John 1:19-34 “Behold the Lamb of God”

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Last week we started a journey through John's account of the good news about Jesus.

John told us that he was writing so that we would see Jesus as truly God

and as truly come to show God to us.

In the words of writer Glenn Scrivener,

Jesus is everything God wants to say to the world wrapped up in a person.

John's writing so that we may know that word made flesh.

Trust him as our savior.

Find life as it was meant to be living in and with him.

In his prologue that we looked at last week,

John the beloved disciple mentions another John.

We often call him John the Baptist.

He baptized a lot of people.

But he tells us two things about John.

One, he was not the light.

The word made flesh.

God come to us.

He was not that.

And two, God sent him to witness to the light.

So as I pick up our reading at verse 19 of chapter 1,

notice both of those things in this passage.

Notice John not the light.

And then John's testimony, his witness to the light.

John 1 and verse 19.

And this is the testimony of John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him,

Who are you?

He confessed and did not deny, but confessed,

I am not the Christ.

And they asked him,

What then?

Are you Elijah?

He said, I am not.

Are you the prophet?

And he answered,

No.

So they said to him,

Who are you?

We need to give an answer to those who sent us.

What do you say about yourself?

He said,

I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness.

Make straight the way of the Lord,

as the prophet Isaiah said.

Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.

They asked him,

Then why are you baptizing if you are neither the Christ,

nor Elijah,

nor the prophet?

And John answered them,

I baptize with water,

but among you stands one you do not know.

Even he who comes after me,

the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.

These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.

And 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 is he of whom I said,

After me comes a man who ranks before me,

because he was before me.

I myself did not know him,

but for this purpose I came baptizing with water,

that he might be revealed to Israel.

And John bore witness.

I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove,

and it remained on him.

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.

And I have seen and have borne witness

that this is the Son of God.

Let's pray together.

God, thank you for this testimony

to Jesus as the Lamb of God.

Help us that we might see Jesus.

Help us see how much we need Jesus.

God, by your Spirit,

overcome the weaknesses of this one who speaks,

that we might hear your voice

and know you more.

For we ask in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Imagine for a moment that you're a spotlight operator

for the Broadway musical Les Mis.

You're standing up in the dark shadows

above the stage

as the play goes on

and Jean Valjean,

the star of the show,

begins to agonize internally

through the song,

Who Am I?

Will he jeopardize his future

and that of many others

by admitting his criminal past?

The tension is building,

and as the song nears its end,

Jean Valjean steps into the perfectly cast,

spotlight.

He rips open his shirt

to reveal his prison number,

and he sings,

Who Am I?

Two, four, six, oh, one.

And the crowd goes wild.

He nailed it.

It was amazing.

Everything went just right,

and the show gets a standing ovation

at the end of the night.

Following the show,

the cast and the crew,

they go shower and change,

and they start to file out

one by one towards a press room,

and you're one of the first ones out.

You didn't have a lot to change, you know?

But an eager reporter mistakes you

for the actor playing Jean Valjean.

He begins gushing admiration to you.

What an amazing performance.

That scene at the end of Who Am I?

Man, you just nailed it.

It was so powerful.

Tell me how it felt.

And the shutters are flashing in your face,

and the mics are being crammed in front of you.

And you could really enjoy that moment,

couldn't you?

That's one option you have.

You could say,

Well, yeah, it really was great.

I nailed it.

Just the way we rehearsed it.

After all, you may be thinking,

if I didn't get that spotlight right,

they would have never seen the emotion on his face.

They never would have been able to see

the number on his chest.

They would have missed the whole grand moment

if it weren't for me.

I deserve my time in the spotlight here.

You might respond that way.

Or you could respond,

Hey guys, you know,

the guy you're looking for,

he's not out here yet.

It really was a great scene.

I've never seen anyone do it like our guy.

And as spotlight operator,

it was a delight to play my role

so that everyone could see

the agony on Valjean's face

and appreciate the emotion of that moment.

He really is an amazing performer.

You should be talking to him.

He'll be out in just a minute.

Do you hear the voice of John the Baptist

in that second response?

People are clamoring around John, right?

