Adding Color to the Stucco

The LEGO Mosaic of Luther's Seal

Sermon: Behold the Lamb of God

Rev. Brian L. Kachelmeier

John 1:29-42a

 

In the name of Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Amen.

 

Back in the season of Advent, we heard about John the Baptizer preparing the way for the Lord. Now in the season of Epiphany, John reveals to us Jesus the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. In our Gospel text we hear John tell us, “I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” (John 1:31 ESV)  John’s purpose was to reveal Jesus to the people of Israel.   God had given John the sign that the Spirit would descend upon Jesus as a dove. The dove would visibly mark Jesus as the long awaited Messiah. John was an eye witness of this event. He prepares the way and then he reveals Jesus as the only way to the Father. John reveals that Jesus not only takes away the sin of Israel, He takes away the sin of the world. Thus, the Lord sent the church out into the world to make this promise known.

 

In this season of the church year, we focus our attention on what God reveals, makes known, manifests, and brings to light about Jesus. It is revealed that Jesus was born for the Jews and the Gentiles. It is made manifest that He is the Son of God. It was made known that He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. The Holy Spirit enlightens us, opening our eyes to rightly see Jesus. It is not a secret that we are to keep from others. No, the Gospel is meant to be shared and made known with others. We are not supposed to hide the Gospel light under a bushel. No, we are to let it shine. The Gospel is a revealed message, not one we should conceal and keep to ourselves. As God has revealed our Savior to us, we then reveal Jesus to others. First we make known the need for a Savior, because of our sin. Then we make known the Savior who takes our sin away.

 

In our text, we hear John speaking to us from the office that God gave him. He was the key figure whom God used to prepare the way and then to make known the Way. John pointed out sin, in order to point out the Savior. John was a Law/Gospel preacher. He comes down hard with the Law in order to bring the full comfort of the Gospel. The Law reveals sin. It is as if John were to preach, “Behold, your sin.” He brings it to light and puts it in front of the peoples’ eyes. But his purpose is not to leave them dead in their sins. Rather, like all Law/Gospel preachers, his purpose is to restore the hearers to life in Jesus. After delivering the bad news, he follows up with the Good News. He reveals the Savior of the World. He says, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29) He sets Jesus before the eyes of the people. 

 

The image of the lamb should bring to mind the sacrificial lamb of the Old Testament. Specifically, we should recall the Passover Lamb. When God brought the Israelites out of Egypt, they ate the paschal lamb the night of the Passover. On that night, they took the blood from the lamb and put it on their doorposts and lintels to mark them as believers and they took and ate the lamb. Then the LORD passed over them and their first born sons were spared. After leaving Egypt, they continued to celebrate the Passover meal to remind them of the deliverance that the LORD had brought that night. Then later in the days of the Tabernacle and then the Temple, a lamb was offered on the altar in the morning and a lamb was offered in the evening. Thus, the people of God would begin the day with the morning sacrifice and close the day with the evening sacrifice. The death and blood of these lambs pointed to the True Lamb whose blood would be shed to make us people of God. 

 

Jesus is the True Lamb. He gave up His life as an atoning sacrifice to appease God’s wrath over our sin. Jesus was not just any lamb. Rather, He is the Lamb of God. In particular, He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He takes upon Himself all the sin of the entire world. Only He could bear this much weight.

 

Isaiah 53:6 words it this way, “The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” (ESV) The second letter to the saints in Corinth puts it this way, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV) In His body, Jesus took upon our sin, so that in our bodies we would be covered by his purity. Jesus is the one who bears the weight of all sin. It is as if sin was piled and piled and piled and piled upon the shoulders of Jesus. Sometimes you’ll see this depicted in a picture or statue in which Jesus hangs on a cross that bows down. It’s as if the weight of the world’s sin bears down upon Him bowing the wood of the cross.

 

Thus in life here on earth, there are only two possible places that your sins can be located. Either you carry the weight of your own sins or Jesus bears the weight for you. Either you try to make up for all your wrong by doing good things as if to tip the scale in your favor or you trust in the work of Jesus who alone appeases the Father’s wrath in your place on the cross. Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He takes the weight away. So the question we must ask ourselves once again is this, “Where are your sins?” The promise of the Gospel is that your sins are on Jesus. He is the sin bearer. He bears the sin of the world, meaning that all the sins of all people of all time. Faith clings to this promise. Unbelief rejects this promise and retains the sin and the punishment for sin which is death and separation from God.

