Introduction: Free Samples

Hey church! I’m so glad that you’re here today! It’s so good for us to be together to worship our loving and almighty God who loves us and cares so deeply about us.

Let me ask you a question: do you like to get free samples of stuff? Like, free samples of shampoo or perfume or food? Are any of you Costco or Kroger fans who like to walk around and eat so many free samples that it counts as lunch? Did you know some people actually do that?!

The interesting thing about the free samples is that they are paid for by the manufacturer, not by the store. And why does the manufacturer offer all of that free food? Because it increases sales! Once you try something for free, under no obligation or pressure, and you realize how good it is, then you want to buy the entire thing. Free samples are a great way to find out if something is good or not, if it has quality or not, if it’s satisfying or not.

The Bible says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8). It’s almost like God is offering a free sample. It’s like he’s saying, “Just try me. Come and see how good I am. Come and decide for yourself if I am satisfying or not. Don’t take other people’s word for it, good or bad. I want you to experience me and my love for yourself.”

Today we’re going to look at a story from the Gospel of John that’s very telling about God’s eternal nature of love and goodness. In fact, God, who is revealed perfectly in Jesus Christ, is so loving and good that he's magnetic. He draws people to himself, and they end up wanting more. Jesus shows us that God welcomes us and invites us to “come and see” what he’s like. Kind of like a free sample.

Taste and see that the Lord is good

Main Teaching

Our story begins with John the Baptist confirming what he knows to be true about Jesus. He is “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (1:29).

How does John know that Jesus himself is the Lamb of God? John is Jesus’ cousin and they probably grew up together, but that’s not how he knows Jesus is the Lamb of God. How does John know?

Because God told him. The Bible says God was communicating with John. "The one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One” (1:33-34). The one who sent John to baptize, that is, God, told him who Jesus was. And then God confirmed it in Jesus’ baptism.

God is a communicator. We’ve seen this throughout the birth story of Jesus and now in the life of John the Baptist. He loves to communicate with his people through dreams, prayer, angels, scripture, and brothers and sisters in Christ. God loves to communicate with you, also! Please don’t ever doubt that.

And what did God communicate to John? “The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit” (1:33).

John came and baptized with water, but Jesus, the Lamb of God, came to baptize with the Holy Spirit. Jesus comes to “immerse us” (literally, baptize) in the presence of God himself, the Holy Spirit. That’s an infinitely better baptism than water-only baptism.

In the Old Testament people had to go somewhere, to a specific place, to enter into God’s presence. Maybe it was the tabernacle, or the ark of the covenant, or the temple in Jerusalem. Jesus is about to turn that reality upside down. Instead of us going into God’s presence, God comes to us and literally puts His presence into us. Jesus baptizes us with the Holy Spirit, he immerses us in the life-giving presence of God.

It’s a great question. What do you want? What is it that you seek?

Don’t read Jesus’ tone as annoyed, or as if he barked at them.

Their presence didn’t bother him. Jesus was very open to interruptions. Read his tone as sincere. What do you want?

Jesus asks this question frequently, or at least a version of it. “Do you want to get well?” is a question he asks later to a physically disabled man (John 5:6). And to two blind men he says, “What do you want me to do for you?” (Matthew 20:32).

God talks to us like a loving Father, not like a prosecuting attorney ... View this full sermon with PRO Premium