Jesus In Plain Sight ~ John 1:29-42 ~ Second Sunday after Epiphany
I once saw a T-shirt that described Pittsburgh as "a drinking town with a football problem."
In Pittsburgh, the Steelers are heroes. They’re legends. They’re kings among men. And meeting a Steelers athlete in person is a dream-come-true for any fan…
Can you imagine what it must be like for one of them to go out in public, with adoring fans falling at their feet and begging for smart-phone pictures and autographs?
Last month, Steelers defensive-end Brett Keisel dressed up as Santa Claus and rang a bell beside a Salvation Army kettle, outside the downtown Macy’s.
For hours, people walked by, unaware of the identity of the giant, jolly "do-gooder" helping the less-fortunate at Christmastime.
But a few loyal fans saw through the white beard to the unmistakable reddish-brown lumberjack beard that strikes fear and loathing in the hearts of the folks east of the PA-Ohio border…
Once word began to spread, people came from all around to greet their bearded hero who had been hiding in plain sight…
Jesus came into the world in much the same way: no lights, no fanfare, no fireworks. Just disguised in the ordinary; hiding in plain sight… Jesus would’ve remained as an anonymous run-of-the-mill stranger, had it not been for John the Baptist—and his simple testimony…
That testimony captivates Jesus’ first disciples, that they follow him—and begin to see with their own eyes that he is the Messiah. No longer will he be hidden in plain sight, because they now have faith to see him for who he is.
And he remains in the world, even today. But do you see him? Do you know him? Or is he a stranger?
One of the greatest challenges we’ll ever know as Christians is the hiddenness of Christ. Faith is supposed to be that bridge that connects you and me to the person of Christ, but faith seldom comes easily.
Bad things happen to good people.
Evil destroys what is good.
Prayers don’t get answered.
Stress and anxieties pile up to the point that they dominate our lives.
We cry out for Christ; we get crisis. We cry out for peace; we get fear.
It’s like Jesus is giving us the cold shoulder; rejecting us when we need him most; constantly telling us "no."
But God did not Jesus into the world to become a kind of "hidden treasure" that many will seek, but few will find.
The Christian faith is not some endless ladder you must climb in hopes that you’ll one day reach Jesus. He’s come down from heaven to be with us. If we’re struggling, he’s struggling with us. If we’re going through a crisis, he’s with us in the crisis. Even if we’re wandering off in sin, he’ll follow us to the mouth of hell if that’s what it takes to bring us back to where God wants us to be.
He’s calling you by name, above the rush of life and the clamor of commitments that call out for your attention. He extends his hand to you, amid of the storms of chaos and pain.
This is good news if you’re feeling cut off from Jesus—or if he’s always felt like a stranger to you.
He’s here to shake up the status quo, so the pains, worries, and wrongs of the times will no longer dominate your existence. God didn’t give you life so that it would be ruined with pain. God didn’t create this world for evil to destroy it. Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes the sin of the world. He’s here to heal to what is broken, and to give life to what is dead.
Jesus is here to save, to serve, and above all, to be seen.
He’s here so that your life to be lived in a daily communion with Jesus. This communion begins with the most simple, everyday acts of faith and devotion: prayer; Scripture-reading; worship… We must, must, must stop the rush of life; shut off the noise. We absolutely cannot constantly dwell on everything that’s terrible and negative in the world. We must believe he’s here. Faith lives and breathes by the sacred moments when we focus our hearts and minds upon Jesus and simply exist in his presence—because God works through these moments. But it cannot stop there.
We who bear witness to Christ must also testify to what he’s doing. We must invite others into our communion with Christ; because we grow in faith by what we do for others in Jesus’ name. We build each other up in faith when we tell the story of Christ in our own lives. We grow in faith by witnessing what Jesus does in others’ lives through the testimony we give. What’s more, the church of the future will only be built by the testimonies by the stories we share—and by inviting others to join us in our walk with Christ.
Jesus speaks just three simple words to build the kingdom of God: "Come and see…" That’s what this is all about. When we follow Jesus, we do not know what he’s going to do; where he’s going to lead us; or what’s going to happen. We only know who Jesus will be. Jesus will forgive sins and sinners. Jesus will be compassionate and merciful to those who hurt. Jesus will love and accept people unconditionally. And he will always, always, be present.
What a great hope that is; simply to believe and trust that Jesus will there with us, no matter what. Isn’t that where you want to be—with Jesus? And don’t you think, with all the brokenness and evil in the world, your neighbors want to be there too? The whole world can go up in flames—but together with Jesus, we’ll live forever. And surely we’ll get through the worst of the worst that confronts us today. By faith we see Jesus is with us—present in plain sight.
