"Who Are You and Why Are You Here?"
A sermon preached on The Third Sunday after the Epiphany, Sunday, January 20, 2008, at Edgemont Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) by the Rev. Christopher E. Yopp. The sermon is based on John 1:29-42.
One of the greatest philosophical questions deals with life’s purpose. When contemplating our purpose in life, such questions are asked as; "Why am I here?" "What is my purpose in life?" "What difference does my life make?" And certainly these are all difficult questions, questions perhaps we have all wrestled with or have thought about at one time or another. "Why are you here?" "What is your purpose in life?" "What difference does your life make?"
The theologian and philosopher, Hans Urs von Balthasar said; "Everything can be seen in two ways, as fact and as mystery. Regarded as a fact, humanity is a marginal phenomenon in the universe, produced by chance. But seen as a mystery, humanity was produced, for it own sake, by the will of God." When we consider who we are and whose we are, indeed life becomes mystical. For we have within us the very breath of God. We are capable of relating to God; we can pass beyond the material creation to that of the spiritual. Therefore, suggesting that we are not just a combination of biological building blocks but something great, something much more complex - a personal conception of God. And how often we forget that!
As we consider our Gospel Lesson this morning, we see that John the Baptist certainly knew his place and purpose in life. John knew who he was and whose he was. He knew why he was here and his purpose in life. And certainly, all we have to do is look at the gospels to see the difference and impact his life made.
Some might argue that John the Baptist is one of the strangest figures in the family tree of the New Testament. Now whether John ate actual locust or the pods of the locust tree, there is no doubt that if John were to appear at our church on Sunday morning we would probably feel a little bit uncomfortable. Not only from his wild look and unusual wardrobe but also, his fanatical message of repentance would probably make us feel uneasy.
Certainly, it is easy to be put off by John - with his strange habits of dress and diet, and fanatical message. But, at the same time, there is something compelling about him. There is something that seems to draw us to him. There’s something that we find intriguing and fascinating about him. He was passionate! He was energetic! He was charismatic!
Now friends, keep in mind, when Jesus approach John, in our Gospel Lesson this morning, it was not their first encounter or meeting. Just to give you an idea of where we are in gospel story, Jesus had already been baptized by John and passed through the struggle of the wilderness. These are indeed crucial events in Christ’s life that are spoken of in some detail in the synoptic gospels, but we do not find them in John’s gospel. Rather, what we do have is this startling affirmation by John the Baptist; "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!"
Keep in mind, the feast of Passover was approaching. Passover, as many of you know, was that annual celebration of God’s mighty deliverance of God’s people, Israel, from captivity. It has a wonderful foreshadowing, as we focused on last Thursday at our Bible study. And at the center of this joyous celebration was the sacrifice of the Passover Lamb.
We see typologies of Christ, the lamb, all throughout the Old Testament. In Genesis chapter 22 Isaac speaks of the animal for the sacrifice as a lamb: "Behold the fire and wood. Where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" And Abraham’s response implies the same understanding: "God will see to it and provide the lamb." The same Hebrew word for lamb in Genesis 22 is used in the Passover narrative of Exodus chapter 12. Each household is to kill a lamb and rub some of its blood over the doorpost and lintel to be spared from the tenth plague. The lamb is a sacrificial lamb. Likewise in Isaiah chapter 53 the same word is used again: the Suffering Servant is characterized "like a lamb that is led to the slaughter..." So which is John the Baptist referring too when he calls Jesus the "Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world?" All those images come together in the word picture that John the Baptist used. All would have been very familiar to John’s hearers.
John states in verse 32; "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon him." You know, this sign of the dove made it clear that the Spirit of God was descending upon Jesus. John saw with the physical eye, but he also saw what no physical eye could see. He saw that Jesus was the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world. Jesus was consecrated to a life of obedience and sacrifice when the Spirit came upon him. Archbishop Temple has written of this beautifully; "The dove was a poor man’s sacrifice and was commonly reputed to be the only sacrifice victim that offered its own neck to the sacrifice knife. That is the spirit that descends upon Jesus... Jesus offers himself as a dove..." And, you know, what a beautiful thought. What a beautiful truth that is.
