Sermon Central
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We Have Found The Messiah
Contributed by Mark Aarssen on Jan 17, 2017 (message contributor)
Summary: Don’t stop pointing others to the Savior. Be like John the Baptist. A little out there, bold and loud but sincerely pleading that people get right with God and discover that God has provided the Lamb.
We have found the Messiah
Today we come together to worship in our church because we are people who have found the Messiah. While this may seem like an obvious statement, there is much more to it.
Looking to today’s scripture passage we discover some very interesting things.
Andrew who was a follower of John the Baptist is at the Jordan River when Jesus is pointed out to him not once but twice.
The first time is in;
29 The next day John (the Baptist) saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
The second instance is a day later;
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
On both occasions Jesus is described exactly the same way.
Why is this important and why should we find it interesting?
As worshipers of God we are first followers of our Heavenly Father. That means we are people of “The Book” the Bible. The Jews of Jesus day were no different they used the Bible just as we do except for the New Testament.
At the time of John the Baptist followers of God were looking for and anticipating the arrival of a Messiah. Just like us they searched the scriptures for clues that would point to His coming.
Quite literally John the Baptist has the Messiah pointed out to him by the Holy Spirit and then John the Baptist points out the Messiah for his followers.
Please note that even before Jesus arrived on the scene that many people were anxious to get right with God. That’s why John the Baptist was at the Jordan River baptising folks. John was the one who was preparing the way. This lines up with what the Bible said would happen before the Messiah was to be revealed.
(700 years before John the Baptist was born)
A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”
When I read this passage I am encouraged to discover that people were wanting to be right with God even before Jesus was identified as the Messiah.
Sadly we do not see a similar desire in people today. Many people are quick to say they are spiritual but few will say they want to truly know God or get right with Him.
We now stand in a very similar world, one that is interested in spiritual things but one that is not interested in the One True God. Folks pick and choose what they like or don’t like concerning spirituality and they cobble together their own religion or theology instead of embracing the One True God.
You could say that the people of our time are living in a spiritual wilderness. The strange thing is that we just like John the Baptist are the ones standing in that wilderness at the river’s edge as we point out Jesus to the world.
This was John the Baptist’s ministry to be a pointer. Now I know your Mom may have told you that it’s impolite to point but in this case it has eternal ramifications.
Many of us had an interest in God and spirituality before we had Jesus pointed out to us as the Messiah, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
For many of us we were part of the wilderness group wanting to get right with God but not necessarily knowing how that could be accomplished or what was required.
For this reason our Heavenly Father had the Holy Spirit point out the Messiah to John the Baptist by a sign ( the Dove landing on Jesus) then John the Baptist was convinced and pointed Jesus out for us.
It may well be that John the Baptist was just as shocked as anyone present to see his cousin Jesus identified as the Messiah through this miraculous sign. God works in mysterious ways.
How I wish that people today would find their way into a Bible believing church just one more time. Maybe they could have the Messiah pointed out for them just as John the Baptist pointed out Jesus for Andrew.
The thing is, that people have had Jesus pointed out to them and not just in a church service.
You Saints, are the finger of God today pointing out Jesus to all these people who are still wandering in the wilderness. You point out Jesus by the way you live out your life of faith every day.
You do it at work, at home, at the grocery store, at the coffee shop and at a hundred other places when you live out your faith as a follower of Jesus.
