Monday, January 20, 2020

Sermon January 18-19, 2019 – Life Weekend

Title: Behold the Lamb!
Text: John 1:29-42a

29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

This weekend we celebrate the gift of Life from conception to God’s calling us to our eternal rest. Whether in the womb, childhood, adult life or old age, life is precious and gift of God. We, who are born in sin unto death, receive rebirth by God’s work in Christ, bringing us in relationship to him and back to the original righteousness he intended.

We are his workmanship and reminded … in the beginning of:

God’s creating work.
God’s all powerful word.
God’s illuminating Spirit hovering over the waters.
God’s breath of life, that was breathed into the formed dust of the ground giving life to that which God had created,

Male and female he created them. Gen 1:27c

We think of Adam and Eve, the Garden of Eden, the fruit of the tree in the midst of the garden, the fall into sin … and death came.

My friend Paul’s daughter Michelle was born on June 9th 1980 three months premature struggling for life. Her sister Diana had been born one year earlier but after 48 hours of life in the NICU had died in her father’s arms.

Michelle wasn’t expected to survive, and if she did the doctors warned, she might be brain damaged and blind. But survive and thrive she did. Fast forward 18 years, Michelle graduated 3rd in her high school class. It had been her dream to be a pilot and serve our country as her grandfather a WWII veteran and B-52 pilot did. She had the grades, was physically able, and after receiving an appointment from Congressman John Dingell she went to the Air force academy. Interestingly her boyfriend at the time went to the Naval academy.

As graduation neared, he had a leave of duty and decided to go home before Christmas. The weather was mild for December – not much different than the weather we’ve had this year. It was a dry and warm day visiting with his parents and friends so he took his motorcycle out for a ride. The car didn’t expect or see him as he entered the intersection. He was killed and Michelle, her dad, his parents and friends were devastated.

The wages of sin is death. Rom. 6:23a

But God proclaims in our gospel reading today:

“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

What God had created perfect and what had been broken by the fall of man into sin, God will restore through this lamb, this savior, this man Jesus.

Proclaimed and pointed to by John as God’s lamb, who takes away the sin of the world.

Life is precious gift and when death comes we are all devastated.

I wrote Michelle a note of comfort not knowing what to say. I don’t even remember the exact year this happened. I can’t remember what I wrote or said except to say that in some way I prayed that God would bring Michelle comfort and peace and get her through this difficult time.

32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son[ of God.”

Michelle had a distinguished career having flown in Afghanistan and Iraq.

As she was preparing for one of her deployments, Paul’s wife Rebecca said to him, “I’ve been praying that Michelle meet a nice young man!” Paul thought to himself, “Well, that’s nice but she’s going to Afghanistan! There’s little chance of that happening anytime soon.” Well, we kept her in prayer during the long months, and as her deployment was coming to an end Paul got a call from Michelle in Germany on her way home. “Dad, she said, I’ve met a boy!” Rebecca just smiled.

Jesus is the Lamb of God.

4 Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted. Isaiah 53:4

7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
so he opened not his mouth. Isaiah 53:7

Jesus is the Sacrificial Lamb

18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
1 Peter 1:18-19

24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
1 Peter 2:24

Jesus is the Mighty and Victorious Lamb spoken of in Revelation.

Revelation 5:6-12

… I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain … 9 And they sang a new song, saying,

“Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!”

Michelle and Justin returned home from Afghanistan. The families got to meet and get to know each other as Justin was from Ann Arbor. Life was good. But, Michelle had one final deployment before her service to our country was concluded. Her final tour came, but rather than let her go alone, Justin volunteered to go as well, though he had completed his tours and could have stayed home.

True love, dear friends, looks to the needs of another.

John’s testimony points to Christ

No longer is Jesus a babe in a manger
He is the fullness of the Godhead in bodily form. Col. 2:9
He is God for us.

He is God’s Son, marked for death so that you may be his child marked for life!

He, Jesus, is God in the flesh, God’s redemption, God’s Messiah, the King of Israel, the kingdom of God among you, God’s peace and your redemption.

Michelle and Justin received the rank of Major and finished their final tour oversees and moved back to Colorado. They were engaged and married in October of 2015 having retired from active military duty. He now is a pilot for Southwest and she teaches English at the Air Force academy. They have been blessed with two beautiful children. I was blessed to baptize their daughter Kalais. God’s comfort and peace has come.

35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and you will see.”

It is God who desires all to see Christ.

At times it is during the trials of life that the Spirit makes him known.

It is at times in the lives of others that we can see by that same Spirit God’s work more clearly.

And it is at times like these that we need to share and shine forth all that God has made known and done for you and me through the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world!

Andrew … found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus.

This Good News is something to shout about!
This Good News is something to share with others!

God has overcome the wages of sin, death so that by his Spirit we too have life in his name!

In the name of the Father, and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit!

Amen

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