It was time for a change…A couple of weeks ago, I sought out my friend and hairdresser, Tristan. I have had the same hairstyle, hair length, for as long as I can remember. You get to a point where you’re tired of the “same old, same old.” I wanted a simpler new ‘do. What better time to have it done than right after the New Year? New Year, New Hair…She obliged, explaining her vision for my hair. It matched how I saw it. As she started cutting, I saw a big chunk of hair hit the floor, and she said, ”Don’t look!” She said I was pretty brave, considering the amount of hair on the floor afterwards.
When all was said and done, I was REALLY happy with the end result. I felt so much lighter. I felt rejuvenated. I felt transformed. Some people have called my new hairstyle “sassy,” and they have called me that as well.
I was excited by what happened, and I wanted to share this news with everyone. With the help of Tristan, we took pictures and posted them on Facebook, so everyone could see. I lost track of how many comments I had—twenty-something, maybe thirty—and how many people liked it, which was even more. All of the feedback was positive. I gave credit over and over again to Tristan, saying she is the best. One of my friends asked me, “Can Tristan work wonders for me?” Tristan had the chance to give her the phone number of where she works. Free advertising!
The next day at work, thanks to this transformation, even my coworkers had to do a double-take, with one of them almost asking, “Who’s the new girl?”
I sought out Tristan, was transformed, and then I shared that good news, my testimony, with everyone I could…Testimonials: Working in a service industry, I am all about making a guest’s experience a great one. We want our guests to come back. We want them to tell others about their great experience and have them check out the store. If someone has a bad experience, the statistics show that the person who has a bad experience will tell ten other people, and so on and so on.
Today’s Gospel reading is in two parts: Verses 29-34 show us John the Baptist offering his testimony of Jesus. Because of that, in verses 35-42, we see his disciples follow Jesus, and Jesus gives them the invitation to “come and see.” Their encounter with Jesus would transform them. Today, I want us to look at John’s Gospel and take two actions with us from it: 1) To Testify To Your Testimony and 2) To “Come And See.”
To Testify To Your Testimony…John the Baptist speaks confidently about Jesus and who he is. Unlike the other three Gospels simply telling the story of Jesus’ baptism, here John the Baptist describes what he saw firsthand that day in verses 32-33. His knowledge comes through revelation. He knows Jesus when he sees the Spirit descended on Jesus at his baptism, which we heard about last week in Matthew’s Gospel. It was a sign, and he was testifying to that sign. The Spirit not only descended on Jesus, but it remained on him. This was no temporary anointing, which was seen in Old Testament times with designated leaders like kings and judges. Nothing like it had happened before—this was the messianic anointing, foretold in Isaiah 11:2 and 42:1…A new era had dawned. Jesus would baptize people in the Holy Spirit as well. The fulfillment of that came when the Holy Spirit was sent on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2.
He calls Jesus the “Lamb of God,” which is only found in verses 29 and 36. What does this mean? Many suggestions have been made to the exact meaning, like the lamb offered at Passover, but a different Greek word is used in Judaism than here in John’s Gospel. Other suggestions include the sacrificial lamb of Isaiah 53:7 or Genesis 22:8, which Abraham was provided to spare Isaac. Another view is the eschatological Lamb of Revelation 5. There were also daily temple sacrifices, in which a lamb would be offered twice a day, as seen in Exodus 29:38-46. In any case, lamb sacrifices symbolized forgiveness and deliverance. Jesus was provided by God to take away sin, the sacrifice to atone for everyone’s sins.
Prior to and including this passage, John the Baptist repeatedly declared he was not the Christ nor an Old Testament prophet. He was a voice for God, testifying to the light, pointing to Jesus, saying who Jesus is and what he will do. John the Baptist removes any names of greatness for himself. We could learn something from this example. In Matthew 6:1, Jesus says, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.” How often do we do things, hoping to get some recognition or share of the glory? God knows the motives of our hearts. Our testimony is to give all glory, honor, and praise to God.
The news is always trying to find witnesses and firsthand accounts of stories. Channel 5 is known as “Eyewitness News.” There is something about a testimony, a firsthand account of something that takes place…When we hear it told like a story, we sit up and take notice. Ever since we were little, hearing a bedtime story from Mom or Dad, we have taken an interest in stories. In 2009, US consumers spent $9.87 billion dollars in movie ticket sales—a ten percent jump over the year before. DVD and Blu-ray sales came in at $8.73 billion. We spend money to go to the movies every year or pay to watch discs from Netflix or Redbox. Stories, especially when we share them with one another, have the power to transform.
