John 1:29-42
Second Sunday after the Epiphany

Pastor William S. Waxenberg

I’m always amazed—no, that’s not it—I’m always inspired by the insights of people in our Wednesday Bible studies.  There’s a depth of faith that arises out of a deep and abiding relationship with Jesus that works its way to the surface week after week.  It’s a joy to behold.

So last Wednesday it happened again—in both the morning and the evening Bible studies.  I reminded folks that this was the Epiphany season and asked if they remembered what the word ‘epiphany’ means.  And they came up with the right words: revelation or manifestation.  But then someone in both groups shouted out, “It’s the season of ‘aha!’”

Indeed it is. It’s the season in which we’re asking, “Who is Jesus?” And each gospel text throughout the season gives to us a revelation, an ‘aha’ moment about Jesus.

So what ‘aha’ moments have you had about Jesus? I want to invite you to take out a piece of paper—you can use your church bulletin—and a pen or pencil. For the next 30 seconds, I want you to write down as many of the descriptive words as you can think of for Jesus. Words like “Savior” or “Lord.” What other words would you choose? You have 30 seconds. Go!....

So what words did you write down?  Let’s hear some of them….

In today’s gospel text we have a whole series of words that tell us who Jesus is. Each word John the Baptist uses is a moment of revelation, an ‘aha’ moment. When John sees Jesus coming toward him, he cries out, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” It’s a moment of revelation—an ‘aha’ moment—one that will be repeated the next day when John again sees Jesus and declares, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”

Now these words would have tickled the ears of the folks who heard John’s voice. For the phrase “Lamb of God” would have conjured up all kinds of images of the Old Testament story of the Passover when God’s people were about to be led out of slavery. The night before they left Egypt, under the leadership of Moses, the Hebrews were told to sacrifice lambs, and paint lamb’s blood on the doorposts of their houses so that when the angel of death wound its way through the Egyptian cities, it would literally “pass over” the houses of the Hebrews (Exodus 12).

So when John announces, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world,” this would have been an ‘aha’ moment for John’s listeners. Sacrifice. Angel of death. Deliverance. Salvation.

And this phrase, identifying Jesus as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,” will be remembered later on in John’s gospel too, when John tells us that Jesus was crucified on the day before the Passover begins, the Day of Preparation, when the lambs were slaughtered for the festival. Jesus, Lamb of God. Another ‘aha’ moment.

And even today, we still sing about it.  Immediately before Communion, we raise our voices to sing:

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;

have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;

have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;

grant us peace….

It’s a moment of revelation for us too, an ‘aha’ moment.

There’s another epiphany in today’s story too. Jesus is called “Son of God.” Now those folks down by the Jordan River who first heard these words applied to Jesus would have hearkened back to the days of Israel’s kings. They would have remembered a ceremony in which Israel’s king was proclaimed a son of God.

In a little more than a year from now, in fact, I think it may be a year from today, January 20, 2009, a newly elected President of the United States will be inaugurated. There will be a swearing-in ceremony in which the president-elect will place a hand on an open Bible and pledge to uphold the Constitution of the United States. Then the newly inaugurated president will speak to the nation laying out a vision for the future, and then the Marine band will play “Hail to the Chief.”

Not unlike what happened centuries ago when a new king was about to be seated on the throne of Israel. There was an inaugural ceremony where oil was poured over the head of the one chosen to be king, and the words of Psalm 2 were sung as God’s claim on this new king was heard. To the people of Israel God declared:

I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill…

And to the newly chosen king, God declared:

You are my son; today I have begotten you.

So Jesus is now the proclaimed Son of God, the new King of Israel, the one who has come among us, the one through whom God’s will is done for the sake of the world.

We heard that last week too, in the story of Jesus’ baptism, didn’t we. Remember what God said about Jesus when he came up out of the waters? “This is my Son…with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17) Another ‘aha’ moment to be sure.

Just like there are ‘aha’ moments for us too. For when we were joined to Jesus in the waters of Holy Baptism, we also became the sons and daughters of God. An ‘aha’ moment. And when we’re united with Jesus in the bread and wine of Holy Communion, we’re welcomed home like prodigal sons and daughters who’ve gone off into the far country. An ‘aha’ moment. And when that day comes, as it surely will, when Christ comes to call us forth from the grave, we will be awakened and welcomed into God’s eternal kingdom. Why? Because we are the sons and daughter of God. The final ‘aha’ moment.

And then, in today’s story, after two of John’s disciples leave John and pursue Jesus, one of them, Andrew, rushes to find his brother Simon, and declares to him that the Messiah has been found. And for both of them, an ‘aha’ moment.

Messiah means “anointed one.” Kings were anointed in Old Testament times. After the death of King Saul, God told the prophet Samuel to seek out a new king, one of the sons of Jesse from the village of Bethlehem. So off Samuel goes, and when he finds Jesse and asks him to call forth his sons, none of them are the one Samuel is looking for. Until David, the shepherd boy, steps forward. And it’s a moment of revelation, an ‘aha’ moment for David and for Samuel. “”Rise and anoint him,” God says, “for this is the one.” And in anointing him, David becomes a messiah.

In fact, all the anointed kings of Israel became messiahs, messiahs with a lower case ‘m’ if you will. But Israel longed for and hoped for a Messiah with a capital ‘M’, a Messiah who would fulfill all the promises of old, a Messiah who would usher in God’s reign of love, of mercy, of justice.

“We have found him,” declared Andrew.  Let the ‘aha’ moments begin!

Because yes, that’s what this Epiphany season is all about: ‘aha’ moments about who Jesus is. It’s about recognizing him, knowing him, believing in him, and then telling others about him so that they too can have their ‘aha’ moments.

True story. About two kindergartners who ride to school with each other every day. One of them is a Christian whose first ‘aha’ moment came when he was baptized. The other kindergartner, a little girl, comes from a family who wants nothing to do with the church. Before Christmas they were riding in the backseat when the little un-churched girl announced, “Christmas is about families.” To which the little boy responded, “No it’s not; it’s about Jesus!” “Oh, really?” asked the little girl. And then, in a moment that can only be described as divine revelation, the little boy went on—a kindergartner no less—the little boy said, “Yes, it’s about God becoming man!” To which the little girl replied, “Oh, my gosh! I didn’t know that. I’ve got to call my mother!”

‘Aha’ moments about who Jesus is—they come in all shapes and sizes.

Amen.