"Please Introduce Me"
Sermon by Rev. Dr. Sherry Parker
Trinity United Methodist Church
2nd Sunday after the Epiphany
Scripture Text: John 1:29-42; 1 Corinthians 1:1-9
Years ago I was taking a tour of the state capitol building with some friends who worked there. We were riding on the elevator and stopped at a floor and a man in a suit got on. As he stepped into the elevator he nodded at my friends. All of us got off at the same floor and he walked one way and we walked the other. Suddenly recognition came to me. I looked back and said, "Wait a minute. Wasn’t that the governor?" My friends said, "Yes." And I said, "Well, why didn’t you introduce me?" I’ve never met anyone famous and I missed my chance.
However, I can think of other opportunities to meet people that have not slipped by. I’ve been in gatherings and made sure that I was introduced to people who had caught my interest, perhaps a speaker or someone skilled in a particular area. When it comes to large gatherings of relatives, I make sure that I’m introduced to the newest additions to the family, babies, spouses, the boyfriends and girlfriends.
You may have stories of introduction yourself, a memorable meeting with someone interesting, famous or even someone who would change your life, like your spouse, a new friend or colleague. Our gospel text this morning is a story about introductions, and how lives are changed when people introduce others to Jesus. Read John 1:29-42.
We find in the beginning of this passage that John the Baptist will boldly introduce the truth of Jesus Christ to anyone who will listen. We don’t read about John’s witness, but hear it directly. "Here is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." John goes on to say that even his practice of baptism is a way to introduce Jesus to the world, that Jesus "might be revealed to Israel." John ends his introduction with the statement, "I myself have seen and have witnessed that this is the Son of God." The verbs "seen" and "witnessed" (or testified) here are written in the Greek past perfect. That means that they are actions that happened in the past, but continue into the present. Have seen and continue to see, I have witnessed and continue to witness that Jesus is the Son of God.
However, this introduction, while a significant testimony to who Jesus is, may not capture the heart. John boldly introduces Jesus to the crowd, but we have no record of who responded personally to the introduction. I have been to concerts and shows where famous performers have been introduced. I’ve seen them in person, but I wouldn’t say that I’ve actually met them. We can go to a sporting event and cheer as the first team is named one by one and takes the field or the court. We see them, we hear their names, but we don’t get that personal connection. Unless, that is, they decide to climb into the stands. . . but that’s an introduction we’d like to avoid.
Beginning in verse 35, we find there is a difference in the introduction. It is much more personal. And I would propose that John 1:35-42 gives us a working model for how disciples come to know Jesus. First, the potential disciple is introduced to Jesus. The disciple approaches Jesus and is recognized and named by him. The disciple comes to know Jesus and then seeks out and brings new people to Jesus. (Shepherd 24, 2005) I invite you to look a little more closely at those steps and see how they might apply to our walk as disciples of Christ.
The first thing that happens is a personal introduction to Jesus. John was standing with two of his disciples when Jesus walked by. He did not hesitate to tell his disciples who they were looking at. "Look, here is the Lamb of God!" So the first step to belief in Jesus Christ is being introduced, being made aware that Jesus is with us. As people of faith, we personally identify the circumstances of life as blessing from God, but how eager are we to share that knowledge with others. When it comes to seeking guidance and support, to finding hope for the future, we turn to Christ. But are we willing to tell others that Jesus is so nearby?
My sister was waiting with my mother in the Edmonton, Alberta Airport. Mom was waiting to catch the next flight to Toronto. A group of rather large men started lining up to check in for the same flight. My mother didn’t think much of it until my sister was practically swooning. She whispered, "It’s the Edmonton Oilers. They’re going to fly with you. Be sure to talk to someone." So they all got on the plane. Mom chatted with hockey stars, and she wouldn’t have had a clue about who was with her, if she hadn’t been told.
Everyday, we have some opportunity to introduce others to Jesus. Even if it is by saying, "Look, this is the grace of God. Jesus is here." It might be by telling our stories of faith. The introduction might come in the form of an invitation to church or to youth fellowship. We sang in our first hymn, "Christ for the world we sing, the world to Christ we bring." As believers we introduce the world to Jesus. We sang in our second hymn, "I love to tell the story of unseen things above, of Jesus and his glory, of Jesus and his love." We introduce others to Jesus as we talk about Jesus’ love for the world. (Just check out the message of the 3rd hymn!) This morning we heard in 1 Corinthians 1:6, Paul’s praise for a church whose testimony of Christ had grown stronger.
And we can look to scripture to see what happens when we show people the way to Jesus. John’s disciples heard the introduction and followed Jesus. They wanted to know more. Some would put this down to solely an act of will, but God’s grace is working in those who come to Jesus in curiosity. The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:8, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God." John introduced the disciples to Jesus, it was the Savior, the Messiah, who brought them to faith. Twenty-eight years ago this last December, ______ and ______ went on a blind date. A friend thought that they would be a good match, so they were introduced. Their love and commitment to one another was not the immediate result of the introduction. That grew over time. But it wouldn’t have been possible without the introduction.
When we introduce our friends to Jesus, we can trust that the relationship is not up to us. The Lord of life will take it from there. Jesus will say, "Come and see." That’s what he said to John’s disciples, "Come and see." These are significant words in the Gospel According to John and hint at how Jesus described the development of faith. In John 3:21, Jesus said to Nicodemus, "those who do what is true come to the light." In John 5, Jesus told a group of critical religious leaders that while they search the scriptures hoping for life, they refuse to come to Jesus to have eternal life. In John 6:35, Jesus said, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry." And in Chapter 7, with the threat of arrest by the temple guards hanging over him, Jesus said, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me." Jesus said in Chapter 6:40, "This is indeed the will of the Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life." Jesus told Philip, his disciple, in John 14, "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father." So the disciples went with Jesus and they stayed with him.
Now we could feel pretty comfortable and leave with no challenge at all if the Gospel story would just stop there. We’ve been introduced to Jesus and have taken up the invitation to "come and see." But this account of discipleship does not end. One of those new disciples who had met Jesus was Andrew. He had a brother and he couldn’t wait to make an introduction. He said to his brother, "We have found the Messiah, the Anointed One." And he grabbed Simon by the arm and he took him to Jesus. And Jesus not only knew him by name, Simon, but knew his future calling him Cephas, Peter, the Rock.
It seems that we become fully disciples when we introduce others into the fold. And our introductions come in many forms, by the way we witness, by the way Jesus is reflected in our personal decisions, by our hope. I’ve heard it said that real disciples have disciples. Disciples of Christ are people that we look to for spiritual leadership, people we credit for showing us what it means to follow Jesus. (Shepherd 25, 2005) One thing is certain, disciples are not motionless in the faith, they are people of action, they’re ready to offer introductions.
We’ve met someone famous. We have in our faith journeys come face to face with Christ. We have met Jesus in the songs of our childhood, in the love of parents, grandparents and friends, we have met Jesus in the hymns that touch our hearts and on our knees in prayer. We have met Jesus in assurance of mercy, the sweet of forgiveness and in the hope of a life that will not end. Now it’s time to make introductions.
Resources
O’Day, Gail. 1995. The New Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. IX. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press.
Shepherd, William. January-March, 2005. Called Before Born. Emphasis: A Preaching Journal for the Parish Pastor, Vol. 34, No. 3, pp. 22-27.