 

We gather again today to be reminded that our sins are located on Jesus. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. We come to have our need revealed to us once again and also to have our Savior made known to us once again. Because of our depraved hearts we continue to pile the weight of our sins upon us and forget that our sin is on Him. The Gospel promise locates your sin on Jesus.

 

I don’t know about you, but in our house we continue to have a problem locating the phone. I pick up the phone, talk to someone, then set it down. Then later I can’t recall where that phone got placed. Is it in the living room, in the kitchen, or somewhere else? This was never a problem back in the days before the cordless phone. The phone was always connected to the cord. I must not be the only one who misplaces the phone. The reason I say this is that on the base of the phone there is a location button with the word “Find” imprinted on it. With one simple touch, I can page my own phone. Once it starts beeping, I can track that phone down in no time. That beeper, sends out a message into my ears, declaring, “Behold, your phone! Behold, your phone is over there!”

 

In like manner, today, as your pastor, I sound off the beeper and help you realize where your sins are located. I stand before this altar to declare to you, “Behold, your sin.” And then I point to you to Jesus and say, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29 ESV)   “Behold, your sin is on Jesus. It’s over there.”

 

We continuously need to be reminded of this precious Gospel message. Thus, in the liturgy we declare the praise of the Lamb of God in two places. We first reveal our sin to God acknowledging that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed. Then I declare to you, “Behold, God has had mercy on you and has given His only Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all of your sin.” I reveal to you that your sin has been concealed in Christ. We approach God knowing this and we sing “This is the Feast” in which we rejoiced by saying, “Worthy is Christ the Lamb who was slain”  

 

Then after the words of Institution, we sing, the Agnus Dei which is Latin for Lamb of God. We sing, “O Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us.” Then from this altar I give to you bread and declare, “Behold, the body of Christ given for you.” Then from this altar I give to you wine and declare, “Behold, the blood of Christ shed for you for the forgiveness of your sin.”

 

This message is the chief article of the Christian Faith. Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Jesus takes the sin of the world away. He bears the sin of the world. Your sin belongs to Jesus. In the place of sin, He gives you His own righteousness. He covers you in His holiness. “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29 ESV) Imprint these words upon your hearts and feast on them. Amen.

Adding Color to the New Sanctuary

The Father's Voice           

During the season of Epiphany, we celebrate the Good News that Jesus of Nazareth is not only the Savior of the Jews (the message of the angel to the shepherds at Christmas), but He is also the Savior of the Nations. This season begins on January 6, the Day of Epiphany. On this day we rejoice that the Gentile magi from the east came to see the Infant King. In Epiphany, we hear the words from the Holy Bible that proclaim to us how God was made manifest in Jesus Christ. Jesus is both truly man born of the Virgin Mary and also at the same time truly God begotten of the Father from all eternity. He has been sent from the Father. Throughout the Sundays after the Epiphany, our Gospel Readings focus on the revelation that Jesus is the Son of God. 

                       

The theme for the First Sunday after the Epiphany is the Baptism of our Lord Jesus in the Jordan River. The appointed Gospel text for this First Sunday speaks to us with the voice from the Father declaring to Jesus, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." (Mark 1:11 NKJV) With these words we are assured that Jesus truly is the unique Son of God in whom there is neither sin nor any displeasure. This event in the incarnate life of Jesus marks the beginning of the His public ministry in which He proclaims the Kingdom of God with His words and with His miraculous actions verifying that He has been sent by the Father to win for us the Kingdom.     

                                                                    

On the Last Sunday after the Epiphany, the theme of the day is tied to the transfiguration in which the Apostles Peter, James, and John saw the revealed glory of Jesus as He talks with Elijah and Moses. Again the Father's voice is spoken to us when He declares, "This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!" (Mark 9:7 NKJV).                  

As the voice of the Father directs us to Jesus, we as sheep listen to the voice of our Good Shepherd who declares to us, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life" (John 5:24 NKJV).

Stucco Scratch Coat

Epiphany Blessings from LCMS President Matthew Harrison

Blessed Epiphany and New Year from President Harrison from VimeoLCMS on Vimeo.

Altar at Christmas

Sermon: Biblical Hope

2^nd Sunday in Advent, 2010

 

Rev. Brian L. Kachelmeier

Romans 15:4-13

 

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

 

It’s that time of year again in which every day vocabulary is expanded to include the word “hope.” The word will be seen on decorations, greeting cards, and headlines. During last month’s season of elections, once again there was the buzz of hope for the future. During this season of gift purchasing, the economists hope that there is a lot of spending for the sake of the economy. During this season of college and professional football, fans are hoping that their favorite team will be number one. During this season of winter, skiers hope that we will have some snow. And of course we hope to be in our new building by the end of January.

