You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.
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Last week we started a journey through John's account of the good news about Jesus.
John told us that he was writing so that we would see Jesus as truly God
and as truly come to show God to us.
In the words of writer Glenn Scrivener,
Jesus is everything God wants to say to the world wrapped up in a person.
John's writing so that we may know that word made flesh.
Trust him as our savior.
Find life as it was meant to be living in and with him.
In his prologue that we looked at last week,
John the beloved disciple mentions another John.
We often call him John the Baptist.
He baptized a lot of people.
But he tells us two things about John.
One, he was not the light.
The word made flesh.
God come to us.
He was not that.
And two, God sent him to witness to the light.
So as I pick up our reading at verse 19 of chapter 1,
notice both of those things in this passage.
Notice John not the light.
And then John's testimony, his witness to the light.
John 1 and verse 19.
And this is the testimony of John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him,
Who are you?
He confessed and did not deny, but confessed,
I am not the Christ.
And they asked him,
What then?
Are you Elijah?
He said, I am not.
Are you the prophet?
And he answered,
No.
So they said to him,
Who are you?
We need to give an answer to those who sent us.
What do you say about yourself?
He said,
I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness.
Make straight the way of the Lord,
as the prophet Isaiah said.
Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.
They asked him,
Then why are you baptizing if you are neither the Christ,
nor Elijah,
nor the prophet?
And John answered them,
I baptize with water,
but among you stands one you do not know.
Even he who comes after me,
the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.
These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.
And the next day,
he saw Jesus coming toward him and said,
Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
This is he of whom I said,
After me comes a man who ranks before me,
because he was before me.
I myself did not know him,
but for this purpose I came baptizing with water,
that he might be revealed to Israel.
And John bore witness.
I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove,
and it remained on him.
I myself did not know him,
but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me,
He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain,
this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.
And I have seen and have borne witness
that this is the Son of God.
Let's pray together.
God, thank you for this testimony
to Jesus as the Lamb of God.
Help us that we might see Jesus.
Help us see how much we need Jesus.
God, by your Spirit,
overcome the weaknesses of this one who speaks,
that we might hear your voice
and know you more.
For we ask in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Imagine for a moment that you're a spotlight operator
for the Broadway musical Les Mis.
You're standing up in the dark shadows
above the stage
as the play goes on
and Jean Valjean,
the star of the show,
begins to agonize internally
through the song,
Who Am I?
Will he jeopardize his future
and that of many others
by admitting his criminal past?
The tension is building,
and as the song nears its end,
Jean Valjean steps into the perfectly cast,
spotlight.
He rips open his shirt
to reveal his prison number,
and he sings,
Who Am I?
Two, four, six, oh, one.
And the crowd goes wild.
He nailed it.
It was amazing.
Everything went just right,
and the show gets a standing ovation
at the end of the night.
Following the show,
the cast and the crew,
they go shower and change,
and they start to file out
one by one towards a press room,
and you're one of the first ones out.
You didn't have a lot to change, you know?
But an eager reporter mistakes you
for the actor playing Jean Valjean.
He begins gushing admiration to you.
What an amazing performance.
That scene at the end of Who Am I?
Man, you just nailed it.
It was so powerful.
Tell me how it felt.
And the shutters are flashing in your face,
and the mics are being crammed in front of you.
And you could really enjoy that moment,
couldn't you?
That's one option you have.
You could say,
Well, yeah, it really was great.
I nailed it.
Just the way we rehearsed it.
After all, you may be thinking,
if I didn't get that spotlight right,
they would have never seen the emotion on his face.
They never would have been able to see
the number on his chest.
They would have missed the whole grand moment
if it weren't for me.
I deserve my time in the spotlight here.
You might respond that way.
Or you could respond,
Hey guys, you know,
the guy you're looking for,
he's not out here yet.
It really was a great scene.
I've never seen anyone do it like our guy.
And as spotlight operator,
it was a delight to play my role
so that everyone could see
the agony on Valjean's face
and appreciate the emotion of that moment.
He really is an amazing performer.
You should be talking to him.
He'll be out in just a minute.
