Come and See! - Epiphany 2B Sermon

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John 1:43-51

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” ⁴⁴Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. ⁴⁵Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.” ⁴⁶Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” ⁴⁷When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, “Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” ⁴⁸Nathanael asked him, “Where did you get to know me?” Jesus answered, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.” ⁴⁹Nathanael replied, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” ⁵⁰Jesus answered, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.” ⁵¹And he said to him, “Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”

"Oh my gosh you have to come and see if for yourself! It was so incredible!  I mean By far one of the best weekends of my life!   You have to come and see!  You have to register and experience it for yourself!"

That was the sales pitch from one of my high school youth friends, following what was apparently the best weekend of her life.  And it was all the detail she gave me until I stopped her and said, “what are you talking about…”

"TEC!   You have to come and do TEC!"    

"Do TEC," I said?  What is TEC and how do I do it?"  

"TEC! It’s Hand-in-hand Teens Encounter Christ."

Now she paused at that moment...as though the name alone would register some major epiphany within me. I suppose my continued blank stare cued her to explain a bit more.  

As it turns out, TEC stands for Teens Encounter Christ, and it is a weekend retreat for high school youth and intentionally led in part by mostly high school youth. It is a highly structured, well-thought-out weekend retreat that intentional focuses on renewing faith.  Some of you may have heard of Via-De-Cristo, which is an adult weekend retreat with a similar focus. Both have their roots in the Roman Catholic Church.

Now in truth, these weekend retreats are powerful, informative, challenging, affirming, and emotional.  The weekend is filled with talks given by peers, fellowship activities, interactive team building, skits, songs, etc... and many, many surprises. So many surprises in fact that it becomes very difficult to talk about your experience of these weekends without giving away all of the surprises.  This was the problem for my high school youth group friend.  She was so excited and overwhelmed with joy from her weekend retreat that she just couldn’t put it all into words.  And so she was only able to invite me to come and see.

And I suspect the majority of us have at one time or another been frustrated or annoyed by someone who desperately wants you to experience the same thing they did.  Oh you have to come see this show or movie.  Oh you have to hear this song…you have to watch this YouTube video or see this cat meme.  Whatever it may be, you just have to see it for yourself.  I can’t explain it, you have to experience it on your own. It’s the old LaVar Burton on Reading Rainbow…“but don’t take my word for it.”  Come and see for yourself.

And I suspect the majority of us have also been that person at one time or another...desperately eager to share our experience with someone, and we just can’t quite put it into words or do it justice by your own reinterpretation, and so we hope that if they would just come and see for themselves then they might experience at least a fraction of our joy.

That was my high school youth friend coming off her mountain top experience...full of joy and excitement...desperate for others to come and see.  She jumped up and down, she did the best she could to describe her experience without spoiling too much, but ultimately words failed, and I just have to come see for myself.  

Today’s gospel text marks the beginning of Jesus’ ministry in the gospel of John.   A ministry of come and see.  Jesus has been baptized and declared the lamb of God by John the Baptist.  Jesus has encountered Andrew and Peter, previous followers of John the Baptist and he’s bid them to come and see.  Today Jesus continues on to Galilee and encounters more disciples-to-be along the way.  I like to envision Jesus as though he’s on the recruiting trail.  Moving town to town, shore to shore, meeting unsuspecting people along the way who in the end become major  characters in the genesis story of Christianity.  

Jesus calling from the shores come and follow.  Jesus encountering folks in their various walks of life, nestled in the comfort of their daily routines...bidding them to come and be a disciple.  Bidding them to come and see.

Today Jesus first meets Philip from Bethsaida.  Now I find Philip’s calling into discipleship just remarkable.  Jesus says, “Follow me.”  That is the extent of Philip’s interaction with Jesus.  

That’s his call story.  It’s as though Philip’s consent and entrance to discipleship is so guaranteed after meeting Jesus that the gospel writer needs not spend any more time on Philip.  No follow-up statement that says, and Philip followed Jesus.  Just “follow me.”  

