Daily Dose of the Word of God - John 1: 29

Erin Pacheco, Director of Worship

Transcript

Erin Pacheco  0:07

Welcome to Elmhurst CRC’s Daily Dose of the Word of God. It’s Friday, September 12 and Sunday is coming! I’m Erin Pacheco. As we journey through the Bible this year, today’s reading puts the spotlight on Jesus, with the Apostle John as our guide. This is John 1:29.

Erin Pacheco   0:20

The next day John (the Baptist) saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

Erin Pacheco  0:43

When John sees Jesus, he immediately gives him a title and a job description: “The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”  What a loaded statement — and what a strange way to describe Jesus! And yet God knows this is exactly what we need. A lamb, who takes away our sin. Someone once defined sin as everything that’s not the way it’s supposed to be. I don’t know about you, but between the news cycle and fragile systems and relationships to my own sinful heart, I’m often overwhelmed by all that is “not the way it’s supposed to be.” Our world indeed is full of all kinds of sin and brokenness. And I was struck again this week by our human inability to solve it or make it go away. We are indeed dead in it. We need help. And God sends … a lamb. An unexpected champion. Jesus, the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.   With echoes of the Old Testament and anticipation of the worship of Heaven — where all the saints and angels cry “Worthy is the lamb who was slain!” — John identifies Jesus as the exact solution to the problems we can’t solve. Where do you feel stuck and hopeless today? What would it mean to let Jesus, not you, be the solution? What would it mean to put your trust in his life, his death, his resurrection, his ways?

Erin Pacheco  2:53  

Let’s pray. Thank you, Father God, for giving us your Son, a perfect sacrifice for the whole world. May we find in Jesus all that we need to live this day in your hope and peace. Amen.