01/19 – John 1:29-42 – What Do You Want?
January 19, 2020
Grace, peace, and mercy be given to you in the name of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. Amen.
What do you want? I mean, what do you really want more than anything else? If a machine existed that could be hooked up to your brain and give a print out of everything you were thinking, what is the one thing that would show up again and again?
I suppose there are as many answers to that question as there are people. It’s a question that has been asked often throughout the ages of time. A couple thousand years ago Jesus asked that question of two men who were following Him.
Jesus of Nazareth had come to the place where John the Baptist was baptizing – as his job description aptly describes. That wasn’t all that strange. Great numbers of people had been heading out into the countryside to see John the Baptist baptize. Most of the people going out to see John were compelled by his message and his call to repentance. John’s message changed people’s hearts. It caused them to desire a change to way the were thinking and acting. John had a good affect on most folks.
Now one day Jesus shows up. Jesus had not yet done any miracles. He had not yet begun to preach or teach. He had not yet begun to tell everyone that He was the Messiah. To everyone in the crowd, Jesus would have looked like any other man heading out to see John. John, however, knew Jesus. He knew Jesus was the One for whom he had been called to prepare the way.1 John’s job was to get people ready to hear Jesus. John knew Jesus was the Savior of the world.
Now John was a tough guy. He didn’t get shocked or excited too easily, but when he saw Jesus he could not contain himself. He shouted out for all to hear, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!” That would have caused people to look. Remember John’s message was, “Repent and be forgiven. Have you sins taken away. Be baptized.” Then John points to a man and says, “That man takes sins away for you.”
The imagery John used was vary familiar to those people. They knew about the daily sacrifice for the people. A perfect lamb without blemish or spot. When John says, “Behold the Lamb of God…” They knew this was particularly important. Everyone would have looked to see who John was talking about, who John was pointing at.
Though Jesus didn’t look like much, John had just given Him a whole bunch of public notoriety. The people were looking for the Messiah. They wanted Him to come. Now, John, a reputable man in the community, has just pointed Him out. That night I’m sure Jesus was the talk around many dinner tables. Then next day it happens all over again. Jesus walks by where John is baptizing and John shouts it out again, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.”
Without comment or question two of John’s students follow Jesus. They need to know more about this man John holds in such high regard. They just walk behind Jesus for a while, and then Jesus turns to them and asks, “What do you want?” It was not a question asked in confrontation like, “What’s your problem, why are you following me?” It was just a simple open-ended question. “What do you want?”
When I read those words I find myself standing in the shoes of those two men. I think about what it would have been like to have Jesus looking at me and talking to me, asking me that question. It should have been a simple question to answer. They followed Him for a reason and they should have been easily able to articulate it, but they hesitated. They didn’t know what to say.
Neither would you. This is Jesus, who has the power to still a storm with a sentence, who has the ability to restore a severed ear with a touch, who can feed thousands of hungry followers with a young boy’s lunch… That’s why when He asks you, “What do you want?” you would do well to give your answer some thought, because here is nothing you could ever want which He cannot give. Anything. Everything. The possibilities are overwhelming, and limitless!
There is a question that is often heard in many tales of adventure which include a genie in a lamp, if you were given three wishes what would you ask for. I’ve thought about that question and I know exactly what I would ask for from the genie. The very first thing out of my mouth would be, “I wish for an infinite number of wishes.”
You see my answer would for all time enslave the genie to my whims and my will. The problem is, here when Jesus asks that question. I, and I hope all of you, are not so foolish as to think you can trap God with your catchy answer. When the One asking the question is real, and can really grant all that you ask, that will get you thinking.
I once heard about a pastor who asked a little girl whether she wanted a baby brother or a baby sister. Apparently the little girl’s father and mother, who was still a few months away from delivery, had spent some time discussing the possibilities with their daughter. Her reply to the pastor’s question was given with a sigh and a tone that said the preacher, who had asked such a silly question, might be just a little bit slow. The little girl said, “Pastor, sometimes you just gotta’ take what God gives ya’.” That was actually a pretty profound answer, wasn’t it?