Perhaps I’m so aghast by Philip’s entrance into discipleship because it is so counter to most of our lives.   I can’t imagine myself every consenting so fast to such a life changing decision.  I’m an over thinker, an analytic, a processor...weighing the options, assessing the risk.  If writer of the gospel wrote, And Jesus found Daniel and said “follow me….” the writer would exhaust all ink explaining away the process by which I eventually would respond with … “ok, sure.”    

When was the last time someone bid you to come and see something and you just did.  No hesitation or debate, you just consented whole-heartedly because you believed in the invitation?   

My friend went on for weeks, raving about her experience ….until finally three other youth group friends and I consented and hesitantly agreed to come and see for ourselves.   Her invitation to come and see was so vague and I was so skeptical.   She offered very little description of the weekend and even less in way of expectations.   It seemed that rule number one of TEC was that you don’t talk about TEC.  I was hesitant because I didn’t know what was going to happen.  I was nervous that I would have to be  vulnerable and share in small groups.  I was scared that I would hate it and be miserable.  Or even more scared that I would love it and that I would just like her after my  weekend, unable to articulate my experience, but certain that others should come and see.  Can anything good really come out of this weekend retreat.  I was skeptical at best.  But if nothing else, we hoped that she would leave us alone if we decided to go see for ourselves.  So we went.

In our gospel text, Philip, the immediate follower of Christ finds Nathanael.  He says, “We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.”  ⁴⁶Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

Ah, I find Nathanael to be a refreshing character in today’s story.  He seems so much more relatable. It’s not that he’s opposed to the invitation of come and see, but he has his doubts.  He has managed expectations.  He’s open to hear and see more, if for no other reason then to oblige his friend Philip.

TEC: Teens Encounter Christ.  As it turns out, TEC was a remarkable experience.  It was a challenging and affirming retreat, in which faith was renewed and cultivated.  And yes, I left TEC just like my friend...jumping up and down, unable to articulate my experience, but I desperately wanted people to share in my experience.  You just have to come and see for yourself.

Whether you relate best with Philip and his humble and immediate entrance discipleship or with Nathanael and his skeptic, yet open response to the opportunity to “come and see” the emphasis within today’s text is not so much the response, but rather the invitation itself.

Jesus invites the disciples and us to come and see.  Jesus calling from the shores come and follow. Jesus meeting us in our various walks of life, nestled in the comfort of our daily routines...bidding us to come and be a disciple.  To come and see.

In the waters of baptism, God claims us through the death and resurrection of Jesus and invites into the fellowship of the body of Christ to come and see, for God is making all things new

In the bread and wine, God welcomes us to the table with the whole company of saints to partake in the body and blood of Christ, a foretaste of the feast to come, to come and see; come and taste.

And the good news this day is the God never resends God’s invitation to fellowship, and God never stops inviting.  God, jumping up and down, desperately wanting to share in God’s joy, desperately wanting us to experience God’s love and then share it.  God empowering us to find others and say,

“We have found him about whom Moses and law and also the prophets wrote!"

We have found him who forgives sins and loves unconditionally…
We have found him in whom our salvation is promised and fulfilled…
We have found him...Jesus Christ.

Invitation to fellowship.  Now the statistics can be staggering so I want present them, but when was the last time you bid someone to come and see?  Your neighbor or co-worker, someone at the gym, a classmate or friend, a stranger in the street? Come and taste.  Invited someone to the fellowship in Jesus Christ?

After all, if the forgiveness of sins IS really a good thing; if the abiding and never failing love of God is a good thing; if community within the body of Christ, sharing in the joy and sorrows daily life with brothers and sisters in Christ really is a good thing;

Then we should be bouncing out of worship, like Tigger into the streets, desperate to share our experience, desperate to articulate the good news to the best of our ability ...desperate for others to come and see for themselves.  And maybe our challenge this week is to be bold in our invitation, take a risk, seek out a sibling in Christ and invite them to fellowship, invite them to come and see.  

