John 1:35-42
Notes
Transcript
The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”
The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 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?”
He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.
He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).
IDENTITY
The reason the book was written!
but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
John has been changed to love God and others.
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.
And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
John loves and therefore writes!
Today’s verses are filled with truths that lead one to the identity of Christ!
John 1:35–42 “The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 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?” He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).”
The Lamb of God.
Left John and started to follow Jesus.
Where are you staying?
Met with Him and talked.
Brought unavoidable truth that had to be shared!
The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples,
John the Baptist
Who’s the two disciples? Andrew and...most belief it’s the author of the this book, John the Disciple.
John had disciples or students of his teachings (God’s teachings), repentance and baptism.
Change direction, repent, prepare the way for the Messiah. Prepare your heart by repenting, cleanse and wash in truth.
This is the John here and the two men with him. Believers of Old and Truth!
and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”
John the Baptist looked!
What does John the Baptist see?
Behold! Eureka! Stop, stop, stop...look!
The Lamb of God!
Chris talked about this last Sunday and the importance this phrase brought.
The depth it’s meaning brought to the Jews.
And here it is again today and so worth some more study!
The sacrificial lamb.
What is that?
Why a lamb?
What does this show?
It’s not a sacrifice of what we give but of what God gives.
It’s not a sacrifice to appease the God’s of their anger as our culture thinks.
A culture that teaches the god’s are thirsty for death in one form or another.
No, this is a sacrifice from God for us.
Not a sacrifice from us to God!
Take this animal that I’ve created, I’ve made, this innocent creature that had nothing to do with your sin.
Bestow your guilt and sin on it and then shed its blood. Kill it...
Not with a gun...
For the Israelites, cutting an animal’s throat and watching its blood (that is, its life) drain from its body was a visceral symbol of the devastating results of their sin and selfishness.
It wasn’t a run them through and get this over and done with.
It was with great somber and reflection this was done, or a least it should of been.
To take this animals life by literally cutting its throat and see the life drain with its blood is the truth of what sin is doing to God’s creation of love, man.
Killing it! This act was an act of seriousness, an act that should bring repentance and change.
But why killing, why does blood need to be spilled?
What does sin bring? Destruction, chaos, death. It’s the exact opposite of what our God brings.
Creation, order, LIFE!
So, if there is something out there that destroys, kills, brings harm against something or someone you love, what is the just thing to do, or the right thing to do? Ultimately death!
What do we deserve? Death!
What is in blood? Life!
For the life of every creature is its blood: its blood is its life.
Spilling of blood is the ending of life.
The spilling of blood is the righteous response to a being in sin.
Sin must be dealt with, it cannot remain.
But this type of dealing with sin is only temporary, it’s a covering up so to speak.
It’s the workings of a just, patient, loving God. One that didn’t instantly bring upon His deserved justice against us. But one that walks with us, when we so deserve anything but.
What do I mean by a “temporary covering of our sin”?
Remember Adam and Eve?
Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.
Tried to cover up, tried to hide.
Didn’t work did it?
And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.
This is the first gift of sacrifice we see in scripture.
A covering of their shame in more ways than one.
Not only was this a covering of their nakedness and shame but one of temporary covering of their sin.
We see the first death in creation, animals given by God, sacrificed for us to cover over our nakedness and shame. And also temporarily atone for our sins.
This was a mere act of mercy and grace bestowed upon us, when we deserved nothing but wrath of a Holy God.
This act of sacrifice from God as always meant to bring us to repentance and change not full reconciliation to God.
Hence the statement at the start of this. “It’s not a sacrifice of what we give but of what God gives.”
Hope this helps with the heart of sacrifice.
Ok, but why a lamb?
Jesus is described within scripture as a Lion and a Lamb.
One meek and mild, the other fierce and powerful.
One as a gift of sacrifice and one as a ruler.
One based solely on who He is, innocent, pure, blameless. It’s not about the what He is but who He is.
The only one that can redeem, the only one that can fully atone for our sins, the only gift of sacrifice that can restore.
The lamb should bring us to a place of humility, gratitude, worship...
Purity, Holy, Holy, Holy is the who Jesus is.
The Lion more describes the what Jesus is, great conqueror, powerful, strong, fearless, we see that and we’re in awe!
A lamb, not so much. Hence it’s more about Jesus’ purity that is displayed within the lack of awe in this animal!
Purity in innocence, without sin, sacrificed, killed for nothing of it’s own accord.
See the difference and the symbolism here?!
So when we reread
and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”
it has great significance!
The lamb that has been “covering our sin temporarily is no more! The once and for all eternal sacrifice is here!”
The one that has been prophesied to come!
Folks this is big news, not just big news but the biggest news that could of come!
Years of sacrifice, years!!! To hear those words and huge meaning to the Jews!
From what Chris talked about last week in the Passover lamb to this prophecy of the messiah in Isaiah 53:4-7.
Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 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.
Behold, this prophecy is here...
“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.
Can we see why the two disciples of John the Baptist, the one preaching and teaching...
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
left and followed?
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?”
Notice they don’t answer the question...but ask Him a question.
Why? Starstruck? Nervous? Not sure but with the weight of the situation I’m sure they didn’t want to let Him go. “Where are you staying”
But you gotta love Jesus’ direct approach. “What are you seeking?”
Where’s your heart? Worldly or heavenly. Temporal or Eternal?
Same to us, “what are we seeking in Christ”...
He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.
“Come and you will see” the invitation! All are invited, few accept.
So they came! Say yes to Christ, not if you I’ll..., the best decision we can ever make in life is to say yes to Him and follow.
One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).
So after going with Jesus and spending some time with Him, what immediately happens?
Found his brother, tells him the great news, and brings Him to Jesus.
The great news of the Gospel!
There’s a plague that as hit the world and it’s killing millions. You’re seeing loved ones getting infected, falling victim to this.
Death is all around. And you stumble onto a cure.
What’s the first thing you’re going to do?
Share! Share, like you’ve never shared before.
This is the heart of Andrew! Share and share like you’ve never shared before.
But the Gospel is so much more!
Instead of just a temporary cure for one aliment, the Gospel is the cure for all aliments including the biggest one, sin & death.
The Gospel shows a love like we’ve never ever seen before
God, became man, bore flesh, felt, touched, seen, lied to, tempted...
Never sinned, not once! But bore a death as though He did.
Gave up His sinless body in exchange for our sinful body.
In this great exchange, we recieved life, but not just any life, a life we Him for all eternity!
No more pain, no more death, no more loss, all this with the God the creator of all.
No beginning or ending, the Alpha and Omega
Praise His name!