So, we left the men who were following Jesus a few minutes back. When we left them, they had not yet given their answer. Let’s go back and see what they said to Jesus’.
You’ll never guess what it was. If I gave you a million years, and a million tries you couldn’t guess what they asked of Jesus.
Jesus asked, “What do you want?”
The men replied, “Ah, Teacher, where are you staying?2”
That’s it. That’s what they said. “Where are you staying?” “Where are you staying?!” That’s all they could come up with, they wanted to know where Jesus was spending the night. It’s not what you would have said. It’s not what I would have said, but that is what they said. And Jesus said, “Come on along and see.3”
You know those men did go along, and they did see. They saw Jesus share the heavenly Father’s love with endless thousands of sinners.4 They saw Jesus calm storms,5 walk on water,6 and even turn water into wine.7 They heard Jesus put down those who were overly proud,8 and lift up those who were crushed down by sin.9 They saw Jesus raise those who were dead in body10 and soul.11 And they also saw Jesus arrested.12 They saw Him condemned,13 and they knew He died on the cross.14
They also saw an empty tomb;15 they saw Jesus’ burial clothes left in the grave nicely folded.16 They saw a living Jesus, and they had the opportunity to listen to Him, and eat with Him,17 and if they had chosen, to touch Him.18 They saw Jesus ascend into Heaven,19 and they saw the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost with wind and fire.20
That day the church was born, and they talked about the things they had seen, they shared how Jesus had the ability to forgive sins, to pull souls from the fires of Hell. They shared how Jesus cared when no one else was concerned; how Jesus would listen, even when everybody else had tuned you out; how Jesus would be with you, when family and friends had forgotten you. They shared that Jesus did for us what we could not do for ourselves.
So now, “What do you want?” Do you want a long life? Jesus gives you eternity. Do you want to be rich? He can take you to a place where money is meaningless, and gold is used for paving streets. Do you want to be surrounded by people who care for you? Heaven is filled with such souls. Do you want freedom? Jesus died to grant you freedom from sin, death, and the power of the devil. All the things that we want, all the things that are deep within us, Jesus knows about, and supplies.
When that question hits you, “What do you want?” Jesus should be at the top of the list. Come and see Him, meet Him. Today He invites you to see the greatest love you will ever encounter. He offers you the greatest gift you can ever receive. He invites you into His family, into His home, into a peace that surpasses all human understanding. If you need to know more, turn to the words of your Holy God, found in Holy Scripture. There, you can meet Jesus who is everything you could ever want.
Once upon a time, there was a little boy who loved his father very much. He wanted to be around his dad 24/7. The boy tried to walk like his dad; talk like his dad; laugh like his dad; be like his dad. He was Dad’s second shadow.
One day, when Dad was working in his home, the boy came in and stood silently next to his father. The boy didn’t say anything, he just watched his dad. Dad looked up at his son. The son looked at his dad. After a few minutes, Dad looked again; the son hadn’t blinked. Finally, to break the boy’s unshakable gaze, Dad asked, “Well, my little man, what do you want?”
“Nothing, Dad,” came back the reply, “I just want to be near you.”
It’s a good answer. It’s probably the best reply you can give to Jesus who asks, “What do you want?”
May God grant your answer be, “I want nothing more, dear Savior, than just to be near You.” Amen.
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NOTES
1Matthew 3:3
2John 1:38
3John 1:39
4Matthew 14:13-21
5Mark 4:35-41
6Mark 6:45-52
7John 2:1-12
8Mat 23
9Matthew 5:1-12
10John 11:1-44
11John 8:1-11
12Luke 22:47-53
13Luke 23:18:25
14Luke 23:44-49
15Luke 24:1-12
16Luke 24:12
17Luke 24:36-49
18Luke 24:39
19Luke 24:50-52
20Acts 2:1-4
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