There's excitement attracting a crowd here.

Even more people come in this passage

to talk about him.

They want to know who he is.

John says,

You know, actually,

the one you're looking for,

he's not out here yet.

But as a spotlight operator,

it's a delight to play my role

so you can all see him well.

He is so amazing.

You should be talking to him.

Is that how most people

with crowds and cameras around them

respond these days?

Is that normal?

When there's lots of excitement around you

and people are clamoring to know more about you,

we live in a celebrity culture, don't we?

And that's all around us.

It's come into the church quite strongly.

Even subtly, perhaps,

into our own hearts this morning,

being the center of attention,

the one in the spotlight.

Pastor Rico Tice says,

this passage helps us see

that we need fewer movie stars

and more spotlights.

In the church especially,

fewer movie stars and more spotlights.

We need pastors and leaders

and church members

who are delighted to be spotlight operators

rather than play the starring role,

don't we?

I want to try to cooperate

with spotlight operator John

who is telling us

that the point is

to start with Jesus.

This passage is about appreciating

the star in the spotlight,

not primarily about operating

a spotlight better, okay?

That's part of what I'm hoping

to help us see this morning.

We're going to reflect back at the end

on ourselves as spotlight operators.

But first, let's focus

on the star in the spotlight.

After brushing off question

after question about himself,

John says,

the really awesome guy is coming.

And the next day, sure enough,

he sees Jesus.

And he tells us

where our eyes need to be looking.

Behold, the Lamb of God

who takes away the sin of the world.

This is the one, John says.

Look at him.

Listen to him.

The Lamb of God

is the one who dies in your place

so that you can live.

John may have been thinking

of the story that Derek mentioned earlier

where Abraham tells Isaac

that God himself

will provide the Lamb

to die in place of Isaac

so that he can live.

God will send that Lamb.

Then there's the Passover Lamb

who is killed,

whose blood is shed

so that when you put it

on the doorposts of your house,

the firstborn son in that home

will live

because the Lamb died.

Lambs sacrificed

morning and night

over and over

for centuries

for the sins of God's people.

Perhaps John remembers

the Lamb of Isaiah 53

who is led to the slaughter

because the Lord

has laid on him

the iniquity

of us all.

Over and over and over.

Do you hear it

through the whole Old Testament?

The Lamb of God dies

so that someone else

can live.

Isn't it remarkable

how in the very first introduction

of Jesus here,

his cross,

we don't get the word cross here,

but we know how he will die.

It's already in view.

That's how central

Jesus' substitutionary death

in our place

is in his mission

here on earth.

As the word made flesh,

we've already heard,

so that we might become

children of God.

How's that going to happen?

Pastor A.W. Pink

writes of the crowds

that would have cheered

a conquering Messiah king.

He says,

they would have welcomed him

on the throne,

but they must first accept him

on the altar.

What the world needs

first and foremost

is the Christ of the cross

where the Lamb of God

offered himself

as a sacrifice

for sin.

See,

when John draws

your attention

to the Lamb of God

who takes away

the sin of the world,

if you don't have

a sin problem,

you don't really need

to behold him,

do you?

He's not all that

important to you.

If that's what he comes

to do is take away

the sin of the world

and you don't have any,

don't need to look

very long.

Increasingly,

in our day,

no one,

or maybe very few people

and we put them away

in prison for a long time,

no one has a sin problem.

It's almost passe

to say that,

isn't it?

Let me try to help us

understand sin better

for a minute

because it is at the heart

of seeing Jesus

as the Lamb of God.

Sin is not just

big crimes, okay?

Kids, I especially want,

if you struggle with this,

I want you to listen.

Sin is not just doing

really big, bad things, okay?

Sin is any little thought

or attitude

or word

or action,

anything

that goes against

life with God

the way he designed it.

Sin is separation

from the close life

with God

that he created us for

that deserves

separation

from God's loving embrace

and the fullness

of life forever.

In short,

sin misses God

and gets death.

I sometimes play this

archery video game

on the Wii

with my kids.

in this game,

you aim

the bow and arrow,

you pull it back

and if you shoot

and hit the bullseye

right on,

you get 10, okay?

