What are we looking for?

 

John 1:29-42

 John introduced Jesus, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the SIN of the WORLD.”  Not Messiah… not King… The Lamb of God

 It conjures up Powerful Images of the Passover for any Jewish folk. It speaks of Freedom from Oppression under Pharaoh. The Torah portion this week is Shemot “names” from Exodus 1:1-6:1. It describes the horrible treatment of the slaves under Egypt’s oppression. It covers Mose’ birth… his deliverance from Pharaoh… his flight… and his return to stand up to Pharaoh and deliver God’s people from bondage, oppression.

 John’s Gospel is written under Roman occupation and oppression in their own, land… the promised land to them. The Lamb of God takes on a whole new meaning. The promise to save them dramatically by separating the faithful from those not. The promise of an end to the oppression and deliverance into freedom through justice.  Because a Lamb was sacrificed, in the 10^th plague, It meant life for some, death for others… The Lamb’s body broken and blood poured out was used to save the people.  It was eaten to offer sustenance for the journey of freedom. This was God’s activity toward the deliverance of God’s people.

  So, Jesus takes away the cost of sin, the fruit of sin… gives salvation by His Grace as the Passover Lamb whose body is broken and blood poured out for the world.

  FOR THE WORLD, not just some – the world!

 But John says, Jesus IS the “Lamb of God who takes away the SIN of the WORLD!”  It doesn’t say the “cost of sin” or “fruit of sin”, death – Jesus takes away the SIN of the World!  Sin is action that hurts or harms others.  It damages lives and relationships.  It destroys Shalom in peoples’ lives.  Jesus’ Way of agaph addresses that and restores it.

   Jesus’ Way ends human’s inhumanity to humans, if it is lived as Jesus commanded. The New Covenant – commanding LOVE OF OTHER… agaph... restores Shalom. If humanity would follow Jesus and live in Jesus’ Way, the sin of the world would be gone. An End of Oppression, Exploitation, Discrimination is what Jesus stands for, because if we live Jesus’ Way, we will not hurt or harm others out of greed, lust for power, desire for status.  We will work toward the Shalom of ALL God’s children, our sisters and brothers, knowing that until ALL have Shalom, none of us have it. In fact, we will repair the world, Tikkun Olam, to be faithful in God’s Kin-dom to God.

If that is Jesus’ Way, should that not be the Way of any who claim to follow Jesus?  Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the SIN of the WORLD! How wonderful it could be, if we would only Behold Him, if we would only "come and see" what Jesus is all about.  Because, isn't THAT what we're looking for?