More Than Expected

Psalm 40:3-10; Isaiah 49:1-7; John 1:29-42; 1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Central Baptist Church—Lowesville, VA

20 January 2008

We like to get our money’s worth. We go to a buffet and think we should to eat three times as much as we need. We look for sales to make our money stretch further, even when the price might already be descent. Commercials on TV have us anticipate the phrase, “But that’s not all, order now and we will send you this second set absolutely free!” How much is it worth to get more than expected?

Andrew found more than he expected. He had been looking for Messiah’s coming, just like any other Jew of his day. He was seeking a redeemer to set things aright in Israel. He wanted the Romans gone, just like everyone else did. He also wanted God to be worshipped and known more fully than per the status quo. He was anxious for Messiah’s coming.

The hopes and dreams of living under God’s rule through Messiah dangled before him. They urged him to find the one to come. Like a child awaiting Christmas, a high school senior anticipating a letter of college acceptance, a young woman hoping for a proposal, a parent looking for a child’s return home, Andrew longed for the fulfillment of this greatest of promises. Messiah would usher in that glorious day of restoration, victory, and peace. It was the hope for Eden to be re-established in Israel—paradise at long last. They would feast at God’s banquet of provision as Messiah came in triumph, glory, and might. He could taste the banquet aromas in anticipation of the announcement of his coming.

Then John began stirring the pot. He had one of the strangest things to say in proclaiming Jesus as Messiah. “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” What was that about? Messiah’s coming was not about sin, it was about setting things right! It was John’s ministry to make ready for Messiah by encouraging people to repent of their sin. Hadn’t John been baptizing the people in repentance? This was prelude to Messiah’s arrival. He was not coming as the solution to the problem of sin. What was John mumbling about? He made Andrew just as confused as the next guy.

If John had said, “Behold the Lion of God!” that would have made sense. If John had mentioned the new David come to set things straight, that would have fit with Messianic expectations. Lambs just weren’t one of the images associated with Messiah. Oh, well, there was the lion lying down with the lamb, but that was just a symbol of the results of peace. Everyone knew that you had to fight off the bad guys in order to bring about peace. The lion must come first! The root of Jesse, the lion of Judah—those were appropriate images of Messiah. That is was everyone was anticipating!

Sheep were known to be weak—a lamb, weaker, still. Sheep had no defense against predators. They had been domesticated for so long they cannot survive on their own. They require human aid. They are helpless. So what did John mean by “Lamb of God”? To further confuse matters, John said this lamb would do away with the world’s sin.

Lambs were often used for sacrifice, but Andrew knew as well as the next Jew that it was a goat upon which the people’s sin was laid on the Day of Atonement. Lambs were used in the Passover celebration, but that was not about the removal of sin. Passover was about remembering God’s provision and rescue from Egypt—the land of Mitzraim. Lambs were used in the daily sacrifices, but that was not about sin, either, it was about God’s presence among the people. Was John even trying to make sense? He sounded about as confused as a Pharisee at a pig pickin’.

Regardless of the confusion over John’s choice of words, Andrew took action on what he did understand. Seeing Jesus, he followed him. John announced Jesus as the one they had expected. This was the one whose sandals John was unworthy to unlace. This was the one on whom Andrew’s expectations were placed. It was not time to wrestle with John’s image confusion. It was time to hitch his wagon to Jesus, becoming his disciple in anticipation of inaugurating the Messianic Reign. He had waited so long with the rest of Israel. It was time to see the promise fulfilled!

John pointed Jesus out, and Andrew went after him. He did not really know what would happen. He was not sure how Jesus would respond. He was not all that clear about what he expected, but he would not miss the opportunity to draw closer to the long-awaited Messiah.

Jesus noticed. Was that a good thing? How would Jesus react to being followed by a couple of unknown young men, even if they were John’s disciples? How would you react? Jesus turned and asked a simple question. “What are you looking for?”

How to respond? What was he looking for? Messiah! God’s reign on earth, an end to Roman occupation, peace, victory over enemies, prosperity, the fulfillment of the long-awaited promise to God’s people, to see if John were right about Jesus, to be close to Messiah as God fulfilled the hopes and dreams of a nation! How to answer such a simple and loaded question? Only another question would do for a response. “Teacher, where are you staying?”

The question seemed innocuous, but it was filled with meaning and pleading. Andrew did not want to lose Jesus. He wanted to stay with Messiah for the long haul. He did not just want to see him, touch him, or be able to tell the grandkids about the day he had seen Messiah and John had pointed him out. He wanted to be part of the redemption of Israel. If Messiah had indeed come, Andrew was not content to sit on the sidelines and watch the promise fulfilled from a safe distance. He wanted in on the action.

Like God’s words to Isaiah long before, Andrew yearned for God to use him to help bring about the restoration of Israel. He wanted God to do more with his life than so many settled for. Andrew’s spirits rose when Jesus answered, “Come and see.” Those simple words extended hope, opportunity, and a sense of becoming part of God’s plan for redemption, reconciliation, and the fulfillment of promise. The first thing Andrew knew to do was run down his brother the next day. “We have found Messiah!” The news was too good not to share. God’s plan for restoration and hope had arrived at last. Jesus was allowing Andrew to be part of offering this hope to the world. This was much more than he had expected. He still did not know how the story would play out. Perhaps Messiah was come as a lamb, but Andrew was offered a role in the play. How could he be less than ecstatic?

How will we respond to Jesus’ invitation to come and see? In those words, we are welcomed not only to watch God working from afar, but to participate in God’s redemption of the entire world. Are we willing to join God in calling all humanity into God’s awaiting embrace? Will we accept the challenge to allow God to minister through our meager efforts? It is indeed true that God loves the whole world so much that he gave himself on the cross, bearing away the problem of sin. How will we allow God to demonstrate love through our lives? Andrew found more than he expected in Jesus. It changed his life. How much can Jesus expect out of us?

—©2008 Christopher B. Harbin