The first four letters of testimony spell test. I don’t think that’s a mere coincidence. Throughout life, we will be tested, and those tests become part of our testimony. Maybe that testimony is “never give up” or “I’m still here.” To be frank, 2010 was the year that tried to rough me up, kick me down. Thankfully I have a good pair of boots, so I could kick back! Seriously, as part of my story, 2010 had its challenges…The death of my sister…The chaplain internship, taking a leave from work, not getting paid, losing health benefits…Finding out it would take longer with my studies than I anticipated…The most challenging classes of my academic career…Two words: Greek Exegesis. Does that sound painful or what? And in my preaching class in December, ironically, I preached on James 1:2-4, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” We WILL face trials. So, rejoice. We will make it through. God is with us. And our lives are testimonies to Him.
What is your testimony? Let’s go out today and share our stories, our testimonials. Be excited to share how God is working in your life. Be excited to share how the ministries of Holy Cross have helped you to grow deeper in faith. Invite someone to coffee—I urge you to choose Caribou—that you may not usually talk with. Spend time listening and talking. We use Facebook to check out the latest updates, maybe to see what Snooki is up to…Imagine what a tool it would be to share our testimony.
We can meet people where they’re at. An interesting story to hit the news this last week was that of seminary student Chris Fletcher, who works part-time as a bartender at Dunnigan’s Pub & Grub in Two Harbors, MN. He has been leading Sunday morning services there since last summer, called “Bar Church.” The idea came to him one Saturday night last summer as a stranger approached him, asking if they could talk. She shared personal problems, and he listened. As many as 25 people attend services. As the bar’s cook, Betsey Nelson, stated, “Jesus said we’re supposed to be a light to the world. What better place to do that than at a bar?”
Unconventional and nontraditional? Most assuredly. But Jesus also met people in the places where they were. Take John Chapter 4 and his encounter at the well with the Samaritan woman. He asks her for a drink, but Jews and Samaritans were not to associate with one another. Through their encounter, she discovers he is the Messiah, meaning THE Anointed One. And because of her testimony, many of the Samaritans believed in him. Testify To Your Testimony.
This leads to our second action, To “Come And See”...John the Baptist’s testimony helps his own disciples (Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, and someone unnamed, who is believed to be John the author of this Gospel) to see who Jesus was. They were baptized by John and looked to him as a religious leader. John the Baptist directs them to Jesus with his testimony, so they ended up following Jesus.
When Jesus saw them following him, he asks them what they are looking for. What are you looking for today? Jesus invites them to “come and see” where he is staying. He is inviting everyone today to “come and see” who he is. Once you do that, your life may never be the same. John’s disciples became disciples of Jesus. Being a disciple entailed following and remaining with him. Following John the Baptist’s example, experience with Christ leads to self-denial. Sacrifice. Words our flesh doesn’t want to hear. Sometimes we are pushed outside of our comfort zones.
Andrew, John (the writer of this Gospel), and Peter “come and see,” and they are also transformed by being with him, remaining with him. In verse 42, Jesus gave Andrew’s brother, Simon Peter, the name Cephas in Aramaic, Petros in Greek, Peter means “rock.” This is a play on words, a nickname, pointing to a feature in character. But, if you remember anything from Peter’s story, he tended to act like the opposite of a rock: impulsive, unstable, denying Christ three times…He also was devoted to Christ, becoming a leader of the early church, as we see in his speech at Pentecost in Acts 2:14-40. Jesus gave him this name, not for what he was at this point in time, but who Peter would become. He knows who we all will become.
What’s in a name? We are usually careful to name children, even pets…We look at a baby or an animal and see if a name fits them…They may take on characteristics of that name. They grow into it. In Jewish culture, naming was a significant event. Names can tell us something about a person’s character, like Jacob in Genesis 25:26, whose name means “he clutches (his brother’s heel).” Renaming, like God renaming Abram to Abraham in Genesis 17:5, is of the authority of one person over another. Jesus demonstrates his authority over Peter, telling him he has changed and will acquire the character of his name.
Jesus knows who you are…He knows where you’ve been…He knows where you’re going. That may scare us if someone knows us that we may not know. For example, I was at work the other day, making coffee drinks, and a woman whose drink I just made asks me, “Is your name Caroline?” “Yes…” I answer guardedly. Then, she asked, “Did you work at (and she named my previous place of employment)?” Once again, I answer, “Yes,” slowly…I was thinking, “It depends on who wants to know.” Was I in trouble? Then, she asked if I knew so-and-so, which I did, because we had been in the same training class. Here, this woman was her sister-in-law, and she had worked there, too! I had probably met her before, but this was probably seven or eight years ago! There was nothing to be afraid of. Right away, we may jump to fear…But, there is no fear in Christ…He knows you and loves you just the same. He wants you to get to know him better.
