Come and See

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Today, the Psalmist declares: “I waited patiently for the Lord, he inclined to me and heard my cry” (Psalm 40:1). Waiting patiently for the Lord is not at all an easy thing to do. We can become distracted and discouraged easily by the things that make us anxious.

If I ask for a show of hands, how many of us here today are waiting patiently for the Lord for something in our lives. My guess is that everybody here, or even those watching or listening to us on youtube has something. Maybe even more than one thing.

Waiting and patience are not things that come easily for most people.

We have entered a new era in modern society where almost everything is becoming or has on-demand. In the palm of our hands, we have the power to order products to our doors the next day, or the same day with certain items, from almost any retailer at no extra charge.

Food and groceries delivered to one's door are a modern convenience, but you can also order ahead through an app and go pick it up so you “skip the line” and miss the wait.

But it isn't just food, products or entertainment that's on demand; it's also our information and how we consume it.

We, and our children and grandchildren, live in a time of unprecedented access to information, on demand, with just a couple of button presses on our phones or a few keyboard clicks.

We are growing so accustomed to these things that when we run into snags such as no wifi, no cell signal, the internet is down for whatever reason, or the pizza was late, we become upset, easily discouraged, and perhaps even go so far as to lodge complaints online somewhere.

It's difficult to be patient when things are not going our way, or when we are facing challenges, or waiting on something. It’s just as difficult to prayerfully wait on God for the things that weigh on our hearts and minds.

The apostle Paul teaches us to pray at all times. We pray about those things that weigh heavily on our hearts and minds. And in doing so, we offer up many types of prayers. We offer prayers of thanks for the things God has given us (food, shelter, family, security, etc).

In our second reading today, Paul is praying for the church in Corinth. Praying on behalf of others and the church, for their health and for good outcomes, such as guidance and deliverance from troubles and worries. He teaches the church to pray for patience as we wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Every Sunday, right here, we pray, as Paul did in the epistle reading today, on behalf of others and the church, for their health and for good outcomes, such as guidance and deliverance from troubles and worries.

We pray, and as patiently as we can, we wait.

Israel long hoped and prayed for the arrival of the promised messiah. God spoke to His people through the prophets for generations, and they had eagerly awaited the one who was to come — the light to the nations and Israel’s Redeemer.

They did not know the time or hour of when the promised messiah would come. All they could do was pray and wait patiently.

In our gospel reading, those prayers are finally answered. John, preaching a baptism of repentance and crying out in the wilderness, must have thought time stood still, and perhaps things all around him were moving in slow motion as he saw the hope of the world coming towards him that day on the banks of the Jordan.

At a place and time of God’s choosing, the wait was over. The hour had come.

The gospel records that at the very sight of Jesus, John the Baptist confesses with his mouth, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

John knew this was the one! This was the one who defined his purpose and ministry: to prepare the way and point to Him.

There, in the murky baptismal waters, surrounded by repentant sinners, the messiah steps in as the Holy Spirit descends, and John is no longer waiting; he is witnessing God’s salvation come to us through Jesus.

In the waters of Baptism where new creations are made, we now have a new life through Jesus and a new song.

As David writes in his psalm, “He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; many shall see and stand in awe, and put their trust in the Lord” (Psalm 40:3).

God put a new song in John’s mouth, and it was a song of praise when he cried aloud, “Behold the Lamb of God” (John 1:29).

We sing this together every Sunday, and thus join John in his proclamation!

A few years ago, when Lisa and I were living in Kent and attending Zion Lutheran Church, I remember our kids singing this song. Actually, Talia would sing it, and Josh hummed it at first until he got the words.

Before they memorized anything else, this was the part of the liturgy that they remembered most easily – Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world. I remember thinking about the power of God’s word to make faith in us, how it can come to us at times we do not anticipate or ways we do not expect, and how it changes us forever.

Just like John’s disciples, (the two mentioned in our gospel reading today) they arrived at the Jordan that day, probably expecting to do the same things they had done there the previous day. But when Jesus shows up, something new happens for them. That day would be very different, marking a new beginning for them and for those they would encounter next.

It was the day they were called to Jesus through the Gospel. Through John’s preached word, and by the power of the Holy Spirit. In the same way, the Holy Spirit has called all of you through the Gospel, and daily enlightens you with his gifts, and sanctifies and preserves you in true faith forever.

These former disciples of the baptizer follow closely behind Jesus, who turns to them and says, “What are you seeking?”

Likewise, daily Jesus asks us to examine what we are seeking. In prayer, in worship, in our relationships, and in all aspects of our lives, what are you seeking? Are we “seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness?” Are we seeking after God and trusting in his promise and his plan, or do we prefer our own? Are we seeking a relationship with the Lord?

Like the two disciples who sought the relationship, who sought after the kingdom and to follow Jesus, we might ask, as they did, where our teacher might be staying, that we might know more and hear more. Sometimes in prayer we might where are you Lord?

(Holds up the bible) Right here. (Point to the sanctuary, the alter and the baptismal font) Right here. Everywhere his gospel is preached, and his forgiveness is granted, and his grace is administered.

Just as important, nobody needs to wait for Sundays to receive God’s word or to know where Jesus is. Raise your hand if you have a bible! You can open your bibles anytime, read it aloud to yourselves or to each other, anytime! One paragraph at a time, one verse at a time, anywhere, even at dinner. Come to bible study or morning prayer and just receive. Come and see!

So many waited for the messiah to come and be revealed to the world. He has come and given us himself, that we may know him, believe and be known by him, and live.

In former days, the world was waiting for him to come as God promised through his prophets, and as Isaiah records for us in the first reading, “Called from the womb, from the body of my mother, he named my name.”

Jesus of Nazareth, the lamb of God, came into the world, and took upon himself our sins to defeat sin, death, and the devil forever.

Like those in former days, we wait in confident hope that he has come, and he will come again! But in these last days, it's our turn to hope, pray, and wait patiently. But while we wait, we are invited to come and see!

Jesus invites us to come and see, right here every Sunday. He invites you to come and see, every time his word and sacraments are proclaimed, as the psalmist reminds us, “I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation.” God is forever faithful, even when we are at times faithless.

Come and see, says the Lamb of God, who brings grace and peace to the communion of saints, who has come to take the sin of the world upon himself, that for you who believe, may not perish but be strengthened, perfected, sanctified, and inherit life eternal. Amen

Our Gospel Hymn is On Jordan’s Banks the Baptist’s Cry #36