If you aim

and you just

narrowly miss,

you get

maybe an 8,

right?

Pretty good,

really close.

The word for sin

in the Bible

refers to

missing

the mark.

anything

less than

perfect

dead on bullseye

because God

is absolutely

perfect

and we can't

live with him

and miss

the mark

at all.

Every thought,

every word,

every deed,

not merely

better than

most other people

or pretty good

most of the time,

but bullseye

every time.

in that game

we play,

though,

there are also

some other objects

for you to

aim at.

They're not

anywhere near

the bullseye.

They're apples

and other things

and they're way

off in the mountains

but if you can

aim at those

and hit those,

you get points

for that too.

Sin's also

like that.

A lot of times

we're not even

aiming at God's

mark,

his design

for us.

We're shooting

for what we want,

aren't we?

Isn't that

what you experience

most of the time?

For what feels

right to us

and if we're aiming

over here,

whether we hit

that or not,

we've missed

God's bullseye.

I've talked to

a lot of people

who say they don't

really have a sin

problem.

I've never talked

to one person

who lives up

to his own

standard

for himself

perfectly

all the time.

Y'all,

I assure you,

if you are not

hitting your own

standard,

you are not

perfect at

hitting God's

standard.

You and I,

all of us,

have a sin

problem.

It's not

specific

individual sins,

it's not merely

that,

where if I just

stop doing a few

of these things

like murder

or stealing

or lying

or disobeying

my parents,

maybe I will

always obey

them.

It's more

than that.

The sin

of the world

is the

brokenness,

the warped

and twisted

desires

that we were

born to live

for ourselves

rather than

with God.

Even wanting

to do what

we want

rather than,

for example,

what our parents

tell us,

even that

is sin.

We have

aimed to be

separated from

God and

for His

rule and

finding life

in Him

and we have

earned

separation

from God.

Death

forever.

See,

I know

because I

grew up

in church

that if you

grow up in

here,

you tend to

think you're

pretty good.

Some of you

maybe feel

that way.

You're pretty

good because

you've not

spent yet

much or

maybe any

time in

jail.

Because you

perhaps have

spent more

time in

this room

than you

have in

the principal's

office.

Raise your

hand if

that's you.

Come on,

all of y'all

have been in

here longer

than you've

been in

the principal's

office and

that feels

good,

doesn't it?

You feel

like you

must be

better than

most people

out there.

I mean,

you would

never do

this or

say that.

don't

forget,

sin is

any

failure to

be perfectly

living with

God all

the time.

Let me

never forget,

says the

old prayer,

that the

heinousness of

sin, that

means how

awful, how

bad sin

is.

It lies not

in the nature

of the sin

committed, how

bad a thing

you did, as

in the

greatness of

the person

sinned against.

This great

and awesome

God who

we're to

live with

and love

and do

exactly what

he's called

us to all

the time,

anything else

is sin.

We're

imperfect,

friends.

Pretty

good in

relationship to

this God,

even eight

out of ten

and it was

really close,

keeps you

away from

the source

of life,

keeps you

facing death

forever.

Just one

thought that

doesn't measure

up, just

one careless

word, one

lustful look

separated from

a perfect

God.

So John

says,

look,

you need to

see him,

the lamb

of God who

takes away

the sin

of the world.

Jesus is

the one

who dies

because you

were supposed

to.

Jesus is

the one

who dies

so that

you can

live

forever.

You are

stuck apart

from God,

needing access

back to

his holy

presence because

there's nothing

like living

with him.

And John

says if you

believe in

Jesus, if you

trust him

to take your

place, you

will have

life.

You, even

though you

deserve to

go way

far away,

you'll be

welcomed in

as a child

of God

into his

family.

Friends, don't

miss Jesus

today.

That's what he

does for

you.

John also

shines the

spotlight on

Jesus as

the giver of

the spirit.

John recounts

here part of

the baptism of

Jesus that we

read about

elsewhere.

God who

gave John

the job as

spotlight operator

had told

John, hey, the

one to shine

the spotlight

on, the

star of the

show will

have the

spirit come

down and

stay on

him.

