John: Lamb of God

The next day, he [John] saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. 
 John  1:29 [NRSV]

When I was a little kid, I loved going to church each week to attend my very own class.  There were lots of fun songs, and so many cool things to see and do.  My favorite was the sandbox!  No, not like an outdoor sandbox - this was a little table/desk specially constructed to hold sand.  Our teacher would tell us fascinating Bible stories using colorful paper or felt figures of people, animals, trees, boats and buildings, each glued on a popsicle stick.  She would put up the backdrop figures, placing the sticks in the sand just so. Then each child would get a person, animal or some other object to place in the sand at just the right time in the story.    

When God called the Hebrews out of Egypt, He knew that the huge crowd of Hebrews, Egyptians and a mixture of others [estimates of the total population of the Exodus have ranged as high as 3 million] would need to be taught regarding right, wrong, and their need of a Savior.  So much of the Hebrews’ heritage had been lost during the long years of slavery.  What was the first order of business?  Build a sandbox illustration.   

When camped in the vast desert, the people were divided into four quadrants for their living space, and in the very center was the Sanctuary.  Every aspect of the Sanctuary service was a living lesson in God’s plan of salvation, and at the very heart of the story was the sacrificial lamb.  The pure, innocent lamb was slain for the sins of the people, for “without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin.”   Israel sacrificed untold thousands of lambs over hundreds of years.  Imagine the impact on John the Baptist's disciples when he spotted Jesus in the crowd at the Jordan, and shouted, “Behold! The Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.”   When Jesus died on the cross, the unseen hand of the Master Director shredded the curtain of the temple from top to bottom, signaling the close of the sandbox theater.  The first act had come to an end.  The remainder of the drama would play out on the stage of the universe.

Hear the story from God’s Word

That kings and priests and prophets heard

There would be a sacrifice

And blood would flow to pay sin’s price.

Precious Lamb of glory,

Love’s most wondrous story.

Heart of God’s redemption of man –

Worship the Lamb of glory.

Matthew: The Carpenter's Son

He [Jesus] came to his hometown and began to teach the people in their synagogue, so that they were astounded and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these deeds of power? Is not this the carpenter’s son?”  Matthew 13:54-55a [NRSV]

I have had my share of questions such as, “Aren’t you Clancy’s daughter?” “Aren’t you Josh’s wife?”  “Say, aren’t you Laci’s mom?”  Of course, I always answer in the affirmative.  I am neither distressed or impressed by being known by someone else. Usually the questioner is implying a compliment; I accept it as that.  My father was an exceptional man that I was very proud of.  I feel it an honor to be called “Clancy’s daughter.”

After Jesus began his ministry of teaching and preaching, he eventually returned to His hometown of Nazareth for a visit.  He went into the synagogue and began to instruct the people.  They, in turn, were astounded at his teaching.  Now a grown man in His 30’s, the towns people remembered Him all the way back to toddler time, when Mary and Joseph returned with their Son from Egypt.  They watched Him climb trees, play with the neighborhood boys, take His place at Joseph’s side to learn a craft, then become a carpenter in His own right.  They knew that He had never attended rabbinical school; He was, for the most part, home-schooled by His parents. 

The depth and wisdom of His teachings astonished them – “Wait a minute!  Isn’t this the carpenter’s son from down the street?  The kid that, just like his dad, never went to school?  Who does he think he is coming in here and acting like a rabbi?  Why should we listen to him?”  You would think that the hometown crowd would be proud to welcome a local guy who was now a traveling evangelist.  No, the Bible states that the people were “offended” by Him: upset, insulted.  They would not accept Him.  Jesus sadly replied, “A prophet never lacks honor, except in his home town and in his own family.”  [REB]

Christ came from heaven’s throne

Salvation to bestow,

But people scorned and there was none

The longed-for Christ to know.

Matthew: The Prophet of Nazareth

As He made His entrance into Jerusalem, the whole city was shaken.  Unnerved, people were asking, “What’s going on here?  Who is this?”  The crowds answered, “This is the prophet Jesus, the one from Nazareth in Galilee.”  

 Matthew 21:10-11 [The Message]

Have you ever wanted to make a really grand entrance?  You know - the kind where you float down a huge center staircase under the watchful eyes of the glitterati.  I have never had the opportunity to attend an event that would warrant such a display, and I have neither the poise nor the chutzpah to pull it off.  Give me a book and a seat in the shadows and I will be just fine.

Jesus, on the other hand, had a very important entrance to make, toward the end of His ministry, and it was vital that it be done correctly in order for the symbolism to be clear to the people.  Going all the way back to King Saul, rulers of Israel made their way to their coronation on a very special animal that was reserved solely for the new king’s arrival.  Jesus entered into Jerusalem on the foal of a donkey, just as previous kings had done before Him.  He was proclaiming Himself King – not of Israel, but of the Hebrew people.  Our text indicates that everyone in the city was unnerved by Jesus’ arrival.  “What’s going on here?  Who is this?” they asked each other.  The answer:  the prophet Jesus.

The word “prophet” means “one called by God,” - a person called and qualified to be a spokesperson for God.  “A prophet was mainly a teacher of righteousness, spirituality, and ethical conduct – a moral reformer bearing messages of instruction, counsel, admonition, and warning.”  [Bible Dictionary, 1960]   Jesus was uniquely a prophet: after all, none is more qualified to speak for God than God Himself.  He rode into Jerusalem as both prophet and King – following the pathway that would lead to the cross.

All glory, laud and honor to Thee, Redeemer, King

To whom the lips of children made sweet hosannas ring.

Thou art the King of Israel, Thou David’s royal Son,

Who in the Lord’s name comest, the King and blessed One.