Do you hear the voice of John the Baptist
in that second response?
People are clamoring around John, right?
There's excitement attracting a crowd here.
Even more people come in this passage
to talk about him.
They want to know who he is.
John says,
You know, actually,
the one you're looking for,
he's not out here yet.
But as a spotlight operator,
it's a delight to play my role
so you can all see him well.
He is so amazing.
You should be talking to him.
Is that how most people
with crowds and cameras around them
respond these days?
Is that normal?
When there's lots of excitement around you
and people are clamoring to know more about you,
we live in a celebrity culture, don't we?
And that's all around us.
It's come into the church quite strongly.
Even subtly, perhaps,
into our own hearts this morning,
being the center of attention,
the one in the spotlight.
Pastor Rico Tice says,
this passage helps us see
that we need fewer movie stars
and more spotlights.
In the church especially,
fewer movie stars and more spotlights.
We need pastors and leaders
and church members
who are delighted to be spotlight operators
rather than play the starring role,
don't we?
I want to try to cooperate
with spotlight operator John
who is telling us
that the point is
to start with Jesus.
This passage is about appreciating
the star in the spotlight,
not primarily about operating
a spotlight better, okay?
That's part of what I'm hoping
to help us see this morning.
We're going to reflect back at the end
on ourselves as spotlight operators.
But first, let's focus
on the star in the spotlight.
After brushing off question
after question about himself,
John says,
the really awesome guy is coming.
And the next day, sure enough,
he sees Jesus.
And he tells us
where our eyes need to be looking.
Behold, the Lamb of God
who takes away the sin of the world.
This is the one, John says.
Look at him.
Listen to him.
The Lamb of God
is the one who dies in your place
so that you can live.
John may have been thinking
of the story that Derek mentioned earlier
where Abraham tells Isaac
that God himself
will provide the Lamb
to die in place of Isaac
so that he can live.
God will send that Lamb.
Then there's the Passover Lamb
who is killed,
whose blood is shed
so that when you put it
on the doorposts of your house,
the firstborn son in that home
will live
because the Lamb died.
Lambs sacrificed
morning and night
over and over
for centuries
for the sins of God's people.
Perhaps John remembers
the Lamb of Isaiah 53
who is led to the slaughter
because the Lord
has laid on him
the iniquity
of us all.
Over and over and over.
Do you hear it
through the whole Old Testament?
The Lamb of God dies
so that someone else
can live.
Isn't it remarkable
how in the very first introduction
of Jesus here,
his cross,
we don't get the word cross here,
but we know how he will die.
It's already in view.
That's how central
Jesus' substitutionary death
in our place
is in his mission
here on earth.
As the word made flesh,
we've already heard,
so that we might become
children of God.
How's that going to happen?
Pastor A.W. Pink
writes of the crowds
that would have cheered
a conquering Messiah king.
He says,
they would have welcomed him
on the throne,
but they must first accept him
on the altar.
What the world needs
first and foremost
is the Christ of the cross
where the Lamb of God
offered himself
as a sacrifice
for sin.
See,
when John draws
your attention
to the Lamb of God
who takes away
the sin of the world,
if you don't have
a sin problem,
you don't really need
to behold him,
do you?
He's not all that
important to you.
If that's what he comes
to do is take away
the sin of the world
and you don't have any,
don't need to look
very long.
Increasingly,
in our day,
no one,
or maybe very few people
and we put them away
in prison for a long time,
no one has a sin problem.
It's almost passe
to say that,
isn't it?
Let me try to help us
understand sin better
for a minute
because it is at the heart
of seeing Jesus
as the Lamb of God.
Sin is not just
big crimes, okay?
Kids, I especially want,
if you struggle with this,
I want you to listen.
Sin is not just doing
really big, bad things, okay?
Sin is any little thought
or attitude
or word
or action,
anything
that goes against
life with God
the way he designed it.
Sin is separation
from the close life
with God
that he created us for
that deserves
separation
from God's loving embrace
and the fullness
of life forever.
In short,
sin misses God
and gets death.