That's what

God had

told John.

And John

watches this

happen.

A dove

from heaven

was accompanied

we know by a

voice heard by

hundreds.

They saw,

they heard

this.

And the

spirit stays

on Jesus

because Jesus

later gives

the spirit.

He baptizes

with the

spirit, the

one you really

need.

This was a

mark of the

Messiah in

prophecy, full

of the spirit.

Maybe you

know that

Jesus got you

back to God.

Forgiveness of

all your failures

is a big deal

and you've got

it.

but you

still feel

weak and

helpless

today and

many days.

What you

long to

experience is

the power

of God.

Victory over

the sin you're

battling against

today.

Strength for

living on God's

mission in

every relationship.

Do I need

something new?

Someone else

maybe?

Maybe?

Look no further

than Jesus.

He is the

one who

gives the

spirit.

When you

trust him

and ask

him, he

sends his

spirit so

that you

experience his

power.

Don't look

anywhere else.

See Jesus

for that.

Finally, see

Jesus as the

son of God.

Verse 34.

I have seen

and have

borne witness

that this

is the

son of God.

Certainly

another

affirmation

of Jesus'

deity, but

in particular

it's saying

Jesus is the

one who

perfectly

reveals God

to us.

Remember that

last week?

He is the

unique,

specially

selected one

to show us

the glory

of God

fully.

there have

been plenty

of messianic

figures around

in John's

day, but

not many

with a

spotlight

operator

who himself

earns respect

and a

following

and seems

like a

man of

God.

Maybe

this one's

the Messiah

and then

says,

look,

look,

there is

the promised

Messiah over

there.

Not here,

over there.

Don't miss

him.

If you want

to know

what God

is like,

John is

saying,

listen to,

watch and

follow

Jesus.

This may

be especially

important for

you this

morning if

you're confused

about God

right now.

Most of us

have been

through seasons

of this at

some point

in our life.

You've said

things like,

God,

I thought

you were

faithful

generation

after generation,

but I don't

like the way

you're relating

to my kid

or my

grandkid

right now.

Where's the

faithfulness?

Maybe you've

gotten confused

and said,

God,

I just don't

feel like you

really care

about me

right now

because life

is hard

and I'm

praying and

it just feels

like my prayers

are hitting the

ceiling and

bouncing back

and no one's

listening.

Don't you know

I'm hurting?

God,

I'm wondering

if you're

really loving

because I like

this Jesus

guy and

what I read

about him

it sounds

right

but then

you seem

harsh and

hateful

sometimes

and I don't

really know

if that's

you.

John says,

listen,

look at

Jesus,

the son

of God,

his chosen

representative

in the flesh,

the divine

revealer

so that you

can know

what the

God who

welcomes

you in,

who empowers

you for life

with him

is really

like.

If you

have any

doubts,

he says,

look at

Jesus,

he is

faithful,

he is

present,

he is

loving.

See it

in Jesus.

Scottish

pastor Robert

Murray McShane

once wrote

to a friend

that for

every one

look at

himself,

his own

sin,

his own

pain,

he should

take ten

looks at

Jesus.

I second

that notion

for all

of us

today in

our sin,

in our

weakness,

in our

confusion.

Listen to

what he

says,

we'll see.

Jesus is

altogether

lovely,

such infinite

majesty,

and yet

such meekness

and grace,

and all

for sinners,

even the

chief,

live much

in the

smiles of

God,

bask in

his beams,

feel his

all-seeing

eyes settled

on you in

love,

and repose,

rest in

his almighty

arms.

Let your

soul be

filled with

a heart-ravishing

sense of

the sweetness

and excellency

of Christ.

For every

look at

yourself,

take ten

looks at

Christ.

You can

try that

this afternoon.

Fifteen

years ago,

in this

same room

with some

of you

right here

with me,

I was

ordained

to be a

spotlight

operator

by vocation.

And Pastor

Jay Sklar

charged me

that morning

to declare

two things,

that I

am not

the Christ

and that

Jesus is

the Christ.

Christ.