But as I think about John’s passion and charisma, I can’t help but think of the story that is told of the woman who was so excited to be a Christian. She had a shady past and had pretty much hit rock bottom when a friend reached out to her and brought her to church. The church member welcomed her warmly and loved her into the circle of their love and God's love. She started going to church faithfully. She joined a wonderful Church school class. She began studying the Bible daily. She started praying regularly and in the process was converted. She realized for the very first time in her life that God loved her! She came to understand that even though she had done all those horrible things in her earlier life, God still loved her, and forgave her, and accepted her, and valued her, and treasured her. She was absolutely overwhelmed at the thought of God’s love for her that she committed herself wholeheartedly to serving God. One day, she said to her minister, "I’m so excited to be a Christian, that I’ve got a strong case of the "can’t help its." She was filled with enthusiasm, zeal, excitement, charisma and passion. That was who John was.
I preached a sermon during Advent at one of our mid-week Advent services in which I stated; "The world needs more Johns. Christianity needs more Johns. The Church needs more Johns." And how true that is. You see, I wonder, is passion what the church really lacks? Is passion what the church so desperately needs today? Are we compromised by lethargy? Sadly, the answer is yes. I think many pastors would agree, one thing I like about Christmas and Easter is how the church seems to get excited. It seems that the church gets enthusiastic and passionate. But have we dulled so soon? Has the glow worn dim already? It was only days ago that we were all so excited by the lights of Christmas and the candles on Christmas Eve. Has it all left us so soon? It can happen; in fact, it happens all too often, but God help us, we must not let it.
In these days, we are asked to remember our baptism. As we walk further and further away from the manger we need the manifestation of God more than ever. Christmas is over, but the Christ lives on. The gifts have all been opened, but God keeps giving. The world’s observance of Christmas concludes, but the church still celebrates the light that the darkness cannot overcome.
As author and pastor, Chris Andrews reminds us; "Passionate John the Baptist is a good model for the church to be guided by in these post-holiday days." How true that is!
It was a great day in our history when a man walked on the moon. But the Bible declares that a far greater event took place two thousand years ago. God walked on the earth in the person of Jesus Christ. John opens his Gospel with a beautiful hymn of exaltation to Christ. It is one of the most profound passages in all the Bible. It is written in simple, straightforward language, yet it has a depth of meaning. But, you know, friends, the truth is, God continues to walk this earth. God’s presence is made known through you and me. We embody the living God!
I want to close with what C. William Nichols writes in his book Day by Day through the New Testament. He offers his commentary of the first chapter of John’s gospel. And writes: "‘The power to become.’ That is what Jesus always gives us. He gives us the power; but we must do the becoming." Nichols then uses this powerful illustration. "The classic American fairy tale The Wizard of Oz introduces us to three remarkable characters - the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion. They join Dorothy’s odyssey to see the Wizard of Oz, hoping that they might receive from him the quality that each wants most but clearly lacks. The Scarecrow wants a brain; the Tin Woodman is searching for a heart; the Cowardly Lion desires courage. But all along the way, each of the three demonstrate the quality he is journeying to find. Whenever the group is in some kind of physical danger, it is always the "cowardly" Lion who manages to pull together enough bravery to fight their way out of it. When the trouble is of a more perplexing nature, it is always the "brainless" Scarecrow who figures out a solution. As for the Tin Woodman, who wants a heart, though he lends a helping hand whenever he can, he is so tenderhearted that any sight of human pain brings him to tears, and the others must oil his metallic joints to keep him from rusting. When at last they find the Wizard of Oz and each make his request, the wizard points out that each already has what he needs."
Nichols writes; "That is the power Christ gives to those who receive him; the power to become. You see, friends, there’s no way to be a singer without singing. There’s no way to become a runner without running. There’s no way to become a person of faith and patience and love without demonstrating those qualities all along the way. It has been said that Jesus was God’s idea of a human being; and certainly he is our idea of God. It is clear that Jesus expected his followers to be what he was and to do what he did. [And, my friends] he gives you and me the power; but we must do the becoming." Who are you and why are you here? I hope you can affirm with John that you are a child of God and that you are an instrument, who points other to God. Amen.