I sometimes play this
archery video game
on the Wii
with my kids.
in this game,
you aim
the bow and arrow,
you pull it back
and if you shoot
and hit the bullseye
right on,
you get 10, okay?
If you aim
and you just
narrowly miss,
you get
maybe an 8,
right?
Pretty good,
really close.
The word for sin
in the Bible
refers to
missing
the mark.
anything
less than
perfect
dead on bullseye
because God
is absolutely
perfect
and we can't
live with him
and miss
the mark
at all.
Every thought,
every word,
every deed,
not merely
better than
most other people
or pretty good
most of the time,
but bullseye
every time.
in that game
we play,
though,
there are also
some other objects
for you to
aim at.
They're not
anywhere near
the bullseye.
They're apples
and other things
and they're way
off in the mountains
but if you can
aim at those
and hit those,
you get points
for that too.
Sin's also
like that.
A lot of times
we're not even
aiming at God's
mark,
his design
for us.
We're shooting
for what we want,
aren't we?
Isn't that
what you experience
most of the time?
For what feels
right to us
and if we're aiming
over here,
whether we hit
that or not,
we've missed
God's bullseye.
I've talked to
a lot of people
who say they don't
really have a sin
problem.
I've never talked
to one person
who lives up
to his own
standard
for himself
perfectly
all the time.
Y'all,
I assure you,
if you are not
hitting your own
standard,
you are not
perfect at
hitting God's
standard.
You and I,
all of us,
have a sin
problem.
It's not
specific
individual sins,
it's not merely
that,
where if I just
stop doing a few
of these things
like murder
or stealing
or lying
or disobeying
my parents,
maybe I will
always obey
them.
It's more
than that.
The sin
of the world
is the
brokenness,
the warped
and twisted
desires
that we were
born to live
for ourselves
rather than
with God.
Even wanting
to do what
we want
rather than,
for example,
what our parents
tell us,
even that
is sin.
We have
aimed to be
separated from
God and
for His
rule and
finding life
in Him
and we have
earned
separation
from God.
Death
forever.
See,
I know
because I
grew up
in church
that if you
grow up in
here,
you tend to
think you're
pretty good.
Some of you
maybe feel
that way.
You're pretty
good because
you've not
spent yet
much or
maybe any
time in
jail.
Because you
perhaps have
spent more
time in
this room
than you
have in
the principal's
office.
Raise your
hand if
that's you.
Come on,
all of y'all
have been in
here longer
than you've
been in
the principal's
office and
that feels
good,
doesn't it?
You feel
like you
must be
better than
most people
out there.
I mean,
you would
never do
this or
say that.
don't
forget,
sin is
any
failure to
be perfectly
living with
God all
the time.
Let me
never forget,
says the
old prayer,
that the
heinousness of
sin, that
means how
awful, how
bad sin
is.
It lies not
in the nature
of the sin
committed, how
bad a thing
you did, as
in the
greatness of
the person
sinned against.
This great
and awesome
God who
we're to
live with
and love
and do
exactly what
he's called
us to all
the time,
anything else
is sin.
We're
imperfect,
friends.
Pretty
good in
relationship to
this God,
even eight
out of ten
and it was
really close,
keeps you
away from
the source
of life,
keeps you
facing death
forever.
Just one
thought that
doesn't measure
up, just
one careless
word, one
lustful look
separated from
a perfect
God.
So John
says,
look,
you need to
see him,
the lamb
of God who
takes away
the sin
of the world.
Jesus is
the one
who dies
because you
were supposed
to.
Jesus is
the one
who dies
so that
you can
live
forever.
You are
stuck apart
from God,
needing access
back to
his holy
presence because
there's nothing
like living
with him.
And John
says if you
believe in
Jesus, if you
trust him
to take your
place, you
will have
life.
You, even
though you
deserve to
go way
far away,
you'll be
welcomed in
as a child
of God
into his
family.
Friends, don't
miss Jesus
today.
That's what he
does for
you.
John also
shines the
spotlight on
Jesus as
the giver of
the spirit.
John recounts
here part of
the baptism of
Jesus that we
read about
elsewhere.