We've

spent the

majority of

our time

this morning

focusing on

Jesus.

Both of

the Johns

would agree

that's the

point here.

But as

we look

ten times

and more

and more

at Jesus,

there are

also some

things that

we as

spotlight

operators

should rejoice

in.

As we see

John shining

the spotlight

on Jesus,

John is the

lead spotlight

operator,

okay?

He's unique.

But we

all are

to be

his

witnesses,

right?

To point

people to

Jesus,

to declare

his

excellencies,

that's

for all

of us.

As we

all

spotlight

operators

witness

to him

briefly

three things,

there is

freedom

to find

our identity

in relation

to Jesus

not out

on our

own.

John

could have

stolen

the

spotlight

as the

Christ

or the

prophet

or

Elijah,

but he

quite

confidently

says,

listen,

who I

am

is in

relation

to

Jesus.

I'm a

voice

in the

wilderness,

Isaiah 40,

preparing

the way

for a

greater

one to

come.

I'm a

spotlight

operator,

John says.

listen,

because Jesus

has truly

shown you

God

himself,

what God

has made

you for,

the fact

that this

God wants

to relate

with you,

that you

have a

purpose,

you don't

have to

invent

an identity

to matter.

You can

actually

embrace

that you

exist

to watch

Jesus

closely,

to love

him

deeply,

and so

to shine

the spotlight

on him.

You are

free

from the

pressure

that you

feel all

around you

every day

to find

yourself

somewhere

else,

to make

up that

identity

that will

finally be

significant.

No,

you have

that in

relation

to Jesus.

Next,

we're

freed to

live with

humility

that's

neither

false

humility

nor

just

weak.

This is

not

groveling

low

self-esteem

from John

when he

says he's

not worthy

to untie

Jesus'

sandals.

That's a

job below

even a

Jewish

slave.

John

is bold

here,

isn't he,

in front

of powerful

threats.

He's

confident.

Why?

Because he

is so

enamored

with Jesus.

He's

not

thinking

less

of himself

when he

says he's

a spotlight

operator.

He is

so focused

on the

wonder

of

Jesus.

He's

so

confident

in the

strength

of the

spirit

that he

gets

from

Jesus

that he

thinks

of himself

less.

That's

gospel

humility.

Being a

spotlight

operator

for this

star

is a

joy.

He

doesn't

even

think

that it

wouldn't

be a

wonderful

and great

thing.

He

cannot

wait.

Can you

read that

when you

read through

the beginning

of this

passage?

The answers

get shorter

and shorter,

don't they?

John

cannot wait

to stop

answering silly

questions about

himself so

that he can

say,

behold the

Lamb of

God who

takes away

the sin

of the

world.

You know

people like

that,

don't you?

Who can't

stand talking

about themselves

for very long

without talking

more about

Jesus?

You like being

around them?

God,

God,

God,

God,

if you

stare at

the star

long enough,

you'll live

with that

kind of

freedom

too.

It doesn't

have to

be about

you anymore.

Finally,

we are

freed to

stop

pretending

and confess

our sins

honestly.

That Lamb

of God

takes away

the sin

of the

world

and that

includes the

sin of the

spotlight

operator,

yours

and mine.

One of the

best ways

to shine

your spotlight

on the

one who

takes away

sin is

to be

honest about

your own

sin that

you need

to be

taken away.

I am not

telling you

to go and

sin more

in order to

be a better

spotlight

operator.

You've got

plenty already.

Not a

problem.

That's why

you need

the Lamb

of God,

okay?

See,

John doesn't

have to

pretend

to be

someone

he's not.

Twice,

in fact,

he says

something

unnecessary

to admit.

I was

here

to shine

the spotlight

on someone

and I

didn't even

know him.

Don't think

I'm the guy

who's got it

together.

You had

one job

but I

didn't know

what it

was.

The Lamb

of God

has given

you access

back to

God.

Forgiveness

of all

of your

sins

past,

present,

future.

So as

you encounter

them,

you can

name them.

It's such

an unusual

thing in

our day,

isn't it?

To be able

to be honest,

to be able

not to be

defensive

or self-protective,

but you

are freed

from that.

