Sermon - 2018-06-24 - John the Baptist
John the Baptist is one of the people who gets overshadowed by Jesus. Now granted Jesus is far more important but the work of John the Baptist should not be overlooked. John had an important role and was one of the very few people in the Bible that it is noted the very reason and purpose of his life from before he was born into this world.
John the Baptist comes into the world for two purposes. One is to declare for all to hear and for all to know and rejoice in this great understanding that the Messiah is coming. The other is to Baptize and to prepare people to receive this Messiah that is to come.
Yes, John, the John the Baptist, would take his loud booming voice and his long bony finger and declare to all who would listen. But today, John the Baptist is talking to YOU! Yes, John the Baptist is preparing the way for the Messiah. And to prepare for the arrival of the Messiah, you must first understand something very simple and yet so hard to put into practice. You are not God. Yes, over and over again. John the Baptist takes his booming voice and long bony finger and points them at you so that you get the message that God is coming for YOU!! The sad reality is that John speaks this word to prepare people for the arrival of the Messiah even unto his death.
Once John has shared that message of you not being god and the Messiah is coming. John the Baptist calls Jesus, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. Why is Jesus called the Lamb of God? A lamb was used as a sacrifice in the temple. A pure, unblemished lamb was selected to give to God. This lamb was given to make up for all the bad things that had been done against God during the past year. It would be this lamb that would take on all of the sins. It would be this lamb that would atone for the sins, but we have to be aware of them, change our ways of engaging others, and realize that our sins are now gone. In our reading for today, Andrew on hearing John call Jesus, the Lamb of God, followed Jesus and learned that he truly was the Messiah.
It is this lamb of God that enters into the world. This lamb took on the sins not of one person, but the whole world. Whoever believes and follows the Word of God, that is Jesus Christ, they shall receive not only this forgiveness of sins but also eternal life in the presence of God. We understand and know that Jesus Christ does the work of our salvation for us. Not because we asked for it. Not because we knew it needed to be done, but so that we may receive it through God’s grace and mercy. Now we understand it; we may enjoy it.
For John the Baptist called Jesus the Lamb of God, but he reminded people of their need for Jesus in this world. We need Jesus in our own lives and this is the reason that we are separated from God. Yes, John the Baptist would take his booming voice and his long bony finger and tell people that they are sinners. That they have messed up and are not perfect. They were in need of the work God was doing through the Messiah in order for the brokenness in the world to be made right. People do not like hearing this. They do not like hearing or knowing that they are weak and that there is nothing that they can do. Even John the Baptist did not fully understand, that Jesus did not come to condemn the world, but rather to bring it back to his Father. God the creator and sustainer is now the redeemer. When the Word becomes Flesh. When God’s Word is the final Word. There is no way that we can screw it up.
When people find pain and suffering in the world, God brings comfort. When people find war, God brings peace. When people find hate in the world, God brings love. When people find death in the world, God brings life. When Jesus taught his disciples and we read about his teaching we are given the same purpose that John the Baptist had. In Matthew 28, Jesus tells his disciples and us to “therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.” Jesus is the Word made flesh and God’s plan and final Word for the salvation of the world.
Go, live out your Baptism and share the good news that Jesus Christ is here and is for you. Amen.
John the Baptist comes into the world for two purposes. One is to declare for all to hear and for all to know and rejoice in this great understanding that the Messiah is coming. The other is to Baptize and to prepare people to receive this Messiah that is to come.
Yes, John, the John the Baptist, would take his loud booming voice and his long bony finger and declare to all who would listen. But today, John the Baptist is talking to YOU! Yes, John the Baptist is preparing the way for the Messiah. And to prepare for the arrival of the Messiah, you must first understand something very simple and yet so hard to put into practice. You are not God. Yes, over and over again. John the Baptist takes his booming voice and long bony finger and points them at you so that you get the message that God is coming for YOU!! The sad reality is that John speaks this word to prepare people for the arrival of the Messiah even unto his death.
Once John has shared that message of you not being god and the Messiah is coming. John the Baptist calls Jesus, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. Why is Jesus called the Lamb of God? A lamb was used as a sacrifice in the temple. A pure, unblemished lamb was selected to give to God. This lamb was given to make up for all the bad things that had been done against God during the past year. It would be this lamb that would take on all of the sins. It would be this lamb that would atone for the sins, but we have to be aware of them, change our ways of engaging others, and realize that our sins are now gone. In our reading for today, Andrew on hearing John call Jesus, the Lamb of God, followed Jesus and learned that he truly was the Messiah.
It is this lamb of God that enters into the world. This lamb took on the sins not of one person, but the whole world. Whoever believes and follows the Word of God, that is Jesus Christ, they shall receive not only this forgiveness of sins but also eternal life in the presence of God. We understand and know that Jesus Christ does the work of our salvation for us. Not because we asked for it. Not because we knew it needed to be done, but so that we may receive it through God’s grace and mercy. Now we understand it; we may enjoy it.
For John the Baptist called Jesus the Lamb of God, but he reminded people of their need for Jesus in this world. We need Jesus in our own lives and this is the reason that we are separated from God. Yes, John the Baptist would take his booming voice and his long bony finger and tell people that they are sinners. That they have messed up and are not perfect. They were in need of the work God was doing through the Messiah in order for the brokenness in the world to be made right. People do not like hearing this. They do not like hearing or knowing that they are weak and that there is nothing that they can do. Even John the Baptist did not fully understand, that Jesus did not come to condemn the world, but rather to bring it back to his Father. God the creator and sustainer is now the redeemer. When the Word becomes Flesh. When God’s Word is the final Word. There is no way that we can screw it up.
When people find pain and suffering in the world, God brings comfort. When people find war, God brings peace. When people find hate in the world, God brings love. When people find death in the world, God brings life. When Jesus taught his disciples and we read about his teaching we are given the same purpose that John the Baptist had. In Matthew 28, Jesus tells his disciples and us to “therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.” Jesus is the Word made flesh and God’s plan and final Word for the salvation of the world.
Go, live out your Baptism and share the good news that Jesus Christ is here and is for you. Amen.
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