The Second Sunday after the Epiphany - January 20, 2008

Providence Lutheran Church, Holland, Ohio

"Speaking the Truth"

John 1:29-42

by Pastor Dennis R. King

The Grace and Mercy of our Lord, Jesus Christ be with you.

In verse twenty-nine, John declares that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. That is redemption. That is truth.

A news article around the time of the release of the movie "Titanic" tells of a redemption story. The lone Japanese passenger on the "Titanic" was Masaburni Hosono. The forty-two year old bureaucrat was one of the few men who survived the sinking of the ship. As the ship began to sink many men were stopped at gunpoint so women and children could have the first opportunity to board the lifeboats. Hosono found himself at the right place at the right time and took one of the two spots open in a lifeboat.

Even though he survived, it brought decades of shame in Japan as he was branded a coward and fired from his job. Now with the recent discovery of a letter, it appears that he was urged into the boat by a ship officer to help row the boat away from the pull of the sinking "Titanic." He helped to save the lives of those on board with his rowing and now his reputation has changed. Redemption has come for his reputation.

Through the Lamb of God we have redemption. Through the redemption of forgiveness of sin we receive the new life of salvation.

It has been said that John the Baptist spoke the whole Gospel when he said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." Everything else, he said, is just commentary. In other words, John is articulating the core of the Gospel.

"The Lamb of God" is a strange image to anyone new to the church, but it has deep roots and would have had tremendous power for its early hearers. The lamb was a Hebrew symbol for purity and innocence, an image of sinlessness. In addition, the Aramaic word had a double meaning. It could refer either to a lamb or to a servant. The original Aramaic phrase may have had the thought "Behold, the servant of God, who takes away the sin of the world." However, the Gospel according to John was written in Greek; since Greek has separate words for lamb and servant, the writer had to choose. Why would John have chosen lamb?

The lamb not only was a symbol of innocence and purity, but it also reminded people of the Suffering Servant in Isaiah 53 and of Jesus' crucifixion during the time of Passover. Passover, as you know, was the celebration of the Israelites' escape to freedom from Egypt. The lamb was a central symbol of that sacrifice and freedom. Moreover, Jesus had transformed the Passover meal at the last supper so that, through the sacrificial gift of his body and blood, he frees us, not from Egypt, but from sin and death. John, keeping all that in mind, translated the Aramaic word as lamb - the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

". . . takes away the sin of the world." "World" is another critical word in this brief sentence. It is not "take away the sins of the Jews" or "takes away the sin of the elite" but "take away the sin of the world." At this time of year our nation commemorates Martin Luther King, Jr., who spent his life to remind us that this Lamb of God takes away the sins not only of whites but also of blacks. Over and over again we need to hear that Jesus came not only for Jew or Greek, not only for male or female, not only for slave or free, not only for our friends but also our enemies, not only for rich or poor, but for all. The message is clear. Whoever you are, whatever your sin, however deep the hole you have dug, wherever you find yourself, there is still one who can and will set you free from the suffocation of your sin. It is Jesus, this Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.

John realized that. John came to understand who Jesus was, he did the one faithful thing he could do with that kind of news. He shared it. When he saw Jesus coming, he turned to the people he was with and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." Because he shared what he knew, others met Jesus. Because they later said to those they were with, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world," others came to know Jesus. That is the way it happens. People gathered around a campfire and sing, "It only takes a spark to get a fire going . . . pass it on." "Pass it on!"

If you and I owned the same model car, and I heard that the brakes were prone to locking and that the dealer was offering free repair on all cars of that model to avert potentially fatal accidents; and if I realized you were unaware of the problem and the offer, would you expect me to tell you about it? Of course, you would! If you and I had children with similar reading problems, and I heard about a free program with someone who had been able to help many children with such difficulty, would you expect me to tell you? Sure, you would. Not that we are responsible for one another; not that we say, "You must do this," or "You must try that." But because we care about one another, we do not keep important news, good news, secret; we share it.

You know, of course, where I am heading. If we tell other kinds of good news, why not tell the Good News of Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, to our friends and others? Not to tell them what they have to do, not to declare our own religiousness from on high, but to articulate, affirm, and bear witness to the love of God active in our own life, to share the promise that the same power of love is offered to them. "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world."

Are you willing to take the risk of sharing that Good News with another? Does your family know what God means to you? If you have found a word of wisdom, an act of grace, or an insight into Scripture particularly important in your life, has anyone else received the benefit of that experience or insight? We learn from others. We are reassured by others. We are renewed by others. And we need each other to be willing to take the necessary risks to reach out. A woman who was depressed and lonely, isolated in her gloom expressed her gloom to another, a friend. Her friend reached out, shared a similar experience of pain, acknowledged the battle, and affirmed God's patient healing power. Today, the woman is in much better health. Why? Because somebody said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away not only my pain but yours." Well, how do you go about it? How do you tell the truth about God? The same way you tell any other truth: gently, in love; with a lot of listening; honestly; and with patient enthusiasm.

Talk about your faith. Share with others what a gracious God has done in your life. John the Baptist did not say a thing about himself; he said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world."

Here are two questions for each of us to ponder this morning. First, what has been important to me as God has lived out God's love in my life? Second, are there those I care for who could benefit from knowing about it? If so, have I cared enough or been brave enough to tell them?

To withhold the depths of life from those around us is misguided and contrary to the call of Christ. But to share, to witness, to pass on the story is to be faithful to God and to give a precious gift to those we love. Your story is one of many stories of God's people. But your story is important and needs to be heard, for it tells over and over again, in one way or another, what we need to hear: "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." That is the truth!

As you share that truth you give God a new visibility, you give people a new possibility, and you give truth a new vitality. "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away my sins and yours!" Amen.