God who
gave John
the job as
spotlight operator
had told
John, hey, the
one to shine
the spotlight
on, the
star of the
show will
have the
spirit come
down and
stay on
him.
That's what
God had
told John.
And John
watches this
happen.
A dove
from heaven
was accompanied
we know by a
voice heard by
hundreds.
They saw,
they heard
this.
And the
spirit stays
on Jesus
because Jesus
later gives
the spirit.
He baptizes
with the
spirit, the
one you really
need.
This was a
mark of the
Messiah in
prophecy, full
of the spirit.
Maybe you
know that
Jesus got you
back to God.
Forgiveness of
all your failures
is a big deal
and you've got
it.
but you
still feel
weak and
helpless
today and
many days.
What you
long to
experience is
the power
of God.
Victory over
the sin you're
battling against
today.
Strength for
living on God's
mission in
every relationship.
Do I need
something new?
Someone else
maybe?
Maybe?
Look no further
than Jesus.
He is the
one who
gives the
spirit.
When you
trust him
and ask
him, he
sends his
spirit so
that you
experience his
power.
Don't look
anywhere else.
See Jesus
for that.
Finally, see
Jesus as the
son of God.
Verse 34.
I have seen
and have
borne witness
that this
is the
son of God.
Certainly
another
affirmation
of Jesus'
deity, but
in particular
it's saying
Jesus is the
one who
perfectly
reveals God
to us.
Remember that
last week?
He is the
unique,
specially
selected one
to show us
the glory
of God
fully.
there have
been plenty
of messianic
figures around
in John's
day, but
not many
with a
spotlight
operator
who himself
earns respect
and a
following
and seems
like a
man of
God.
Maybe
this one's
the Messiah
and then
says,
look,
there is
the promised
Messiah over
there.
Not here,
over there.
Don't miss
him.
If you want
to know
what God
is like,
John is
saying,
listen to,
watch and
follow
Jesus.
This may
be especially
important for
you this
morning if
you're confused
about God
right now.
Most of us
have been
through seasons
of this at
some point
in our life.
You've said
things like,
God,
I thought
you were
faithful
generation
after generation,
but I don't
like the way
you're relating
to my kid
or my
grandkid
right now.
Where's the
faithfulness?
Maybe you've
gotten confused
and said,
God,
I just don't
feel like you
really care
about me
right now
because life
is hard
and I'm
praying and
it just feels
like my prayers
are hitting the
ceiling and
bouncing back
and no one's
listening.
Don't you know
I'm hurting?
God,
I'm wondering
if you're
really loving
because I like
this Jesus
guy and
what I read
about him
it sounds
right
but then
you seem
harsh and
hateful
sometimes
and I don't
really know
if that's
you.
John says,
listen,
look at
Jesus,
the son
of God,
his chosen
representative
in the flesh,
the divine
revealer
so that you
can know
what the
God who
welcomes
you in,
who empowers
you for life
with him
is really
like.
If you
have any
doubts,
he says,
look at
Jesus,
he is
faithful,
he is
present,
he is
loving.
See it
in Jesus.
Scottish
pastor Robert
Murray McShane
once wrote
to a friend
that for
every one
look at
himself,
his own
sin,
his own
pain,
he should
take ten
looks at
Jesus.
I second
that notion
for all
of us
today in
our sin,
in our
weakness,
in our
confusion.
Listen to
what he
says,
we'll see.
Jesus is
altogether
lovely,
such infinite
majesty,
and yet
such meekness
and grace,
and all
for sinners,
even the
chief,
live much
in the
smiles of
God,
bask in
his beams,
feel his
all-seeing
eyes settled
on you in
love,
and repose,
rest in
his almighty
arms.
Let your
soul be
filled with
a heart-ravishing
sense of
the sweetness
and excellency
of Christ.
For every
look at
yourself,
take ten
looks at
Christ.
You can
try that
this afternoon.
Fifteen
years ago,
in this
same room
with some
of you
right here
with me,
I was
ordained
to be a
spotlight
operator
by vocation.
And Pastor
Jay Sklar
charged me
that morning
to declare
two things,
that I
am not
the Christ
and that
Jesus is
the Christ.
