"Jesus the Lamb: Advent 4 2001"
John 1:29-35 and Isaiah 53
Robert Warren
December 22nd, 2001
John 1:29-35, The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel." Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God." The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"
Jesus is many things to many people. As we have seen this Advent season, we must each decide who Jesus is going to be to us. He is the Prophet of God, come to bring us God’s message of grace and forgiveness. He is our Great High Priest, come to bridge the gap of sin between us and God. He is to the believer the one and only true King, whom we seek, worship and serve. Yes, he is so many things and God leaves to us the decision of what we will call his greatest gift to Creation. We have heard the Good News, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We have before us the testimony of those who were there to witness the incredible events. The shepherds who were graced with an angelic host proclaiming that a savior had been born in Bethlehem. The Wise Men who followed the heavenly sign of the cross to find a newborn king. The evil king Herod who wanted nothing to do with a heavenly king for fear that his own power would be compromised. The apathetic people of Jerusalem who feared that the Kingdom of God would battle with the kingdoms of this earth. Yes, some rejoiced to hear about the coming of this child named Jesus, some lamented the news, and some had no reaction at all. The decision was theirs to make, and the decision is ours. On this 23rd day of the month of December we have heard the message of Christmas countless times for a new year. Through song, story, and scenery the invitation has been laid before us to receive this heaven-sent king as the king of our life. The decision remains for each of us to renew each day: Will we hear the Word of God? Will we allow the Great High Priest to present our sacrifice to God? Will we serve the King of the universe? All of the heavens await our decision.
But before this season is over, the gifts are unwrapped, the pageants closed with a final bow, and the decorations stored in a box for next year, we have one more name for the child who was born in that manger in David’s city. A lot of times we say "Last, but not least," and the same is true for this final Sunday of Advent. In fact, this last candle represents a case of "Saving the best for last." This last candle reminds us that Jesus came to be the Lamb of God.
This candle is perhaps the most surprising of all the candles. That is not a small thing to say when you consider the incredible nature of Christ’s birth and identity. It is incredible to think that God would break into human history to give us His commands and direction. It is incredible to think that He would call simple, common humans like you, me and Moses to speak for His as He did for the Prophets of the Old Testament. But it is even more incredible to think that He would send His one and only Son to the earth to speak for Him, especially with the message of grace and forgiveness that came from Jesus’ lips. This is the incredible message of Advent.
It is incredible to think that God would want to have a relationship with His fallen Creation. It is incredible to think that no matter how many times we have rejected His word and commands that He would still provide a way through sacrifice and worship to maintain a relationship with Him through human priests offering up sacrifices. But it is even more incredible to think that He would send His own son to provide the ultimate sacrifice for our sins through his own death. This is the incredible message of Advent.
It is incredible to think that God would even want to fool with us, His rebellious children who have left the mansions of glory that He has provided us with for the pigpen of sin and evil. And although it is no surprise that He wants to rule us with love and grace, it is incredible to think that He sent a humble carpenter’s son to be the ruler of our lives instead of a conquering king with armies by his side. It is even more incredible to know that he allows us to choose His Kingdom with a broken heart and a willing spirit. This is the incredible message of Advent.
Yet, the most incredible message of Advent of all is how Jesus came. You would think that when the God of the universe came to the earth He would choose to come represented by power, might, and irresistible force. Yet, that is not how God chose to be represented. When kings of old chose a symbol to represent them, they usually chose one that symbolized power and strength. Richard was known as the Lionhearted, not the Kittycat-hearted. A king might choose a wild boar, a fierce bear, a mighty dragon, or a muscular bull. Even our nation has chosen a proud animal to represent us. Benjamin Franklin suggested that our national symbol be the wild turkey because of its intelligence and cunning. I can’t imagine a turkey on the Presidential Seal or on our coins; it’s no wonder that cooler heads prevailed and our symbol is instead the impressive eagle instead. Even sports teams want impressive representatives. The frightening wildcat, the stealthy panther, the resilient bulldog, even the awesome threat of a swarm of Yellow Jackets. I was a little surprised to hear that my beloved Yellow Jackets played a basketball team whose mascot is the Terrier. Yes, that’s right, the little yappy terrier dog. We think of representative animals as those who exhibit pride, strength, determination or resolve.
