How to Find This Season’s Savior (redux)

2014-01-19 John 1:29-37

How to Find This Season's Savior

…he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, "Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!…."

So, we're 19 days into 2014. At the start of a new year, people look to see a new savior coming down the road. 

(Not a big Savior with a capital S. But a smaller savior. A savior lite. A more seasonal savior.)

2014's going to be different. The new year's different because I have a new… diet plan, a new workout, a new tablet computer that I will learn to work before 2015, a new Bible app, a new prescription, a new, hip look, a new hip: Look! Here is the (little) lamb of God that takes away the pounds, problems, and peccadilloes of the past year, and if I don't like it, I can always swap it for a new-new.

As a city with a university who has seen four football coaches in slightly more years, we have a special sympathy for seasonal saviors and the people who cry out for them. "Here is the lamb of God who will take away the bowl disappointments." Or else. Those shiny little lambs of God turn into roasted goats real fast. 

And that's not even counting assistant coaches. Even Nick Saban's looking for a savior. Offensive Coordinator and Quarterback Coach at the University of Alabama. Lord have mercy. Even God commented on that one. On Twitter last week, the Tweet of God (TM) said, "If Lane Kiffin keeps failing upwards like this, he's going to end up with MY job."

Whether it's a new coach, or a new financial advisor, or a new self-help guru, or a new medication, we look for that person who's going to be the champion of a new year. Or maybe we don't expect to be The Number One, but we do want to know we're followers of the right one, the right savior, whoever or whatever that is, right at this moment.

At the start of a new year, or new season, the future is bright. Maybe the resolutions will bring change that sticks. Or maybe not. Seasons change. And there's always a new seasonal savior coming down the road.

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People look for saviors. Maybe that's because we're always coming off a losing season. Or not as good a season as the mental boosters wanted. Or always trying to get closer to the championship ring. That's just human nature. We're always shopping for this season's savior. 

It was surely true 2000 years ago, when John the Baptist stood on the side of the road and pointed to Jesus. "Here is THE Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"

And the people said, "Right. Heard that one before." 

How do you get people - no, how do you get yourself looking past the seasons of life to see a life of seasons? Because Jesus is not going to move on because YOU'VE had a losing season. He's a capital S Savior for life. You don't want to be so near-sighted that you miss him.

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Last week, we read about John baptizing Jesus in the River Jordan. But apparently there was an opening for Street Corner Preacher and John got the promotion. John the Baptist is now John Who Stands On The Roadside and Points and Shouts At Jesus. Much bigger title. John has become a specialist. He found The One. Or perhaps it's more right to say The One found him and pulled him out of the water and plopped him down in the street.

Jesus walks by and John proclaims, "Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.' I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel." 

And John testified, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 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.' And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God."

Please note that John is very self-aware. He openly says that he wasn't out there baptizing in search of a savior. He wasn't trying to figure it out. "Nope. This isn't the one. Next!" According to John, he was just doing his job when God opened the heavens and said, "This is my beloved Son." 

Note also that in his self-awareness, John is very clear that he himself is not the Savior. "This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.' I myself did not know him...." John doesn't claim any personal stardom. He never confuses himself with Jesus.

I don't know about you, but I've never done anything as important to The Almighty as scoring a touchdown or winning a big football game. No offense to the players who thank God, but hearing them talk, you'd think God had nothing more important on his schedule than making sure the right team gets the victories. No one ever thanks God for a fumble. 

John the Baptizer turned Street Corner Preacher bends over backward - and that's not easy - to shout out a disclaimer that's almost as long as his proclamation. 

"Warning: Recognition of Jesus may cause certain side effects like self-promotion, confusion, and feelings of superiority."

John is the first to say, just because you've FOUND Jesus doesn't mean you ARE Jesus.

Good thing nobody ever does that.

Being a professional Jesus-pointer myself, I can testify how one of the greatest temptations is getting some new insight and thinking, "I'll bet I'm the first person to ever know that. I should write a book." "Look: Attendance is up. God must really like us." Maybe God's secretly rooting for the Presbyterian team. (I wish God wasn't so good at keeping secrets.)

Little improvements in the standings are not to be confused with the One who stands by us. Highs and lows are not to be mistaken the One who remains the same throughout our winning and losing seasons. John proclaimed Jesus. Not himself. And he was clear on that.

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Speaking of delusional insights that I think are uniquely God-given... I noticed something new about this scripture. I saw it for the first time last week, not because God gave me a message, but because I don't often have time to read the Bible closely. Scripture is the Living Word and I'm usually too busy checking my email to get that.

Anyway, I noticed that Street-Preacher John isn't that successful. At least not immediately. He's standing there on the roadside with HIS disciples when Jesus passes by. And he proclaims. "Here is the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" 

And nothing happens.

So the next day, he's standing there again, with his team of disciples, and he repeats his message. "Here is the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." 

This time, scripture says, the two disciples heard him and they followed Jesus.

You say, what's the big deal about that? Maybe it just took a day for the disciples to make up their minds.

First, John had two - count 'em - two disciples. Not exactly an Osteen-size crowd. Second, the Bible tends to compress space and time. Remember how Genesis says God formed the world in six days and took a break on the seventh? Two days in the Bible can be a long time. The Bible is notorious for making things that could be taken literally into symbolism. Who knows how many earth days it took John's measly two disciples to make up their minds? Who knows how many times John had to say, "Here is the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world," before someone actually listened? If people did what preachers tell them we'd have no need for church. 

But here's what I find to be the most amazing thing. If he had to say his words once, twice, or a hundred times, John didn't cheapen his message in order to make the sale. He didn't say, "Here is the lamb of God... who will make you thinner, smarter, happier, and will show you how to live forever." That's because John wasn't trying to save anyone with Jesus. John wasn't a salesman. He was just telling one or two or whoever might listen what he knew to be the truth. And truth takes time.

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I love those AT&T commercials where the guy's sitting with all the kids around him. He asks, "What's better? Faster or slower?" And all the kids yell, "Faster!" In the GEICO commercials, the pig in the blanket's showing the guy how his app tells him in real time how his claims are doing. If you're buying paper towels, you want the quicker picker-upper. If you're injured in an accident you want the lawyers who'll come to you before you even get out of the car. If you're hiring a football coach, you might give him one bowl-less rebuilding season, but time and boosters are waiting. Faster is always better.

If John had been a salesman, he might have been replaced. If God was sending a seasonal savior with an expiration date, John might have cheapened his message with promises of speedier heartburn relief. But no. The message stayed the same. "Here is the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." No promises of when. No explanation of how. No restrictions applied. No return date implied.

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People might say otherwise about themselves, but the truth is, if you're living, it's always a rebuilding season. And sure, some short-term saviors might help you kick it into gear. But no matter how well or how poorly your season goes, you're constantly rebuilding. We're all constantly looking to see what - and who's - coming down the road. Is it a savior? Or is it a slick sales job? Is it an enemy of your body, heart, or soul? It's hard to tell if you're only looking at one season.

So. As 2014 begins, John the Baptist turned street preacher lays it out another time, another day. He proclaims for you and for me, the same old thing he's been proclaiming since he started. "Here is the lamb of God who takes away the sin world." And it's not you. It's not me. It's not a quick fix. And it's not cheap. 

In fact, it's not even an It. Rather a person. A human being. A man who was born like anybody else, who taught some things, and who showed some things, even in death. A person who is a savior in every season.