The Lamb of God – January 18, 2026, From the Pastor’s Desk

Isaiah 62:6-12, John 1:35-51
January 18, 2026

This week we’re talking again about John the Baptist.  If you remember, he was the Elijah figure from the Old Testament.  He was the voice in Isaiah, crying in the wilderness, “Prepare the way of the Lord!”

That was the part of his story we talked about last week.  And as I said then, John was a sensation!  He was a phenomenon!  He was a very important person in those times.  In fact, Bible historians tell us that the people of John’s time had difficulty understanding that Jesus was even more important.  So, the Gospel writers are all careful to record John’s own words about that.  John said, “He who is coming after me is mightier than I am.  And I’m not even worthy to carry his sandals.” (Matthew 3:11)  They all said that!

John, the Gospel writer, also tries to clarify that.  Remember his great Prologue, where he writes these lofty words.  “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never conquer it.”  But at that point, he takes a moment to clarify the relationship between John and Jesus.  In what looks like a afterthought, he says, “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.  He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light.  He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light.” (John 1:6-8)  John wanted the people to be sure about the importance of Jesus.

Now, we don’t have a problem understanding that, do we?  We know the importance of Jesus!  But those people didn’t.  At this point, they only knew John.  And as I said, they were captivated by him.  They saw him as a prophet.  And Israel hadn’t had a bona fide prophet for a long time!  So, it was hard for them to understand who was more important.

But John knew!  And I think that makes what he says in our passage for today, very interesting.  Because he could have said, “Behold the Messiah!”  “Behold, the king of Israel!”  That’s what the people wanted!  Wasn’t it?  But that would have been quite the bold statement.  It may even have been a dangerous statement!  And it might even have gotten him killed – or Jesus – or both!  Remember, there’s that whole “treason against Rome” thing happening here.  But no, he didn’t say that.  He said, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.”

Those people knew the words about a lamb taking away sins.  That was part of their whole ritual of atonement.  That would have caught their attention!  There was the sacrificial lamb.  And it was the lamb’s blood that “covered” their sins.  They knew that symbolism.  And they knew the Passover lamb, whose blood marked their doorways during the Exodus, when the angel of death “passed over” them.  But they didn’t know what John meant when he said it about Jesus.  Because, remember, they wanted a political deliverer!  They wanted a king!  They had their scriptures and prophecies about the “Conquering King Messiah,” and the “Suffering Servant Messiah.”  But they chose not to think about very much about the latter.

So think about it.  What do you think the people who heard those words were feeling?  “Behold, the Lamb of God!”  Did that make any sense to them?  And we’re told here that the two people who heard those words were John’s disciples.  And yes, John had disciples, too.  Of course, we know Jesus had disciples – just like any rabbi would.  But John had them, too.  And we’re told here that one of them was Andrew, the brother of Simon.  And Simon, of course, would later be called Peter.

So here John tells them that Jesus is “The Lamb of God.”  And they follow.  So what does this mean to us?  How do we feel about this story?  And I hope you have some feelings about it – and can maybe imagine theirs.  I hope you have some curiosity – like these disciples had.  And, as always, I hope I’ve “tweaked your mental images!”

Well, I think there are three things we can take from this; three things this story calls us to do.  And you know me.  I’m not usually a “three point sermon” kind of guy.  But in this case it works!

So, the first thing this story calls us to do is to recognize God’s calling – even when it’s unexpected!  And again, I think the words “Behold the Lamb of God” were totally unexpected.  And yet, these two disciples were intrigued.  And they followed Jesus.  And notice that they weren’t intrigued by anything Jesus said.  All he said was, “Come and see.”  They were intrigued by what John said.

Sometimes that happens to us, too.  Sometimes we simply point people to Jesus.  And that’s all!  And we don’t have to explain everything about him.  We don’t have to have all the answers people may want.  We just need to show them that Jesus is important to us.  That’s what makes the difference to others!

So, we need to recognize God’s calling – even when it’s unexpected.  And we need to point people to Jesus.

Then, the next thing we need to do is to be sure we’re listening to the right voice.  And maybe that’s really the first thing.  Because that’s not easy!  As you’ve heard me say before, there are many voices in our world calling out to us, seeking our attention.  And many of them are very compelling!  And many of them appeal to our version of the world.  That’s the way they make us feel “comfortable” with their message.

Well, the voice of God calls us to follow.  But it doesn’t call us to follow our version of the world – or someone else’s.  It calls us to follow his.  And often that’s not comfortable.  But that’s good!  I heard it said once that if you don’t feel tension between what the world is calling you to do, and what God is calling you to do, then you may not be hearing clearly what God is calling you to do!

So, we need to be sure we’re hearing God’s voice.  We need to “filter it out” of the great cacophony of voices all around us.  And we need to listen.

Then the third thing is that we need to be intentional about embracing God’s way and committing our lives to it!  Last week we re-committed our lives to God by restating our Baptismal Vows.  And I think that’s no small thing!  The world around us wants our commitment.  It wants our allegiance – in so many ways!  But we need to be sure of our commitment to our God, and of our commitment to follow his son, “The Lamb of God.”

When we do that, the Lamb of God may surprise us, challenge us, or even go against our expectations.  But still, we need to listen, and to follow – like Andrew and his friend.  We need to commit ourselves to him, and we need to be willing to let his voice lead us.  And, using one of my favorite words, we need to choose to let God’s voice lead us!

Once again, John didn’t say, “Behold the King!”  That might have been an easier statement to make – and to hear!  But no!  He said “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.”  That’s his message to the world – and to us, even today.  So, will you hear John’s words?  Will you hear Jesus’ words, “Come and See?”  And will you follow?

Prayer

Eternal God, you call us and sometimes it’s hard to hear.  You promise to be with us, but sometimes it’s hard to feel that you are near.  Help us to find those quite times in our lives when we can be still and know that you are God.  Help us to hear your voice, to seek your guidance, and to choose your way. Bless us, with the assurance of your presence.  For we pray in your name, Amen.