So, just think of how incredible it is to see how God chose to be represented in this world. When John the Baptist saw Jesus approaching, he recognized God’s representative to the world. For thousands of years the world groaned in agony awaiting the day that God would appear to save the world. That groaning was answered when Jesus came to earth, born in a manger to a peasant girl. But consider how incredible John’s words were! He proclaimed when he saw Jesus, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" Yes, incredibly, God came to the earth as a lamb; meek and mild, willing to lay down his life for the world.
God came to earth as a lamb. He would not come forcing the world to bow before him. He would not force nations to bow before him. He would not destroy his enemies here on earth. He would not establish a kingdom based on fear and power. Instead, he would come as a lamb, offering himself alone as reason to follow and submit. Those who heard John must have thought that he was mistaken. If this was the Messiah then he must be lion or a leopard, come with strength and speed to destroy the enemies of God. He must be a bear, fiercely defending the children of God with the legendary determination of a mother bear. He must be an eagle, swiftly pouncing on those who would not bow to God. But that’s not how he came. He came as a lamb.
And why a lamb? For one reason: because a perfect lamb is the perfect sacrifice to God. He did not come to force the world to sacrifice to God, he came to be the sacrifice to God. He did not come to make people pay for their sins, he came to make the payment required to God. He did not come to drive us into the house of God, he came to lead us to God. He did not come to kill, he came to die. When John saw Jesus and was led to God to proclaim him the lamb of God he must have remembered the words of the prophet Isaiah and understood them for the first time.
The prophet Isaiah said, in Isaiah 53, "Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment, he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
The prophet Isaiah knew the most incredible mystery about the coming of God’s servant into the world. He knew that the Messiah would not come as a mighty king or a conquering general but like a lamb, willing to be led to the slaughter to save his sheep. This is the most incredible news of the Advent season, that Jesus, the very son of God was willing to come and die for you so that you could live for him. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, never protesting or using his great power to aid himself. Though he was the Most Beautiful, he became a human, with nothing about himself to make himself stand out. Though the world owed its very existence to him, he allowed himself to be despised and rejected by men. Though he came to bring joy and peace, he was known as a man of sorrows. And finally, though he himself was blameless, he took the sins of the entire world— your sins and mine— upon his back. He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities. He died the sacrificial death so that our sins could be washed away through God’s love and forgiveness.
Yet, after his suffering and death, he lived again. And although he has no earthly descendants, he can claim as children and heirs all those who call the sheep their master. He made intercession for us, the transgressors, so that we could be counted on those who will share glory with him. The incredible news of the Advent season is that Almighty God became a lamb who was slaughtered to redeem us. God as a lamb: it’s hard to believe; yet it is life for all who will call upon his name.
We worship the lamb today in the Christian church, because he allowed himself to be sacrificed for us. He was led to the altar of the cross and crucified. But his death is not a defeat; far from it. The blood that he shed covered the sins of all who believe so that we can stand before God on judgment day clean and pure. And when Christ returns to establish his eternal kingdom, we will worship the Lamb for all eternity. Incredibly, the bible describes Jesus in eternity as the eternal lamb. For all eternity we will be reminded as we worship Christ that he is the lamb who takes away the sins of the world. John, speaking of his vision in revelation, says in Revelation 7:9-10, "After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." And in verses 16 and 17, "Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away ever tear from their eyes." Yes, we will worship the Lamb for all eternity if we have been washed in his blood.
This Advent Season, as you sings songs, open gifts, and enjoy the fellowship of your family and friends, make sure that you take some time to bow to the lamb. Thank him for becoming your sacrifice. Thank him for leaving his home in glory to become a humble man. Thank him for receiving the punishment that you deserve. Thank him for dying an ignoble death so that you can live a glorified life. Thank him for being born in such lowly estate and dying such a horrible death so that we could all live forever in glory and worship. But if you have not bowed to the lamb and allowed him to be your sacrifice, then know this: he died for all of us, he died for you. All you have to do to be counted as one of his flock is to believe in your heart that Jesus the Lamb is Lord and obey what the bible says about salvation: believe, confess, repent, be baptized, and obey. On the day of judgment, make sure that you are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
The Advent Season is incredible. Jesus is incredible: the Holy Son of God is the Saving Lamb. Worship the lamb this Advent season!