Christ.
We've
spent the
majority of
our time
this morning
focusing on
Jesus.
Both of
the Johns
would agree
that's the
point here.
But as
we look
ten times
and more
at Jesus,
there are
also some
things that
we as
spotlight
operators
should rejoice
in.
As we see
John shining
the spotlight
on Jesus,
John is the
lead spotlight
operator,
okay?
He's unique.
But we
all are
to be
his
witnesses,
right?
To point
people to
Jesus,
to declare
his
excellencies,
that's
for all
of us.
As we
all
spotlight
operators
witness
to him
briefly
three things,
there is
freedom
to find
our identity
in relation
to Jesus
not out
on our
own.
John
could have
stolen
the
spotlight
as the
Christ
or the
prophet
or
Elijah,
but he
quite
confidently
says,
listen,
who I
am
is in
relation
to
Jesus.
I'm a
voice
in the
wilderness,
Isaiah 40,
preparing
the way
for a
greater
one to
come.
I'm a
spotlight
operator,
John says.
listen,
because Jesus
has truly
shown you
God
himself,
what God
has made
you for,
the fact
that this
God wants
to relate
with you,
that you
have a
purpose,
you don't
have to
invent
an identity
to matter.
You can
actually
embrace
that you
exist
to watch
Jesus
closely,
to love
him
deeply,
and so
to shine
the spotlight
on him.
You are
free
from the
pressure
that you
feel all
around you
every day
to find
yourself
somewhere
else,
to make
up that
identity
that will
finally be
significant.
No,
you have
that in
relation
to Jesus.
Next,
we're
freed to
live with
humility
that's
neither
false
humility
nor
just
weak.
This is
not
groveling
low
self-esteem
from John
when he
says he's
not worthy
to untie
Jesus'
sandals.
That's a
job below
even a
Jewish
slave.
John
is bold
here,
isn't he,
in front
of powerful
threats.
He's
confident.
Why?
Because he
is so
enamored
with Jesus.
He's
not
thinking
less
of himself
when he
says he's
a spotlight
operator.
He is
so focused
on the
wonder
of
Jesus.
He's
so
confident
in the
strength
of the
spirit
that he
gets
from
Jesus
that he
thinks
of himself
less.
That's
gospel
humility.
Being a
spotlight
operator
for this
star
is a
joy.
He
doesn't
even
think
that it
wouldn't
be a
wonderful
and great
thing.
He
cannot
wait.
Can you
read that
when you
read through
the beginning
of this
passage?
The answers
get shorter
and shorter,
don't they?
John
cannot wait
to stop
answering silly
questions about
himself so
that he can
say,
behold the
Lamb of
God who
takes away
the sin
of the
world.
You know
people like
that,
don't you?
Who can't
stand talking
about themselves
for very long
without talking
more about
Jesus?
You like being
around them?
God,
if you
stare at
the star
long enough,
you'll live
with that
kind of
freedom
too.
It doesn't
have to
be about
you anymore.
Finally,
we are
freed to
stop
pretending
and confess
our sins
honestly.
That Lamb
of God
takes away
the sin
of the
world
and that
includes the
sin of the
spotlight
operator,
yours
and mine.
One of the
best ways
to shine
your spotlight
on the
one who
takes away
sin is
to be
honest about
your own
sin that
you need
to be
taken away.
I am not
telling you
to go and
sin more
in order to
be a better
spotlight
operator.
You've got
plenty already.
Not a
problem.
That's why
you need
the Lamb
of God,
okay?
See,
John doesn't
have to
pretend
to be
someone
he's not.
Twice,
in fact,
he says
something
unnecessary
to admit.
I was
here
to shine
the spotlight
on someone
and I
didn't even
know him.
Don't think
I'm the guy
who's got it
together.
You had
one job
but I
didn't know
what it
was.
The Lamb
of God
has given
you access
back to
God.
Forgiveness
of all
of your
sins
past,
present,
future.
So as
you encounter
them,
you can
name them.
It's such
an unusual
thing in
our day,
isn't it?
To be able
to be honest,
to be able
not to be
defensive
or self-protective,
but you
are freed
from that.
