Today’s Scripture:

Psalm 92:1-5            Isaiah 49:1-6  1 Corinthians 1:1-9    John 1:29-41

 

(Jesus said) “Come and you will see.”  John 1:39

 

            A young man on adventure could not wait to know more about the territory he was about to travel into.  As he met different ones who knew the territory, he would ask them questions to gain a better understanding.  “You’ll see,” was the answer he heard in response to his questions.  It was a confusing message at first, but one he came to realize prepared him to enter that experience with his senses wide open.  There was no easy way to explain what he was about to experience.

 

            Two of John the Baptist’s disciples ran up to Jesus as the Baptist pointed out Jesus, “The Lamb of God.”  They had heard John preaching and prophesying the coming Christ.  They heard John’s testimony of the baptism experience with Jesus two days before.  The previous day John had again pointed to Jesus as he was there and proclaimed him, ‘The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”  Each time, the Baptist vociferously exclaimed Jesus presence as he shouted, “Look! – Behold!”  John did not say, “Oh, by the way, here is this Jesus guy.”  He was excited and was emphatic that all with him would know that Jesus is the real thing.  The prophecies are over.  God has come to redeem his people.  This is God.  This is the Son of God.  This is the Lamb of God.  This is the Savior.  This is the Messiah.  This is the Christ. 

 

            Two of John’s disciples approach Jesus and ask, “Where are you staying?”  They wanted to meet him and listen to him.  Jesus gives a simple command, “Come, and you will see.”  “Come,” follow me.  Little did Andrew and his buddy know that instead of going where Jesus was, Jesus was coming into their lives, into their hearts and minds and total life.  Jesus would now become their way of living. 

 

            This was more than come to church on Sunday morning and then take off and do whatever pleases you.  Jesus says to you, “Come.”  Turn away from what is your past, even your present.  I know you have your own premonitions about who God is, who the Savior is to be.  Leave those things behind.  As you listen to me, you will see.  It is going to be a strange and unique experience.  You are going to see things you never thought possible.  You are going to have joys unlike any others you have known.  You are going to have sorrow that cuts so deep into your heart and soul you will wonder if you can survive tomorrow.  You will have life everlasting with me as, “you will see.”  This is for real as you follow me.

 

            You know, we are just like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.  There is this tree of knowledge of good and evil, it makes a promise that our eyes will be opened and we will know as much as God.  There is this temptation away from what we know in Scripture, God’s own word, that Jesus is the one we are told about in Isaiah.  God redeemed his people through his son, Jesus, even before the beginning of time and that is hard for us to imagine and understand.  Jesus is the “Lamb of God.”   

 

            There is this human tendency to forget or put side what this means in daily life.  There is this tendency in each ones’ life to take for granted what this means for eternal life.  There is this tendency to not face the reality that day-to-day living and eternal lives are connected.  They are connected in faith in Christ Jesus.  

 

            We forget that Jesus says, “Come and you will see.”  How many times and in how many different ways do you try rationalize your sins, or try to buy your way out by saying, “I have tried to do it right.”  How often do we try to put God in our terms, in our earthly understanding, and dismiss the truth and peace that is beyond our understanding?  We cannot figure out God’s almighty power and how can one create all things as he did, doesn’t it takes billions of years to go from point A to point B?  But God says, and it is.  It is a walk of faith, and we, “will see.”

 

            Jesus says, “This is my body, this is my blood.”  As strange as that sounds in earthly terms, come, you will see.  We walk by faith in the words and promises God gives us.  We do not understand and we do not need to understand.  We trust and believe in God’s grace that works only through faith, not our works.  We trust and believe because the prophets and the apostles have all pointed to Christ Jesus and said, “Look!  The Lamb of God!.”  The prophets and the apostles all point to Christ and tell us over and over again that there is no other way to the father except through the Son. 

 

            Jesus keeps saying, “Come.”  Repent of your sins, those you know and those you no longer know.  Repent of those sins you have done and those that are when you have not done God’s will.  Repent means leave them at the cross where the price is paid for them.  Repent means follow the new life sealed in baptism and shown you in the resurrection.  Jesus says that you “will see” where he is staying as he has promised to take you to be where he is, in his father’s house, and as he became flesh and made his dwelling among us.  Come, Jesus is the way and the truth and the life.  Jesus says, “Come.”  It is a walk in faith.  You do not know what and where tomorrow has in store for you, but God has sent his angels to guard you from all evil, to lift you up every step of the way.  Jesus says, “Come,” as he guides you through the valley of the shadow of death, as his rod and staff comfort you from all of those fears and dangers.  Jesus says, “Come,” the bridegroom is here with you and the marriage feast is at hand.  Enjoy the banquet he has prepared for you. 

 

            There are many pundits in this world who divert our attention from the words and promises of God to earthly wealth and acclaim, to gentle and deceiving words of false comfort about the realities of sin, death and the devil.  “Look, the Lamb of God.”  There is only one Jesus, one Savior, one Messiah, one Son of God who takes away the sin of the world.  There is only one Holy Spirit, who in faith in baptism restores you to the holiness you are as God’s dear child in those quiet and unassuming waters.  There is only one God the Father Almighty who has made all things.  There is only one Jesus Christ, true God and true Man who for your salvation, came down to earth, suffered, died, was buried, and rose again to save you.  There is only one Holy Spirit who has enlightened you by the Gospel and sanctifies and keeps you in the one true faith.  This is for real.  It is the only “real.”                               Amen.