The theologian and philosopher, Hans Urs von Balthasar said; "Everything can be seen in two ways, as fact and as mystery. Regarded as a fact, humanity is a marginal phenomenon in the universe, produced by chance. But seen as a mystery, humanity was produced, for it own sake, by the will of God." When we consider who we are and whose we are, indeed life becomes mystical. For we have within us the very breath of God. We are capable of relating to God; we can pass beyond the material creation to that of the spiritual. Therefore, suggesting that we are not just a combination of biological building blocks but something great, something much more complex - a personal conception of God. And how often we forget that!
As we consider our Gospel Lesson this morning, we see that John the Baptist certainly knew his place and purpose in life. John knew who he was and whose he was. He knew why he was here and his purpose in life. And certainly, all we have to do is look at the gospels to see the difference and impact his life made.
Some might argue that John the Baptist is one of the strangest figures in the family tree of the New Testament. Now whether John ate actual locust or the pods of the locust tree, there is no doubt that if John were to appear at our church on Sunday morning we would probably feel a little bit uncomfortable. Not only from his wild look and unusual wardrobe but also, his fanatical message of repentance would probably make us feel uneasy.
Certainly, it is easy to be put off by John - with his strange habits of dress and diet, and fanatical message. But, at the same time, there is something compelling about him. There is something that seems to draw us to him. There’s something that we find intriguing and fascinating about him. He was passionate! He was energetic! He was charismatic!
Now friends, keep in mind, when Jesus approach John, in our Gospel Lesson this morning, it was not their first encounter or meeting. Just to give you an idea of where we are in gospel story, Jesus had already been baptized by John and passed through the struggle of the wilderness. These are indeed crucial events in Christ’s life that are spoken of in some detail in the synoptic gospels, but we do not find them in John’s gospel. Rather, what we do have is this startling affirmation by John the Baptist; "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!"
Keep in mind, the feast of Passover was approaching. Passover, as many of you know, was that annual celebration of God’s mighty deliverance of God’s people, Israel, from captivity. It has a wonderful foreshadowing, as we focused on last Thursday at our Bible study. And at the center of this joyous celebration was the sacrifice of the Passover Lamb.
We see typologies of Christ, the lamb, all throughout the Old Testament. In Genesis chapter 22 Isaac speaks of the animal for the sacrifice as a lamb: "Behold the fire and wood. Where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" And Abraham’s response implies the same understanding: "God will see to it and provide the lamb." The same Hebrew word for lamb in Genesis 22 is used in the Passover narrative of Exodus chapter 12. Each household is to kill a lamb and rub some of its blood over the doorpost and lintel to be spared from the tenth plague. The lamb is a sacrificial lamb. Likewise in Isaiah chapter 53 the same word is used again: the Suffering Servant is characterized "like a lamb that is led to the slaughter..." So which is John the Baptist referring too when he calls Jesus the "Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world?" All those images come together in the word picture that John the Baptist used. All would have been very familiar to John’s hearers.
John states in verse 32; "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon him." You know, this sign of the dove made it clear that the Spirit of God was descending upon Jesus. John saw with the physical eye, but he also saw what no physical eye could see. He saw that Jesus was the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world. Jesus was consecrated to a life of obedience and sacrifice when the Spirit came upon him. Archbishop Temple has written of this beautifully; "The dove was a poor man’s sacrifice and was commonly reputed to be the only sacrifice victim that offered its own neck to the sacrifice knife. That is the spirit that descends upon Jesus... Jesus offers himself as a dove..." And, you know, what a beautiful thought. What a beautiful truth that is.