Because friends God is for all people, in all times, and in all places, and until all the world has come to know God’s love, we can’t help but share in the ministry of invitation.  

God never resends God’s invitation to fellowship.  

God never stops inviting.
And neither should we.

© Pastor Daniel Locke, Preached at St. Mark's Lutheran, Jacksonville, FL on 01.14.2018

Pointing to Christ - Advent 3B Sermon

John 1:6-8, 19-28

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.  He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, “I am not the Messiah.”  And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.”  “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.” Then they said to him, “Who are you?  Let us have an answer for 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, “Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?” John answered them, “I baptize with water.  Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.”  This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.

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There is a famous altar painting, called the Isenheim Altar piece.  It was painted by Matthias Grunnewald in the 1516 just prior to the reformation event.  It is currently on display in museum in France.  The altar painting has several layers that open and close, each layer has  distinct panels that display different saints or festival occasions.  But when all the panels are in their primary location, we can see the most famous of the various images.  

In the middle is a painting of Jesus hanging on a cross.  To Jesus’ right is a depiction of Mary, the mother of Jesus  fainting into the arms of John, the beloved disciple.  And famously, to the left of Jesus, is a depiction of John the Baptist, JTB pointing to Christ. To be clear, John’s presence at the crucifixion is purely symbolic in this painting since he was beheaded prior to Jesus’ death.  It is symbolic because John the Baptist is regarded as the final prophet to announce the arrival of the Messiah.  

One of my beloved seminary professors always referred to this image as the bony finger.  

John is pointing to Christ with what many refer to as “the bony finger.”  His finger is longer than normal and bent in an almost impossible way.   And between his pointing and his body is a Latin inscription inscription taken from John 3:30 “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

This painting of John the baptist pointing to Christ is what the Gospel narrative is all about.

This is our second encounter with JTB, John the Baptist this Advent season.  Last week, you may recall Mark’s more familiar version of a wild man clothed with camel’s hair eating locust and wild honey.  This wild man appeared in the woods crying out with a loud voice, prepare the way of the Lord.  John was the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy.

That familiar portrayal of John the Baptist is supported by both Matthew and Luke, in fact.

And we tend to associate JTB with baptizing, making straight paths, preparing the way for one who is stronger than he.  John, who baptizes with water.  John, who calls for all people to confess their sins and be baptized.  Wild man, locusts, honey, and camel hair.

However, today’s Gospel account makes no mention of any of theses things.  We are introduced to a man, John.  Just John, who is welcomed without descriptions or qualification.  John, a man sent by God as a witness to testify. The author is clear to emphasize that John’s primary role is as a witness to testify.   To point to the one who is coming after him, to point to the light, to point the bony finger to the one among them they do not yet know, the messiah.

This is an important understanding of John the Baptist in John’s gospel account because everything is intentionally focused on Jesus.  From the description of JTB, to his answers for the Pharisees, he is selfless.  Focused purely on Christ.  He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. ⁸He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.

When questioned by the authorities Who are you!? John is direct to say.  I am not the Messiah. “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.”  Finally they said “Who are you? Let us have an answer for 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.   .

What is significant about JTB in this account is that he consistently speaks with regards to who Jesus is.  He seems to only answer in terms of who Christ is.  To their direct questions, are you Elijah or a prophet, he simply says “no.”  He gives no further information regarding himself.  But when the opportunity arises to speak about the Messiah he recalls the prophets of old and points the bony finger towards Jesus.

John is only able to answer the Pharisees questions of identiy insofar as his identity is tied up in who Jesus is.  We might say, John is...because Jesus is.  John has a voice and an audience only because the arrival of the Messiah.  John goes on to say, “there is one among you who you do not know.”  One who is the light, one who is much greater than I.  So great, that I am unworthy to even untie the thong of his sandal, a job for the lowest of servant. John points to the Messiah. The bony finger points to the one who must increase.  John’s whole purpose and presence in this passage is to get out of the way, redirect their attention, and point to the one who is, The Messiah, the lamb of God, the light that shines in the darkness.  To point the bony finger.