In Pittsburgh, the Steelers are heroes. They’re legends. They’re kings among men. And meeting a Steelers athlete in person is a dream-come-true for any fan…
Can you imagine what it must be like for one of them to go out in public, with adoring fans falling at their feet and begging for smart-phone pictures and autographs?
Last month, Steelers defensive-end Brett Keisel dressed up as Santa Claus and rang a bell beside a Salvation Army kettle, outside the downtown Macy’s.
For hours, people walked by, unaware of the identity of the giant, jolly "do-gooder" helping the less-fortunate at Christmastime.
But a few loyal fans saw through the white beard to the unmistakable reddish-brown lumberjack beard that strikes fear and loathing in the hearts of the folks east of the PA-Ohio border…
Once word began to spread, people came from all around to greet their bearded hero who had been hiding in plain sight…
Jesus came into the world in much the same way: no lights, no fanfare, no fireworks. Just disguised in the ordinary; hiding in plain sight… Jesus would’ve remained as an anonymous run-of-the-mill stranger, had it not been for John the Baptist—and his simple testimony…
That testimony captivates Jesus’ first disciples, that they follow him—and begin to see with their own eyes that he is the Messiah. No longer will he be hidden in plain sight, because they now have faith to see him for who he is.
And he remains in the world, even today. But do you see him? Do you know him? Or is he a stranger?
One of the greatest challenges we’ll ever know as Christians is the hiddenness of Christ. Faith is supposed to be that bridge that connects you and me to the person of Christ, but faith seldom comes easily.
Bad things happen to good people.
Evil destroys what is good.
Prayers don’t get answered.
Stress and anxieties pile up to the point that they dominate our lives.
We cry out for Christ; we get crisis. We cry out for peace; we get fear.
It’s like Jesus is giving us the cold shoulder; rejecting us when we need him most; constantly telling us "no."
But God did not Jesus into the world to become a kind of "hidden treasure" that many will seek, but few will find.
The Christian faith is not some endless ladder you must climb in hopes that you’ll one day reach Jesus. He’s come down from heaven to be with us. If we’re struggling, he’s struggling with us. If we’re going through a crisis, he’s with us in the crisis. Even if we’re wandering off in sin, he’ll follow us to the mouth of hell if that’s what it takes to bring us back to where God wants us to be.
He’s calling you by name, above the rush of life and the clamor of commitments that call out for your attention. He extends his hand to you, amid of the storms of chaos and pain.
This is good news if you’re feeling cut off from Jesus—or if he’s always felt like a stranger to you.
He’s here to shake up the status quo, so the pains, worries, and wrongs of the times will no longer dominate your existence. God didn’t give you life so that it would be ruined with pain. God didn’t create this world for evil to destroy it. Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes the sin of the world. He’s here to heal to what is broken, and to give life to what is dead.
Jesus is here to save, to serve, and above all, to be seen.
He’s here so that your life to be lived in a daily communion with Jesus. This communion begins with the most simple, everyday acts of faith and devotion: prayer; Scripture-reading; worship… We must, must, must stop the rush of life; shut off the noise. We absolutely cannot constantly dwell on everything that’s terrible and negative in the world. We must believe he’s here. Faith lives and breathes by the sacred moments when we focus our hearts and minds upon Jesus and simply exist in his presence—because God works through these moments. But it cannot stop there.
We who bear witness to Christ must also testify to what he’s doing. We must invite others into our communion with Christ; because we grow in faith by what we do for others in Jesus’ name. We build each other up in faith when we tell the story of Christ in our own lives. We grow in faith by witnessing what Jesus does in others’ lives through the testimony we give. What’s more, the church of the future will only be built by the testimonies by the stories we share—and by inviting others to join us in our walk with Christ.
Jesus speaks just three simple words to build the kingdom of God: "Come and see…" That’s what this is all about. When we follow Jesus, we do not know what he’s going to do; where he’s going to lead us; or what’s going to happen. We only know who Jesus will be. Jesus will forgive sins and sinners. Jesus will be compassionate and merciful to those who hurt. Jesus will love and accept people unconditionally. And he will always, always, be present.
What a great hope that is; simply to believe and trust that Jesus will there with us, no matter what. Isn’t that where you want to be—with Jesus? And don’t you think, with all the brokenness and evil in the world, your neighbors want to be there too? The whole world can go up in flames—but together with Jesus, we’ll live forever. And surely we’ll get through the worst of the worst that confronts us today. By faith we see Jesus is with us—present in plain sight.
Comments
Post a Comment