Unbreakable Joy: Behold the Lamb of God

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Behold the Lamb of God

John 1:35-37

The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!" The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.

"Behold the Lamb of God."

I heard somebody say recently that some of the best sermons ever preached were given only to a handful of people. John's 5 word statement "Behold the Lamb of God" is likely one of the greatest messages ever given. The ramifications of these 5 words are innumerable and the depths of the implications bottomless. John's very life echoed his words and also preached this exact message.

"Behold the Lamb of God."

Are you seeing Him? Are you trying to see Him? Are you digging to find more of that great treasure hidden in a field? Do you want to see more of Him, or have you seen enough? Does your life echo the message preached by John some 2,000 years ago? If not what is your life preaching?

There are many things to do in our day, many things to occupy our time with. Yet there is no greater treasure to pursue, no greater love to be sought. The very same struggle highlighted in the story of Mary and Martha (Luke 10:42) is something we too often struggle with.

Our hearts are aimed at that which is of most value to us. What is your heart aimed at today? What was it aimed at yesterday? What will it be aimed at tomorrow? There's a story about a rich man who was trying to aim at eternal life, but missed because he would not aim at Jesus and because he was already aiming at what he thought was most valuable, namely his possessions (Matthew 19).

What are you aiming at?

Life is war!

The battle is for the affections of your heart!

Behold the Lamb of God!

I'm writing this today as much to myself as for anyone else who may read it. What is my life preaching? If my life is preaching anything less than behold the Lamb of God, than it's time for some target practice and some "sighting in" of my life.

2 comments:

mwh said...: I often find myself living like Martha--thanks for the reminder to aim for the center of the target!; July 22, 2008 at 9:02 AM
John said...: "Yet there is no greater treasure to pursue, no greater love to be sought."

Amen.; July 23, 2008 at 6:53 AM

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Noteworthy Quotes

Christianity preaches the infinite worth of that which is seemingly so worthless and the infinite worthlessness of that which is seemingly so valued.
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer

I saw more clearly than ever, that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was, to have my soul happy in the Lord.
- George Mueller

If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.
- C.S. Lewis

A pharisee is hard on others and easy on himself, a spiritual man is hard on himself and easy on others.
- A. W. Tozer

Our hearts are restless until we find our rest in Thee.
- Augustine

All men seek happiness. This is without exception. Whatever different means they employ, they all tend to this end. The cause of some going to war, and of others avoiding it, is the same desire in both, attended with different views. The will never takes the least step but to this object. This is the motive of every action of every man, even of those who hang themselves.
- Blaise Pascal

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.
- Jim Elliot

Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.
- C. S. Lewis

He loves Thee too little, who loves anything together with Thee, which he loves not for Thy sake.
- Augustine

The men of this world are children. Offer a child an apple or a bank note, and he will doubtless choose the apple.
- John Newton

In the end the heart longs not for any of God's good gifts, but for God Himself. To see Him and know Him and be in His presence is the soul's final feast. Beyond this there is no quest. Words fail. We call it pleasure, joy, delight. But these are weak pointers to the unspeakable experience.
- John Piper

God cannot give us happiness and peace apart from Him, because it is not there. There is no such thing.
- C.S. Lewis

It is well that we accept the hard truth now: The man who would know God must give time to Him. He must count no time wasted which is spent in the cultivation of His acquaintance. He must give himself to meditation and prayer hours on end. So did the saints of old, the glorious company of the apostles, the Godly fellowship of the prophets and the believing members of the holy church in all generations. And so must we if we would follow in their train.
- A.W. Tozer

If God contains the fullness of all good things in Himself like an inexhaustible fountain, nothing beyond him is to be sought by those who strike after the highest good and all the elements of happiness.
- John Calvin

God is most glorified in you when you are most satisfied in Him.
- John Piper

God glorifies Himself toward the creature in two ways; by appearing to their understanding, and in communicating Himself to thief hearts and their rejoicing in and delighting in Him, and enjoying manifestations He makes of Himself. God is Glorified not only by His glories being seen, but by it’s being rejoiced in. When those that see it delight in it God is more glorified than if they only see it. His glory is then received by the whole soul, both by the understanding and by the heart. God made the world that he might communicate and the creature receive His glory, and that it might be received both by the mind and the heart. He that testifies His idea of God’s glory doesn’t glorify God so much as he that testifies also his approbation of it and his delight in it.
- Jonathan Edwards