When we accept Christ into our lives and become Christians or Christ followers, we do not become “experts” in our walk overnight. It takes time. We pray. We study God’s Word. We allow God to transform us. We are meant to grow and not remain “baby Christians” forever. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 3:1-2, “Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready” (NIV). They were not ready. God wants us to grow. He’s ready for us. Are you ready for Him?
Come and see…James 4:7-8 says, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you” (NIV). Jesus will heal your hurts…He will give you freedom. Later in John’s Gospel, 8:34-36, Jesus says, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (NIV).
Tomorrow is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, celebrating the life of the minister and civil rights leader who not only believed we needed to change the way people of different races were treated, but also believed we needed to solve these problems peacefully. We still long for that today, especially after the shootings in Arizona last week. Instead of always focusing on differences and tearing others down, we need to work together and try to build up (a quote I came up with for the “Inspirational Access” website I contribute to on Facebook). To quote a section from Dr. King’s famous “I Have A Dream” speech, “When we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!" And when we trust in Jesus, we are truly free at last.
Just as Jesus was called from the womb, as we see in our lesson from Isaiah 49:1, 5, we Christian servants have a calling suited for each of us. As no two snowflakes are the same, and we have seen more than our fair share of those this winter, no two people are the same. Martin Luther recognized that God does not merely call people to religious professions, but he calls all people. Each of us can fulfill our daily tasks with that sense of carrying out God’s call. We are enabled by God, having a mouth like a sharp sword or being like a polished arrow in Isaiah 49:2. We may not do “earth-shaking” tasks, but what may appear as “simple tasks” may have more significance than we will ever know.
Once we “come and see,” meeting Christ, being transformed by him, allowing ourselves to grow in our walk, developing our faith story, we share it with others. Converts make new converts intentionally. They want to share with others what they have experienced. They want to tell everyone they see. Enthusiasm can be contagious. Think of a child who learns to do a cartwheel. They are excited and want to tell everyone they see. They say, “See what I can do” and then do it. Because they urge you to watch with that enthusiasm, you can’t help but watch. Gaining confidence, we can invite others to “come and see.”
“Come and see”…It could include inviting people in who may not come to church. But it’s more than inviting them to church…It’s inviting Jesus into their lives. Going out into the world and being witnesses for him is crucial, because there are many people who haven’t or won’t step foot inside a church’s walls. We need to go to them, like the seminary student/part-time bartender. Maybe it’s in the way we live our everyday lives. Dear friends in Christ, we are living in intense times. The world is crying out for authenticity, for a Savior…If we say we are Christians and followers of Christ, we need to become more like him.
I want to leave you with this story…”His name is Tom. He has wild hair, wears a T-shirt with holes in it, Jeans and no shoes. This was literally his wardrobe for his entire four years of college. He is brilliant. Kind of profound and very, very bright. He became a Christian while attending college. Across the street from the campus is a well-dressed, very conservative church. They want to develop a ministry to the students but are not sure how to go about it.
One day Tom decides to go there. He walks in with no shoes, jeans, his T-shirt, and wild hair. The service has already started and so Tom starts down the aisle looking for a seat. The church is completely packed and he can't find a seat. By now, people are really looking a bit uncomfortable, but no one says anything. Tom gets closer and closer and closer to the pulpit, and when he realizes there are no seats, he just squats down right on the carpet.
By now the people are really uptight, and the tension in the air is thick. About this time, the minister realizes that from way at the back of the church, a deacon is slowly making his way toward Tom. Now the deacon is in his eighties, has silver-gray hair, and a three-piece suit. A godly man, very elegant, very dignified, very courtly. He walks with a cane and, as he starts walking toward this boy, everyone is saying to themselves that you can't blame him for what he's going to do. How can you expect a man of his age and of his background to understand some college kid on the floor? It takes a long time for the man to reach the boy.
The church is utterly silent except for the clicking of the man's cane. All eyes are focused on him. You can't even hear anyone breathing. The minister can't even preach the sermon until the deacon does what he has to do. And now they see this elderly man drop his cane on the floor. With great difficulty, he lowers himself and sits down next to Tom and worships with him so he won't be alone. Everyone chokes up with emotion. When the minister regains control, he says, 'What I'm about to preach, you will never remember. What you have just seen, you will never forget.' 'Be careful how you live. You may be the only Bible some people will ever read!'”
Come and see for yourself. Be transformed. Offer your testimony. Invite others to come and see. Let us pray:
Lord, thank you for loving us, sending Jesus to die for us. May we accept that invitation to “come and see,” seeking you, growing deeper in our love and knowledge of you. Help us to shape our faith stories and not be afraid to share those stories with others. May the way we live our lives be a testimony to you. Give us the courage to invite others to “come and see.” In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Caroline Harthun
Holy Cross Lutheran Church
Sunday, January 16, 2011