 

To hope is to trust in something that is not seen at the current time. There is much to do about the audacity of hope lately. However, the typical hope is far different than the biblical hope. The previous elections may not see the dramatic changes that are hoped for. Your favorite football team may not be number one as hoped. Their may not be enough snow anytime soon for great skiing. And of course, we may not be in our new building by the end of January. Theses are all hopeful things that are by no means guaranteed.

 

During the season of Advent, we put our hope in Christ which was confirmed in His first advent and promised in His second advent. In today’s epistle lesson the word hope is used four times in ten verses. The Father is called the God of hope. He is the source of all hope. The Son is the Only One in whom both Jews and Gentiles can place their hope. He brings hope to all nations. The Holy Spirit gives to us the gift of abundant hope. Through the written word, He works hope in our hearts in the midst of afflictions.

 

In today’s epistle lesson, the Holy Spirit teaches that "For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” (Romans 15:4, ESV) Did you catch that? The scriptures are given to us so that we might have hope. Biblical hope is far different than typical hope in which you might have what you hoped for. The Bible is gifted to us so that we might have hope. This hope is tied to the promises of God.

 

See, the Jews were entrusted with the written scriptures in which the promises of God were found. These promises are all grounded in the hope of the coming Messiah. Without the scriptures, the Gentiles did not have the promises and thus they had no hope. They had no hope in the life to come. They had no hope in the coming Messiah. However, the written scriptures themselves testified to the reality that even the Gentiles would put their hope in Christ. Jesus is the Savior of the nations. When the Messiah was born of the Virgin Mary and became a servant to the point of death on the cross, the promises to the patriarchs were confirmed. The fact that not all Jews believe on the Messiah and that the knowledge of salvation was taken to the Gentiles was in accordance with the written word. 

 

In today’s epistle, the Apostle Paul writes, “As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” (Romans 15:9-12, ESV)

 

The written scriptures testified before hand that God’s own people would reject Him as their God and that those who were not His people would become His people and He would be their God. Everything had turned upside down. The Jews had lost their hope in the Messiah. They put their hope in their own imaginations. Just as the Gentiles were without hope when they didn’t have the written word, the Jews are without hope while they don’t have the incarnate word.

 

Thus, as the people of God, we are warned not to lose the written scriptures and thus lose hope. By nature we are sinful and unclean. We were born without hope. Our hope is not in this life, but in the life to come. Don’t put your trust in princes or presidents they will not measure up to what we hope for. Don’t put your trust in men, whether they are football players, meteorologist, or even builders. They will end up disappointing. Rather, put your trust in Jesus who is our hope. He will never disappoint. 

 

The Christmas message is peace on earth meaning that God and sinner have been reconciled. This is not peace like the world gives. It is the peace that comes from, in, and, with God. Being justified through faith we have peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 5:1). This promise is not seen now, but it will be seen in the life to come. Now we walk by faith and then we will walk by sight. Now we trust in the promise having hope in what we cannot see. We wait for the full reality with patience. 

 

In a similar fashion, the children are trained to wait patiently for Christmas day as we count down the four Sundays in Advent. We may begin to see Christmas decorations and even presents under the tree, but they can’t see the presents inside those package. That will not be revealed until Christmas.

 

At the first Christmas, the King of Kings was wrapped in swaddling cloths. The Son was given by the Father as a gift to the world. This gift was unwrapped on the cross. Now this is the audacity of hope namely a crucified King counted as unwanted and cut off from the land of the living. This hope is completely contrary to typical hope. Yet, biblical hope declares that the cross is the means through which the kingdom of God comes. After three days, the King rises to reign over the earth. As the scripture confirms the first advent in the birth, death, and resurrection of the Christ, it affirms the second advent of the return of the King.

 

Christ considered it all joy to suffer and be afflicted for us. Through His passion, we are given joy beyond all comprehension. And now His joy is given to us in the midst of our afflictions so that we may abound in hope. God is the God of hope. God is the God of endurance and encouragement. Through the testing of these afflictions, we are given the promises of God’s word to give to us endurance and encouragement. Through His word, the Holy Spirit works an abundance of joy.

 

We are called to be diligent to study the scriptures which were written for us so that we might have hope. Our hope is in Christ. Paul closes today’s epistle lesson with these words, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” (Romans 15:13, ESV) Here we have all three of those Christmas words namely, hope, peace, and joy. Again, these biblical words are not the same as typical words. These words find their source, their fulfillment, and their power from the Blessed Holy Trinity. Amen.