Sermon for January 20, 2008

“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, 'Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!' ”

       I read a story about man who said that while he was in grade school, he was told that if he wanted a good job he had to graduate from high school.  So he went to high school.  When he was in high school, he was told that to get a good job he had to go to college.  So he went to college.  When he was about to graduate, he was told everybody had a bachelor’s degree, and to get a really good job, he had to have a master’s degree.  So he got his master’s degree.  Then he was told that a master’s degree would only take him so far and he should get a doctorate.  So he got his doctorate and went out looking for a job.  He was then told that there weren’t any jobs available in his field because companies were looking for younger men with experience!
       HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED IF HAVING THE RIGHT CREDENTIALS IN YOUR LIFE IS IMPORTANT AND WORTH IT?   I know that some people this morning may be asking what are “CREDENTIALS”?  CREDENTIALS ARE THE VISIBLE PROOF THAT YOU ARE QUALIFIED TO DO SOMETHING OR TO BE SOMEWHENRE!  In our world today, they may be the diploma on the wall or the badge you wear at school or work or at an athletic event.  Employers want to know that you’ve been to the right school and graduated- that you’ve gotten a proper education.   Credentials help to protect us from people who have not passed the test to be qualified to do an activity or a job.  We want to know that the pilot flying our airplane is licensed, also our doctor, our realtor and our teachers.  We want to know that our lawyer has passed the bar exam and that our pastor has been properly trained and ordained!  Credentials are important!  As the old saying goes, “THE TASSEL IS WORTH THE HASSLE!”
       Jesus had “THE RIGHT CREDENTIALS” to be the LORD AND SAVIOR of the World and was identified by John the Baptizer in our text as “THE LAMB OF GOD WHO TAKES AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD.” By lifting up Jesus as the Lamb of God, John points us to the meaning of Jesus’ life.  Throughout Scripture the image of the sacrificial lamb conveys the idea of SOMETHING INNOCENT SUFFERING ON BEHALF OF OTHERS.”  And then, in the Festival of the Passover, the lamb becomes the symbol of deliverance. 
       This was demonstrated in the way that the Passover was observed in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus.  In those days portions of the Passover Lamb would be offered as sin offerings at the Temple.  The remaining lamb portions would be eaten at home during the family Passover meal.  To the true followers of the Almighty God, the Lamb meant both sacrifice and deliverance from sin!
       So when John said, “LOOK, THE LAMB OF GOD, WHO TAKES AWAY THE SINS OF THE WORLD” he was saying that Jesus is both the INNOCENT SUFFERING ONE AND ALSO THE TRIUMPHANT ONE WHO CONQUERED SIN AND DEATH.  We can see this in the great Christian symbol of the Living Lamb carrying a triumphant banner.
       Jesus is the “LAMB OF GOD” and has the credentials for being the SON OF GOD who was beginning His earthly ministry which would change the world and give to all believers in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior the promise of eternal life in heaven!   Jesus Christ was God’s proof of His love for all people and the fulfillment of the promise of a Savior!
       Just prior to our Gospel lesson for today, the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River, John the Baptizer at first did not recognize Jesus for who Jesus was.  Even though they were cousins, John did not really know who Jesus was until the day that Jesus came to the Jordan River to be baptized!  God had told John in a personal revelation that “HE ON WHOM YOU SEE THE SPIRIT DESCEND AND REMAIN IS THE ONE WHO BAPTIZES WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT.”  When John saw the Spirit descend upon Jesus in the form of a dove and rested on Jesus, giving the proof and all the credentials that Jesus needed to be the “LAMB OF GOD WHO TAKES AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD!”  John  knew without a doubt that Jesus was the Messiah and identifies Jesus that way in his preaching.  John believed because of a personal revelation from God and God’s proof in a personal way!
       The first Credential for Jesus to be the Savior of the World, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” then was His “CALLING” from God in a personal way!  It was a major calling which Jesus Christ fulfilled by His death on the Cross and resurrection from the Grave!  It was a Calling that no one else could fulfill for us so that our sins are forgiven and the gift of eternal life is there for us to receive!
