it was on the faith of Simon Peter that God’s Christian Church was built; the same Christian church that still continues to do the work of Jesus today.
There is that one troubling statement in verse 41 where Andrew said “We found the Messiah.” Some would say that that means that Andrew and the others had searched Jesus out, that they had something to do with their coming to faith.
His statement does not mean that at all. It only means that Andrew was familiar with, maybe even a student of what we now call the Old Testament. What he is saying here is that he knows this is the Messiah because he had knowledge of him through his understanding of the Holy Scriptures. If you were to look back at verse 39 you will see that it is Jesus who did the calling.
As I have told you before, I always ask the question “So what?” when I have finished preparing for my sermon. You need to know what all this has to do with you, otherwise they are just words.
John’s statement that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, is proof, just as it was when he said them, that Jesus, the living breathing, suffering, dying, and rising Jesus is our Savior also.
The second lesson we should learn from this lesson is that he working through the Holy Spirit still calls people to faith today. He does it through his Baptism. He does it through his Word. And he does it through his Supper where he comes to us, in some mysterious way with his very body and blood.
And in coming to us, he calls us to go out so that others might hear of his wonderful gift of salvation. Oh we can refuse to study his Word, we can refuse to partake of his Supper, and we can refuse to tell others of his love. We can do that, but should we. I don’t think so, for we are told in Matthew 5:14-15 that we are the light of the world.
Listen to Jesus’ words as he teaches the people gathered around him. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
So let us sing, "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine."
1/20/2008
Text: John 1:29-42a
Title: "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine."
This morning’s Gospel lesson in John can be seen as somewhat ho hum, for it appears to tell a rather simple story about Jesus after his baptism. Last Sunday Jesus was baptized. We see in our reading for today that the next day John spots Jesus as he came to him. He calls out, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”
Saint John continues to record John the Baptizer remarks for us in verses 30 through34. We hear John say that Jesus is the promised one that John had been prophesying about. Not only is he the Lamb of God but that the proof that he is was that he saw the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove come down and remain on Jesus.
John the Baptizer had gotten, we are not told how, the word from God that this was going to be a sign of the Messiah. Maybe it was through the words of the prophet Isaiah from last weeks Old Testament reading where we read that God would put the Spirit on the one chosen to redeem the world.
In verse 35 we see another day has passed, making it the third day after Jesus was baptized. The number three was significant to the people of Jesus’ day for it meant accomplishment, the completions of something.
He then The Gospel writer does not tell us why Jesus was hanging around, but I can guarantee you one thing, it was no accident. Anyway, John spots him and tells two of his He tells his disciples that the man they see is the Lamb of God.
John records that John the Baptizer calls Jesus “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world”, for a reason. He wants his readers to know that this is the one who has been prophesied about for a long time. Jesus is the fulfillment of all those prophecies and the world needs to know it.
In verse 35 John is standing there on the third day after he baptized Jesus, with two of his disciples, when he sees Jesus again. He tells them that Jesus is the “Lamb of God” and the two disciples leave John and follow Jesus. This is something not usually done. It would have been an insult to John, but the leave John and follow Jesus.
We see that they spent the rest of the day with Jesus because I was four in the afternoon and getting late. We are not told, but I bet they talked late into the night.
In verse 40 we are finally told who one of the disciples were who left John to follow Jesus. His name is Andrew. He goes right away to his brother Simon to tell him that Jesus was the Messiah.
In verse 41 Jesus names Simon Cephas which means in Aramaic “rock”. He is now to be known by Simon Peter, the rock.
Just a little side note here. When God or Jesus renames someone that is a heads up, for he has a reason, just like when Abram’s name was changed to Abraham which means father of nations.
There is a lot going on in this text, but one thing that I think probably gets missed the most is that in this passage is a wonderful sermon. Here it is again in case you missed it. “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” John’s sermon is short and sweet, but amazingly powerful.
Jesus is the promised Messiah, the Lamb who is of God, not of some sheepherder. This Lamb takes away the sin of the world, unlike the lambs that were slaughtered that could never take away the sin of even the person sacrificing the lamb.
This short, but powerful sermon of John leads two of John’s disciples to follow Jesus. This short, but powerful sermon leads to the calling of the first of Jesus’ disciples.
Let’s take a quick look at how powerful those words were and what effect they had on others. Those words led to Andrew telling his brother Simon Peter about Jesus. I think that that is Andrew’s claim to fame. For we see that if Andrew had not told Simon Peter about Jesus Simon would not have come to faith and we would not have God’s church as we know it for it was on the faith of Simon Peter that God’s Christian Church was built; the same Christian church that still continues to do the work of Jesus today.
There is that one troubling statement in verse 41 where Andrew said “We found the Messiah.” Some would say that that means that Andrew and the others had searched Jesus out, that they had something to do with their coming to faith.
His statement does not mean that at all. It only means that Andrew was familiar with, maybe even a student of what we now call the Old Testament. What he is saying here is that he knows this is the Messiah because he had knowledge of him through his understanding of the Holy Scriptures. If you were to look back at verse 39 you will see that it is Jesus who did the calling.
As I have told you before, I always ask the question “So what?” when I have finished preparing for my sermon. You need to know what all this has to do with you, otherwise they are just words.
John’s statement that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, is proof, just as it was when he said them, that Jesus, the living breathing, suffering, dying, and rising Jesus is our Savior also.
The second lesson we should learn from this lesson is that he working through the Holy Spirit still calls people to faith today. He does it through his Baptism. He does it through his Word. And he does it through his Supper where he comes to us, in some mysterious way with his very body and blood.
And in coming to us, he calls us to go out so that others might hear of his wonderful gift of salvation. Oh we can refuse to study his Word, we can refuse to partake of his Supper, and we can refuse to tell others of his love. We can do that, but should we. I don’t think so, for we are told in Matthew 5:14-15 that we are the light of the world.
Listen to Jesus’ words as he teaches the people gathered around him. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
So let us sing, "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine."
posted by Pastor Rhoads | 12:55 PM
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