“Mary’s Little Lamb”
Text: John 1:29-42a
1-15-2023
In the name of Him who takes away the sin of the world, dear friends in Christ. There’s a famous poem from the 1830’s that I’m confident even the little children can recite: “Mary Had A Little Lamb.” You may know this little ditty, but I bet you didn’t know it was based on a silly incident that actually happened. A girl named Mary decided to take her pet lamb to school one day and it certainly did cause a disruption there because children are not accustomed to seeing cute, little sheep in their classroom. Strangely enough, the Gospel lesson for today reminded me of that poem. But the situation in our text is juxtaposed, it’s flip-flopped. You’ve got the Virgin Mary’s little lamb, her son Jesus, and He’s all grown up now. He had just been Baptized by John the day before. When he saw Jesus the next day John identified Him as the “Lamb of God.” But this Lamb wasn’t following after somebody. Rather, it was the other way around. By the end of the reading, men are following Him! And all throughout this episode the people who encounter Christ are being taken to school so-to-speak and being taught the saving truth about this Lamb. That’s the way it worked 2,000 years ago and it’s still the way in which God brings people to the knowledge of salvation through Jesus yet today.
But you know, we’re at a bit of a disadvantage with this word picture of Jesus being “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” The Jewish people in Christ’s day would have caught on right away because they were used to lots of animal sacrifices. However, some folks today stumble over the fact that in ancient times, a goat could also be used for these offerings. Specifically, on the Day of Atonement it was a goat that was slaughtered and the blood was sprinkled on the Mercy Seat of God in the Holy of Holies to atone for Israel’s sins. Then the High Priest would go out and lay his hands on a “scapegoat”, transferring the sins of the people onto it. This goat was led away to the wilderness thus removing the guilt of their sins. But on the other hand, it was generally a lamb that was used for their Passover celebrations. And it was the blood of that lamb on their doorposts that saved them from the plague of death the night before their exodus from Egypt.
As you can see, both of these would be fitting symbols of what God would do for us through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus. We can speculate all day long as to why John chose the “lamb” as the label for Christ. But we shouldn’t get hung up on that because it puts the emphasis on the wrong thing. John is actually lumping it all together and focusing on what the sacrifice accomplished, which was the taking away of their sins. That’s where his emphasis was. And just as important, he focused on the fact that it was God’s Lamb that would be sacrificed for us, not the other way around.
Hopefully, now you can grasp the imagery of what John was saying. And that leads us to another vital truth about saving faith that’s in this text. In verse 31 John says, “I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” Keep in mind, John was related to Jesus. Yes, it might have been several years since they’d seen each other, but he’s not saying that he didn’t recognize his cousin. He certainly did because when Jesus came to be baptized, you’ll recall that he objected saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” John had faith in God’s promised Messiah. Remember how he leapt for joy in his mother’s womb when the pregnant Virgin Mary visited his mother? He didn’t see Christ with his eyes but by faith the Holy Spirit had revealed to him, even as a fetus, that he was in the presence of Jesus. Now, the Savior was standing before him and he needed the Holy Spirit to open his eyes and affirm for him that Jesus was the long-awaited Savior, the Lamb of God. He received that confirmation of faith when the Spirit visibly descended on Jesus.
Notice, though, the important purpose that John expresses about why he was baptizing people. Yes, he called them to repent of their sins. But he says that through baptism God was revealing to them that truth about Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes our sins away. It was true for John and all the folks that he preached to. And it’s true for us also. When you received the washing in those holy waters, the Holy Spirit descended and opened the eyes of faith to your Savior. Without this, you wouldn’t know who Jesus is nor would you have any desire to follow Him as His disciple.
What we need to see next is John’s response to this revelation. It’s obvious that John had several disciples who followed him. He was instructing them about God’s plan of salvation. John had made it very clear to everyone that he was not the Messiah. He had only been sent by God to prepare the way for the Christ. Now, the Savior had arrived on the scene and his preparatory work was done. He pointed them to Jesus and urged them to follow Him. Do you know how hard that would be? John was famous and people flocked to him. Human pride could make him want to hold onto his popularity. But he pushed that aside and humbly did what he had been sent to do. He was God’s instrument for revealing the Savior to sinners.
Judging by the response of the two disciples in our reading, he was successful. He instructed them that it was time to leave him and follow Jesus. And that’s exactly what they did. So we have the scene of the Lamb walking along with the disciples following after Him, both literally and symbolically. Again, I would point out to you that without the gift of faith to recognize Christ as the Savior they would have never made the move.
But that’s not the whole story for a follower of Jesus, is it? Please notice what they did next. They were seeking to learn more from Him. You see, it simply doesn’t work to say, “The Holy Spirit has opened my eyes of faith in Baptism so that I could acknowledge Jesus as my Savior. I’m saved now so I have no need to learn and grow deeper in my relationship with Him.” And yet, isn’t that what some people do? After they’re Confirmed their study of the Scriptures and spiritual learning ceases. No time and no need for Bible Classes! Sermons become boring because “We’ve heard all this before.” Attending the Divine Service is no longer a priority. That’s certainly not how the Disciples of Jesus viewed it. If you fast forward to the Book of Acts you’ll see that the very same men who had been taught by Jesus continued to regularly gather for worship, prayer, the Lord’s Supper, and the study of God’s Word. (Acts 2:42) Why? Because they realized that the Holy Spirit had plenty more to reveal to them so their faith could grow rather than become stagnant.
But that’s not the end of the story either, is it? Look what happened to the disciple, Andrew. He’s the perfect example of how our faith isn’t supposed to be private and kept to ourselves. John points him to Jesus and by faith he followed. His faith was nourished and strengthened during the time he spent with Christ. You can sense his total conviction and excitement as he rushes out to tell his brother Peter the good news that the Savior had been revealed to him. But he did more than just tell Peter. Verse 42 has those inspiring words, “He brought him to Jesus.” It’s the simplest and most effective evangelism program there is. We often discuss and wring our hands about how our church membership can grow. But it’s not just the Pastor’s job to visit and invite people. It’s not just the Elders’ job either. Actually, it’s the job of the Evangelism Board. And do you know who is on that Board? You are, if you’re a follower of Christ! It begins with each of us individually reaching out to others. That includes our inactive members as well as the unchurched people around us. It’s not complicated either. You don’t have to take a special class or have a college degree. It’s as simple as sharing your conviction of faith that Jesus is your Savior from sin. Speak positively about your church and what you receive from the Lord here. Share the joy and excitement of the good news that you have received. Then invite them to come with you to hear that good news. It’s really that simple.
That’s the beauty of watching a little child being Baptized. When those parents bring their precious little baby to the Baptismal font, they’re doing exactly what Andrew did. There, the Holy Spirit descends to open their eyes of faith and reveal the Savior to them. Which is what He does for every sinner who is brought to Him and who believes. Because of our love for all lost souls, we pray that the Lord would inspire us to boldly share the good news of salvation and bring those souls to Jesus to receive His grace and mercy. To Him alone be the glory now and forever. Amen!
Soli Deo Gloria!