She asked a question and a sermon Emerged for th Second Sunday of Epiphany 2014

Every so often a question is raised - by a seeker, a member, a youth, even my own brain when set on cogitate... and a sermon emerges with a theological statement, I had never uttered before...

See the Second Sunday of Epiphany 2014 below:  The audio can also be found at: [https://soundcloud.com/tigerowl/epiphany-2-2014]

John 1:29-42
1:29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, "Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
1:30 This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.'
1:31 I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel."
1:32 And John testified, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him.
1:33 I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'
1:34 And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God."
1:35 The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples,
1:36 and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, "Look, here is the Lamb of God!"
1:37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.
1:38 When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi" (which translated means Teacher), "where are you staying?"
1:39 He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon.
1:40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.
1:41 He first found his brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated Anointed).
1:42 He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas" (which is translated Peter).

I know that earlier this month I said that we moved into looking at Jesus through the eyes of Matthew, and here we are three weeks later still reading about Jesus and John.  It is almost as if the scholars who selected the lessons for the lectionary, wanted to move quickly from the birth of Jesus into his ministry.  They seemed in this set of lessons to ignore the fact that Jesus was a grown man in doing the ministry.  We only know bits and pieces of his growing up.  It even appears that John the Baptist seems to have never known or forgotten that he is related to Jesus as his mother and Mary were Kinswomen.

John the Gospel writer moves rather rapidly into the selection of the disciples who will travel and work with Jesus.  Obviously there is some tendency to choose from among those who have been listening to his early words and teachings. So as we begin with John’s version of the “choosing”  we hear about a version that was related to the development of the church.  Next week we will hear Matthew’s version.  It will be slightly different.

A consistent pattern in the readings from John is that we are hearing from Witnesses to the ministry of Jesus.  As John writes in the Greek, he uses various words that are translated as witnessing, witnesses, or to witness more than any other Gospel writer.  Sometimes he uses the word 3 or 4 times more than other Gospel writers, John uses the term “to bear witness 31 times in his writing, while Matthew doesn’t use the word at all.

Now I don’t mean to confuse you, but the Gospel writer is different from the John who is baptizing in the wilderness.  John the Baptist is the one who sent some of his followers to listen to Jesus to determine if he was the one who has been foretold.  I suppose that there are not many memories that linger from when one is in the womb.  But John the Baptist is the baby who leaped in the womb when Mary visited his mother Elizabeth.  Yet in his ministry in the wilderness he has, at least from his testimony in today’s lesson, has not had any contact with Jesus during either of their growing up years.

Yet the lessons from today from the Gospel writer John are filled with phrases of witnessing to the new preacher among the Hebrew people.

• Here is the Lamb of God
• who is taking away the sin of the world.” (1:29)
• The one who existed before John (1:30-31)
• The one on whom the Spirit descends and rests (1:32-33)
• “This is the Son of God.” (1:34)
John the Baptist even states that he does not know this new preacher in verses 31 and 33  --  1:31 “I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel."  1:32 “And John testified, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him.”  1:33 ”I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'”

With John the Baptist having sent some of his disciples to listen to Jesus, the convincing sign for John is that the spirit came down and stayed with Jesus in verse 32.  The Gospel writer John uses the word ‘remaining’ in over 33 different verses, while the other three gospel writers only use the word 11 times.  This steadfastness of being in the Spirit, this staying power is important to the Gospel writer.  In many ways Jesus has the ability to be steadfast in the context of his ministry.  For John the Gospel writer this is not an ecstatic preacher who can gather crowds and excite them, but then may disappear.  Jesus has staying power.

This past week I had a question from a spiritual seeker asking about the Baptism of the spirit, with which Jesus is endowed.  How is that different?  I may not have given a flowing answer then, but I’m ready today to say that, “Baptism of the Spirit is a Baptism of heart.”  When we are washed in the waters of baptism we are not the ones who are claiming a relationship with Jesus.  We are recognizing that Jesus has already claimed us and will be steadfast in the relationship with us.  We may leave or backslide, as I have heard some say, but when we are ready, Jesus knows that we have just been on a trip away from the faith.  Jesus’ response to us is very much like the Prodigal Father, for when we stray, Jesus is always there to welcome us back with open arms - Steadfast in his love.

That was the kind of lesson the disciples of John the Baptist reported.  Two of them decided to follow Jesus according to the Gospel writer.  Jesus asked these followers of the Baptist why they continue to trail him.  “What are you looking for?”  Their response was Rabbi.  They had found their new teacher.   One of these disciples who moved to their new teacher was Andrew, the Brother of Simon the Fisherman, who upon meeting Jesus was called Cephas or Peter.

It doesn’t sound like a whole lot but Andrew did something very simple and yet as the same time something extremely powerful.  He offered his brother an invitation to come and see.  How often have we exercised the same invitation? 

Last week I spoke about Martin Luther feeling tempted by the devil.  In response he didn’t shout, “I believe,” but he shouted “I am baptized”.  I must admit it felt good when you repeated the same words at the end of the sermon.  But in thinking about the answer of what is Baptism of the spirit that came from one of our members, I began to wonder did Luther really give us a satisfactory answer or a powerful one.

If you someone asks you, are you a member of a church, everyone here could easily answer, yes I go to church.  If I took a picture, you would even have proof.  If a stranger asks you are you a Christian, you could just as easily answer with Luther’s response, I am Baptized.  But could you do what Andrew did with his fisherman brother, could you say with the same power and clarity, “Why don’t you come with me? And offer them your hand.  That may be a small example of what it means to be steadfast in the faith.

We eagerly offer our opinions about restaurants, or movies, or books to be read, or songs to be heard.  A colleague asked the question of whether we are ready and willing to invite a stranger into the midst of our congregational life.  Are we willing to invite others to “come and see”. I am convinced that when we invite, our place of nurture for our faith is no different than giving a suggestion of the best place to get a Philadelphia Cheesesteak. 

I know that the church will have more spiritual value and perhaps given our penchant for offering food it might have more nutritional as well. One of the differences that faith should make in our lives is the desire that others—especially those without a religious faith—might also share in and benefit from the relationship God offers through Christ. If we are not willing to invite others into this experience, what does that say about our experiences with Christ? If we are not willing to invite others to our congregation—to worship services and other activities, what does that say about our experiences in our congregation?

Maybe this week in addition to stating that I am Baptized, we may need to add, that we will be inviting and assisting others to join us in the reception of the spirit that comes from Jesus who is still with us in our Baptism and our living and at our table.

AMEN.

Thanks to Brian Stoffregen.