Two Pictures and a question!
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6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Final Charge to Timothy
11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14 to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.
17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
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19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
30 “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
At the beginning of a New Year, the gospel reading gives us a message of beginnings. John the Baptist is acknowledging Jesus at the beginning of his public ministry. And he declares that this Jesus is the one who longs to be present at our beginnings if we will only allow him in.
Three things from the passage that teach about our relationship with Jesus.
Two Pictures and a Question:
1] Picture: A dove descended upon him – a picture of the Holy Spirit
2] Picture: He is the Lamb of God;
3] Question: ‘What are you seeking?’
Picture 1: A dove descended upon him – a picture of the Holy Spirit
“I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptise with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptises with the Holy Spirit’”.
This is how John recognised Jesus for who he was: because the ‘Spirit descended …like a dove and it remained on him.’ There is the picture – a heavenly dove. JB saw something like a dove. HS in the form of a dove, clear picture. We know it well. Holy Spirit is not a bird. The HS is God, Third Person of the Holy Trinity. So, what is the message?
This is a picture of beginnings. This is the beginning of JC ministry.
Right back to the Beginning of time in creation. Spirit hovering over the waters creation day 1 -- dove imagery fits.
There were new beginnings after the great flood in Gen 8v8 Noah sent a dove. Found dry land – brought olive leaf. God would begin again.
New beginnings in Lev 5:7 a Dove c/be offered by poor as symbol that sins c/be cleansed. We can begin again, cleansed, forgiven, fresh start. Only God can action this transformation from the inside out.
The dove on LJC signified – this is the one in whom God is going to action all our beginnings. Because he loves the world so much that he gave Jesus. And here in Jn 1:29-36 John the Baptist is declaring it, the HS is hovering at Christ’s beginning and at your new beginnings too.
Testimony of a New beginning
Mary was in hospital recovering from a severe stroke and she was invited to Chapel for the Holy Communion service one Sunday morning. She told me afterwards that the Lord spoke very personally to her through the message of the word and the worship that morning and she rededicated her life to following the Lotd Jesus for the rest of her days. It was a new beginning from the depths of a time of ill health. She has been a regular member of our congregation since then, often helping out with our sung worship.
The Holy Spirit is always hovering over those who are open to an new beginning.
The dove that hovered at the beginning of creation and the dove that heralded a new beginning for Noah (Genesis 8:8). The same dove descended symbolically on our Lord Jesus and remained on him. Mark 1:11 records that a voice said, ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.’ There was more to be understood about this Jesus, more than a king: He is son of God, sent by God, one with God, born of Mary (not Joseph) he knew no sin, and slain for the sin of the world. Second picture: the Lamb
Picture 2: He is the Lamb of God;
Lamb John the Baptist says it twice on consecutive days, John 1:29, 35 Jesus coming towards John and he is described by the Baptist as the Lamb of God.
When John B said ‘Look, the lamb of God,’ did the people turn and expect to see a lamb? No! The lamb of God is a picture of a deep truth about Jesus.
Everyone who turned to look that day knew the deep truth they were witnessing. Jesus the lamb of God. In their minds eye they would have gone to the Passover and the Israelites' exodus from Egypt, when the night before they escaped from slavery, they sacrificed and put the blood of an ’unblemished lamb’ on the doorpost of their home to protect them from the wrath of God. Genesis 12:13 “When I see the blood I will pass over you, no plague will come upon you to destroy you.”
The spotless, unblemished Lamb is a picture of gentleness and innocence. Like the Passover lamb, Jesus was the sinless one who had come to be sacrificed for us to lead us from the slavery of sin ( and darkness) into the light and eternal life.
In Jesus Christ, God brought the perfect sacrifice, and here we hear John prophesiying, "Behold! The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29, 36).
There are echoes of our Old Testament reading from Isaiah 49:6, who prophesied 500 years earlier, ‘I will make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my Salvation to the ends of the world.’ This is for the world, not just the Jews.
Notice the sin is removed. John the Baptist said ‘Look the Lamb of God who comes to take away the sin of the world.’ This lamb takes away sin. Doesn't cover it, removes it.
From that time forward, John encouraged his followers to turn to Jesus, ‘He must increase and I must decrease’ (John 3:30) was his message.
The next day, John's followers turned to follow Jesus and that leads us to our final concept - The Question.
A Question: ‘What are you seeking?’
John 1v35 ‘The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” 37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”
It’s a question we can imagine Jesus asking us here today: ‘What do you want?’ or ‘What are you seeking,’ (ESV)?
And here is their answer - ‘Where are you staying?’ Like rabbits caught in the headlights, they couldn’t think of anything better to ask! But in saying that, Jesus knew their desire was to have a relationship with him. Where are you staying, and Jesus brought them to his home, and the relationship started.
Put the question to yourself, what are you seeking – do you know Jesus? Do you seek a relationship with him, in prayer, in praise, in reading the bible, in leading others to him and serving others for him?
It leads us to a cameo for Andrew at the end of our reading. In John 1:40, Andrew found his brother Simon Peter ‘we have found the messiah.’
What will you do in response to Jesus? Andrew spoke to one of his family about Jesus. As Christians we are called to bring people friends and family to Jesus, knowing that if they spend time with Jesus they will be transformed by him. It is a known fact that more people are brought to Jesus through friendship than other ways.
There is a song that goes way back to a time of African slavery in America. The oppressed slaves sang as they worked in the fields… to be close to thee, dear Lord, close to thee. They could imagine Jesus turning to them and asking this question – what do you seek – and it was not to be free of their hardship, it was to be ever closer in their walk with Jesus. ‘I am weak but thou art strong.’
I ask you again, what are you seeking? Words of Jesus (from John 1:37) as he looks to you. Can you respond in this way…. Just a closer walk with Thee?
Hymn Just a Close walk with Thee.
Cover Photo Kelvin in Greece with shepherd in 1978