       We also want to believe that we have a “CALLING” in life which is much more than just doing a job!  That calling may be tied together with our job, like mine is as a pastor.  Or it may be a calling much larger than  our job.  The Calling from God may be to “LOVE OUR FAMILY”- to be a Great Dad or a Great Mom or a Great Son or a Great Daughter.  It may be a calling to serve in the community or in a special ministry in our congregation!  People are called every day by God to serve Him in a special way using the gifts and talents that God has given to them, but many times we don’t always respond right away!  But God doesn’t give up and continues to show us ways to serve Him each day of our life!
       JESUS ALSO HAD THE CREDENTIAL OF A CHANGED LIFE as a result of the events recorded in our Gospel lesson from John 1.  Jesus’ earthly and visible ministry was about to begin and lives were changed forever because of His preaching and teaching and healing and miracles!  John the Baptizer had prepared the way and because of John’s witness to who Jesus Christ was, many people began to follow Jesus.  They heard the Word of God through the witness of John and the Holy Spirit worked through that preaching to make them believers in Jesus Christ as the Messiah and Savior!
       My guess is that this is the way most of us learned about Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior- through the witness of others.  It may have been through our parents or grandparents or our spouse or a special friend who made a big impression on  us by their faith and actions.  Somewhere along the way the witness of someone else made a critical difference in our life as a Christian.
       I read an E-Mail the other day that reminded me of that fact.  It was a quiz to help put our life here on earth  into proper perspective and asked the following questions,
1.  NAME THE 5 WEALTHIEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD
2.  NAME THE LAST 5 HEISMAN TROPHY WINNERS
3.  NAME THE LAST 5 WINNERS OF THE MISS AMERICA CONTEST
4.  NAME THE LAST 6 ACADEMY AWARD WINNERS FOR BEST ACTOR AND BEST ACTRESS
5.  NAME THE COACHES OF THE LAST 5 WINNERS OF THE SUPER BOWL.
       How did you do?  The point is, none of us remember the head liners and stars as the world defines who are the best in their field or job for very long as fame in the world is often fleeting.  The applause soon dies, the awards tarnish, achievements are forgotten and certificates are often lost or buried with their owners.
       HERE’S ANOTHER QUIZ.  SEE HOW YOU DO WITH THIS ONE
1.  NAME 3 TEACHERS WHO HELPED YOU IN YOUR JOURNEY THROUGH SCHOOL.
2.  NAME 3 FRIENDS WHO HAVE HELPED YOU THROUGH A DIFFICULT TIME.
3.  NAME  3 PEOPLE WHO HAVE MADE YOU FEEL APPRECIATED AND SPECIAL
4.  NAME 5 PEOPLE WHO YOU ENJOY SPENDING TIME WITH
5.  NAME 5 PEOPLE WHO HAVE TOLD YOU ABOUT JESUS
       What is the lesson to be learned?  The people who make a difference in our life are not the ones with the most money or the most awards or the most credentials as the world identifies credentials and success and power and importance.  Instead it the people who care about us and love us and especially the ones who have the “RIGHT CREDENTIALS” of faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and live out their faith and whom the Holy Spirit uses to touch our lives with God’s Word and God’s Love.
       We have often heard about Jesus Christ through the witness of others- Sunday School Teachers, kind neighbors, devout Christian parents, Christian Day School Teachers, maybe even through a pastor whose Credentials were based upon their personal Christian faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior and their desire to share that Good News of the Gospel with other people!
       It is one of the Credentials of a Christian to have a CALLING FROM GOD, A LIFE CHANGED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT WORKING IN OUR LIFE AND A LIFELONG COMMITMENT TO LIVE AS A FOLLOWER AND BELIEVER IN JESUS CHRIST.   It is being “SANCTIFIED BY GOD”- which means being “SET APART FOR A SPECIAL PURPOSE BY GOD!”  In the Old Testament times “SANCTIFIED” people, places and things were never used for ordinary purposes.  They were always used by God for His purpose of sharing God’s love in personal and life changing ways!
       Our task as Christians is to provide that same type of Christian witness so that other people may learn about Jesus Christ as the only way to eternal life in heaven!  We don’t need fancy Credentials or titles to do that, just a desire to share that message with other people by what we say and do who are lost and separated from Jesus because of their unforgiven sins!  It is sharing the message of God’s Word like John the Baptizer did, “LOOK, THE LAMB OF GOD WHO TAKES AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD!”  And as later followers of Jesus said, “COME WITH ME AND SEE AND WORSHIP THE MESSIAH- JESUS CHRIST THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD!