Behold - Epiphany 2
John 1
29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared,
“Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’
31 I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.”
32 And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him.
33 I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’
34 And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.”
35 The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples,
36 and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!”
37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.
38 When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?”
They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?”
39 He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon.
40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.
41 He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed).
42 He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said,
“You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).
Divine Gift
(a manifestation of the Spirit)
From: "I did not know him"
To: "I have seen and bear witness"
Divine Revelation
- sheer grace
- expanding witness
- not private possession
- loose control
- the narrative
- invite list
- self-effacing testimony
- John's disciples follow Jesus
Behold
- the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world
- Nathan’s lamb → exposes injustice
- Isaiah’s lamb → bears injustice
- John’s Lamb of God → takes away the sin that produces injustice
- the lamb of God
- paschal lamb
- sacrificial lamb
- suffering servant
- jewish apocalyptic literature
- combination
- the Son of God
"So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. " -John 8:36
The One
- the One on whom the Spirit descends
- the One who will baptize with the Spirit
- the One who ushers in the new age of the Spirit
“It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
to raise up the tribes of Jacob
and to restore the survivors of Israel;
I will give you as a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
-Isaiah 49:6
"What are you looking for?"
“The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet”
-Frederick Buechner
“Your citizenship in heaven begins where your longing meets the Lamb.
Bring both your longing and your joy, and let the Lamb meet them there.”
Questions to Consider:
- Have you ever experienced a divine revelation?
- What did God reveal to you?
- What did you do with the knowledge your received?
- Has that revelation changed you?
- How can you be a witness to God's grace this week?