Advent, as we understand it in the church is a season that points us back to Jesus.  Whether we need redirecting or not, Advent points us to the one who is to come.  The one who is stronger, who is the light.  The Messiah.  And today JTB is the one pointing.  Decreasing himself and pointing to the one in whom we are given our identity.  Always pointing to Jesus.

I know that might sound like a trivial thought for Advent, but just a short moment of self-reflection or retrospection might reveal to us the many directions in which we are being pointed in the world.  

Especially during Advent and the holidays.  Where is your attention and focus this season?  In what direction are you being pointed?  Are you misguided by earthly temptations?  Has Jesus Christ, in whom we are given our very identity, taken a back-seat to a misguided adventure?  

That’s precisely where today’s gospel speaks.  John, a man sent by God came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.  To point us back to Christ.  To draw us in.  Spark intrigue and curiosity.  Remind us to whom we belong and find our being.  

I am reminded of this image...the bony finger pointing to Christ...during preschool chapel.  Every time the answer to my question is Jesus all the kids will point as hard as they can to the Jesus above the altar.  Without even realizing it, each one of those precious little children representing the kingdom of God, they become incredible theologians and point to Jesus.  They model John the Baptist’s  posture and point to Christ.  Without even realizing it they become some of the most faithful witnesses I’ve ever met.  Pointing to Jesus.

So dear brothers and sisters…I must ask, “Are we pointing to Jesus?”  Are we being the bony finger in the world?  In this advent season, in this time of preparation and expectant waiting, are we pointing to Jesus?  Are we in all things pointing to the light, the one who is much stronger that us, the messiah?  Are decreasing and allowing Christ to increase.  Are we serving as witnesses…testifying to the light?

In this season of anticipation consumed by fingertip knowledge and instant gratification, are we pointing to Christ?  Are we pointing to the one in whom we wait the one who waits patiently on us.  

The one who in an instant became human to live among us.  Share in our joy and sorrow.

In this season anxiousness, consumed by public debate, political unrest, self-interest, and uncertainty, are we pointing to Christ.  Are we pointing to Christ alone, our certain help in time of need.  

Christ the one who calms our storms and lifts us from troubled waters.  Christ who forgives those who act for selfishly, knowing not what they do.

In this season of hope, consumed with poverty, homelessness, and exclusion are we point to Christ?  

Are we pointing to the one who offers hope.  The one he came to being but was without a home, the one refuged to Egypt for fear of his life, the one persecuted and beaten because he challenged authority and acted counter to cultural expectations.  

Are we pointing to the inclusive Christ, who ate with sinners, tax collectors, and outcast members of society.  Are we pointing, like John, to the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus for all sins for all people.  In a time of conflict, a world desperate for a symbol of hope, are we as Christians pointing to the one and only who saves. Are pointing to Christ. 

Now to be clear, I want you to hear me say that it is not my intention to imply that you or I or we are not pointing to Christ.  Rather my hope is that a new light is sparked with in your.  That you are ignited in a new way.  Experiencing hope in a different way.

Friends, the good news is that no matter whether we are always pointing vehemently to Christ, whether we are led astray by the temptations of the world, or whether we are just too darn defeated to point or be pointed, The Messiah still comes.  

The lamb of God still enters the world to take away the sin of the world.  The light still shines in the darkness...and the darkness will not, can not overcome it.  God promised a Messiah, and regardless of ourselves, God keeps God’s promise.

  

Karl Bart wrote, “all of theology is in that single, bony, finger.”

Our reminder this Advent, and our call everyday is to take every opportunity as an opportunity to point the bony finger.  Point to Christ.  The challenge is  pointing so much so that when asked who we are, we cannot help but answer in a way that ties our identity to who Christ is?  We are because Christ is.  Baptized in the waters we cannot help but raise a bony finger pointing to Christ.  Pointing to the Messiah

© Pastor Daniel Locke Dec. 17, 2017 @ St. Mark's Lutheran Church Jacksonville, FL