You're freed
up to be
honest about
your struggles
and your
failures and
to shine
the spotlight
in those
moments on
Jesus.
do we
as
Southwood
together
live as
spotlight
operators?
When
someone
compliments
our great
church
buildings,
do you
say,
you know
the great
thing is
just having
a place
people can
come and
taste the
grace of
Jesus.
That reaches
so many
different kinds
of people
who are
connected
only by
him.
Or you
know what's
so great
about the
lodge is
that it's
a place
young people
can be
valued not
for their
performance but
for who
they are
finally.
They can be
loved in
their weakness
because they
hear there's a
lamb of God
who takes
away all
their sins.
When a
visitor says
y'all have
incredible music
that's what they
say,
they don't talk
about the
preaching,
they say
y'all have
incredible
music.
Do you
say,
you know,
yes,
they're so
talented,
all of them
except DJ,
he's okay.
But what I
love most is
how they
help me
worship Jesus
because he
is so worthy
of praise and
I love that
they're
worshiping
Jesus and
so I can
follow in
that.
When a
friend says,
man,
you're really
a pretty great
guy, you're
really spiritual,
all those
spiritual disciplines
you're learning,
do you say
spending time
in silence
and solitude
or fasting
or Sabbath,
it's not about
how great a
Christian I
am, that's
really not the
point, it's
about how great
my Jesus is
and how much
I need to
be with him
and to find
life in him
and I so
quickly run
and find it
other places
and so I'm
calling my
heart back
to him.
See, look,
if you're
confused, you
need to
know I'm
not the
Christ.
Jesus is
the Christ.
Behold, the
Lamb of
God who
takes away
the sin
of the
world,
pointing people
all the time
to Jesus
and may they
forget the
channel,
seeing only
him,
pointing to
Jesus in
everything,
including,
and perhaps
especially at
this table,
his table.
It was the
night that
Jesus was
betrayed,
that he
took bread,
he broke
it,
and he gave
it to his
disciples as
I'm ministering
in his name,
give this bread
to you.
He said,
take, eat,
this is my
body given
for you,
do this in
remembrance of
me.
And then
after supper,
he took the
cup and
said,
this cup is
the new
covenant in
my blood,
shed for
many for
the forgiveness
of sins,
drink from
it all of
you.
For as
often as
you eat
this bread
and drink
this cup,
you proclaim
the Lord's
death in
your place
until he
comes.
Behold,
the Lamb
of God
who takes
away the
sin of
the world,
his body
given to
die so
that you
would live.
Behold,
the Lamb
of God
who takes
away the
sin of
the world
because the
blood of
bulls and
goats over
and over
was impossible
for that
blood to
take away
sins.
But when
the Lamb
of God
shed his
blood once
and for
all,
sin was
paid for.
He paid
it all.
if that
is your
hope,
come to
this table,
not ours,
but the
Lord's and
meet with
him and
eat with
him and
be encouraged
and strengthened
in your
faith.
If you see
this and you
don't behold
here the Lamb
of God who
takes away
your sins,
if you don't
yet trust
Jesus,
his life
and his
death for
you,
then don't
come to
eat and
drink,
but would
you also
come behold
the Lamb
of God?
Would you
consider that
he was
spotless
and that
he was
slain and
that he
says,
trust me,
believe in
me and
you will
never die,
that he
would pay
for your
sins.
You can
trust him
for that
today and
have the
joy of
knowing
that he
has taken
all your
guilt,
all your
shame on
himself and
removed it
forever.
Let's pray
and we'll
celebrate
together.
Jesus,
we thank
you for
stepping in
where we
deserve to
stand,
for paying
the price
we could
never afford,
for being
the star so
that we
don't have
to carry
that burden.
we worship
you,
we give
you thanks
for even
this bread
and wine
that remind
us of how
much you
love us.
Would you
use them
this morning
not for a
common purpose
but for a
sacred purpose
in our hearts
that we would
behold the
Lamb of God
and that we
would be
changed forever
because of it.
We ask in
your name.
Amen.
For more
information,
visit us
online at
southwood.org.