But as I think about John’s passion and charisma, I can’t help but think of the story that is told of the woman who was so excited to be a Christian. She had a shady past and had pretty much hit rock bottom when a friend reached out to her and brought her to church. The church member welcomed her warmly and loved her into the circle of their love and God's love. She started going to church faithfully. She joined a wonderful Church school class. She began studying the Bible daily. She started praying regularly and in the process was converted. She realized for the very first time in her life that God loved her! She came to understand that even though she had done all those horrible things in her earlier life, God still loved her, and forgave her, and accepted her, and valued her, and treasured her. She was absolutely overwhelmed at the thought of God’s love for her that she committed herself wholeheartedly to serving God. One day, she said to her minister, "I’m so excited to be a Christian, that I’ve got a strong case of the "can’t help its." She was filled with enthusiasm, zeal, excitement, charisma and passion. That was who John was.
I preached a sermon during Advent at one of our mid-week Advent services in which I stated; "The world needs more Johns. Christianity needs more Johns. The Church needs more Johns." And how true that is. You see, I wonder, is passion what the church really lacks? Is passion what the church so desperately needs today? Are we compromised by lethargy? Sadly, the answer is yes. I think many pastors would agree, one thing I like about Christmas and Easter is how the church seems to get excited. It seems that the church gets enthusiastic and passionate. But have we dulled so soon? Has the glow worn dim already? It was only days ago that we were all so excited by the lights of Christmas and the candles on Christmas Eve. Has it all left us so soon? It can happen; in fact, it happens all too often, but God help us, we must not let it.
In these days, we are asked to remember our baptism. As we walk further and further away from the manger we need the manifestation of God more than ever. Christmas is over, but the Christ lives on. The gifts have all been opened, but God keeps giving. The world’s observance of Christmas concludes, but the church still celebrates the light that the darkness cannot overcome.
As author and pastor, Chris Andrews reminds us; "Passionate John the Baptist is a good model for the church to be guided by in these post-holiday days." How true that is!
It was a great day in our history when a man walked on the moon. But the Bible declares that a far greater event took place two thousand years ago. God walked on the earth in the person of Jesus Christ. John opens his Gospel with a beautiful hymn of exaltation to Christ. It is one of the most profound passages in all the Bible. It is written in simple, straightforward language, yet it has a depth of meaning. But, you know, friends, the truth is, God continues to walk this earth. God’s presence is made known through you and me. We embody the living God!
I want to close with what C. William Nichols writes in his book Day by Day through the New Testament. He offers his commentary of the first chapter of John’s gospel. And writes: "‘The power to become.’ That is what Jesus always gives us. He gives us the power; but we must do the becoming." Nichols then uses this powerful illustration. "The classic American fairy tale The Wizard of Oz introduces us to three remarkable characters - the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion. They join Dorothy’s odyssey to see the Wizard of Oz, hoping that they might receive from him the quality that each wants most but clearly lacks. The Scarecrow wants a brain; the Tin Woodman is searching for a heart; the Cowardly Lion desires courage. But all along the way, each of the three demonstrate the quality he is journeying to find. Whenever the group is in some kind of physical danger, it is always the "cowardly" Lion who manages to pull together enough bravery to fight their way out of it. When the trouble is of a more perplexing nature, it is always the "brainless" Scarecrow who figures out a solution. As for the Tin Woodman, who wants a heart, though he lends a helping hand whenever he can, he is so tenderhearted that any sight of human pain brings him to tears, and the others must oil his metallic joints to keep him from rusting. When at last they find the Wizard of Oz and each make his request, the wizard points out that each already has what he needs."
Nichols writes; "That is the power Christ gives to those who receive him; the power to become. You see, friends, there’s no way to be a singer without singing. There’s no way to become a runner without running. There’s no way to become a person of faith and patience and love without demonstrating those qualities all along the way. It has been said that Jesus was God’s idea of a human being; and certainly he is our idea of God. It is clear that Jesus expected his followers to be what he was and to do what he did. [And, my friends] he gives you and me the power; but we must do the becoming." Who are you and why are you here? I hope you can affirm with John that you are a child of God and that you are an instrument, who points other to God. Amen.
posted by Pastor Christopher @ 11:19 PM
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