You're freed

up to be

honest about

your struggles

and your

failures and

to shine

the spotlight

in those

moments on

Jesus.

do we

as

Southwood

together

live as

spotlight

operators?

When

someone

compliments

our great

church

buildings,

do you

say,

you know

the great

thing is

just having

a place

people can

come and

taste the

grace of

Jesus.

That reaches

so many

different kinds

of people

who are

connected

only by

him.

Or you

know what's

so great

about the

lodge is

that it's

a place

young people

can be

valued not

for their

performance but

for who

they are

finally.

They can be

loved in

their weakness

because they

hear there's a

lamb of God

who takes

away all

their sins.

When a

visitor says

y'all have

incredible music

that's what they

say,

they don't talk

about the

preaching,

they say

y'all have

incredible

music.

Do you

say,

you know,

yes,

they're so

talented,

all of them

except DJ,

he's okay.

But what I

love most is

how they

help me

worship Jesus

because he

is so worthy

of praise and

I love that

they're

worshiping

Jesus and

so I can

follow in

that.

When a

friend says,

man,

you're really

a pretty great

guy, you're

really spiritual,

all those

spiritual disciplines

you're learning,

do you say

spending time

in silence

and solitude

or fasting

or Sabbath,

it's not about

how great a

Christian I

am, that's

really not the

point, it's

about how great

my Jesus is

and how much

I need to

be with him

and to find

life in him

and I so

quickly run

and find it

other places

and so I'm

calling my

heart back

to him.

See, look,

if you're

confused, you

need to

know I'm

not the

Christ.

Jesus is

the Christ.

Behold, the

Lamb of

God who

takes away

the sin

of the

world,

pointing people

all the time

to Jesus

and may they

forget the

channel,

seeing only

him,

pointing to

Jesus in

everything,

including,

and perhaps

especially at

this table,

his table.

It was the

night that

Jesus was

betrayed,

that he

took bread,

he broke

it,

and he gave

it to his

disciples as

I'm ministering

in his name,

give this bread

to you.

He said,

take, eat,

this is my

body given

for you,

do this in

remembrance of

me.

And then

after supper,

he took the

cup and

said,

this cup is

the new

covenant in

my blood,

shed for

many for

the forgiveness

of sins,

drink from

it all of

you.

For as

often as

you eat

this bread

and drink

this cup,

you proclaim

the Lord's

death in

your place

until he

comes.

Behold,

the Lamb

of God

who takes

away the

sin of

the world,

his body

given to

die so

that you

would live.

Behold,

the Lamb

of God

who takes

away the

sin of

the world

because the

blood of

bulls and

goats over

and over

was impossible

for that

blood to

take away

sins.

But when

the Lamb

of God

shed his

blood once

and for

all,

sin was

paid for.

He paid

it all.

if that

is your

hope,

come to

this table,

not ours,

but the

Lord's and

meet with

him and

eat with

him and

be encouraged

and strengthened

in your

faith.

If you see

this and you

don't behold

here the Lamb

of God who

takes away

your sins,

if you don't

yet trust

Jesus,

his life

and his

death for

you,

then don't

come to

eat and

drink,

but would

you also

come behold

the Lamb

of God?

Would you

consider that

he was

spotless

and that

he was

slain and

that he

says,

trust me,

believe in

me and

you will

never die,

that he

would pay

for your

sins.

You can

trust him

for that

today and

have the

joy of

knowing

that he

has taken

all your

guilt,

all your

shame on

himself and

removed it

forever.

Let's pray

and we'll

celebrate

together.

Jesus,

we thank

you for

stepping in

where we

deserve to

stand,

for paying

the price

we could

never afford,

for being

the star so

that we

don't have

to carry

that burden.

we worship

you,

we give

you thanks

for even

this bread

and wine

that remind

us of how

much you

love us.

Would you

use them

this morning

not for a

common purpose

but for a

sacred purpose

in our hearts

that we would

behold the

Lamb of God

and that we

would be

changed forever

because of it.

We ask in

your name.

Amen.

Amen.

For more

information,

visit us

online at

southwood.org.