“Because He First Loved Me!” (John 1:43-51)

Thicker than Blood

On Christmas Eve in 1952, when Korea was in the middle of civil war, one young woman struggled along a village street. She was about to deliver a child and pleaded with passersby. But no one paid any attention to her. She had heard of a missionary who lived in a neighboring village who might help her. But on the way she realized her time was near to deliver her baby, and she took shelter under a bridge. There, alone, her baby was born. Since that night was so cold, she took off her own clothes, wrapped them around the baby, and held him close in the warm circle of her arms. Early the next morning as the missionary was delivering Christmas packages, he heard the cry of a baby. He followed the sound to a bridge. There, he found a young mother frozen to death, and the baby was still crying. The missionary adopted this baby. When the baby was ten years old, he told him the story of his mother's death. The young boy cried. The next morning the missionary rose early to find the young boy's bed empty. He found the boy under the bridge where the young mother had died. As the missionary approached the bridge, he stopped, stunned. In the snow his son was naked and was shivering uncontrollably. He heard the boy say, “Mother, were you this cold for me?” This is a mother’s love. But the Bible says that there is even greater love than mother’s love. In Isaiah 49:15-16 the Lord says, “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.” God showed his great love for us by sending Jesus Christ. Today’s Scripture tells us how much Jesus loves each of us and how his love changes our life.

“I Know You, Honest Nathanael!” (v. 47)

Nathanael was a person of strong prejudices. When his friend, Philip, invited him, he said, “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” He was skeptical. But, he had one good character, that is, “Honesty.” Jesus did not miss it. When Jesus saw him coming, he said to him, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.” Nathanael had one good thing out of many weaknesses. Jesus overlooked all his other weaknesses on purpose. And he focused on Nathanael’s one good potential. Jesus encouraged him, “Nathanael, you are a man of integrity. You are a purehearted person.”

We know the story of David. When David reached the camp, he saw Goliath and heard how he was defying the armies of the living God. David wanted to go and fight Goliath. At the moment Eliab, David’s oldest brother, heard David speaking with the men. He distorted David’s good intention. He burned with anger at David and said, “I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle” (1Sam 17:28). But, God did not see David that way. He said, “I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do” (Acts 13:22). God did see David through the eyes of love. When Jesus prayed at Gethsemane, he asked the disciples to keep watch and pray with him. But all of them fell asleep. When Jesus saw them, he did not rebuke them. Instead, he said, “The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” He saw them through the eyes of love. Jesus always finds one good thing within us out of our many weaknesses. He always sees our potential. He always sees us through the eyes of love. No matter what people say, always Jesus says to us, “How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, how beautiful! You are pure like dove!” (Sg 1:15) In reality, we are not that pure. We are not that honest at all. But, he considers us pure and honest. By this great love of Christ, Nathanael begins to open up his heart.

“I Saw You under the Fig Tree!” (v. 48)

Then, Nathanael asks, “How do you know me?” Jesus answers, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” Jesus knows not only our heart today, but also he knows our past. He remembers our struggles, our tears, and our prayers, but he doesn’t remember our wickedness and our sins. In Jeremiah 31:34, the Lord says, “I will forgive your wickedness and will remember your sins no more!” This is the heart of our Heavenly Father. This is the heart of our Lord Jesus. In Jewish tradition the shade of the fig tree is normally considered as a place for meditation and prayer. Nathanael was skeptical and cynical, but deep down in his heart, he was seriously seeking God under the fig tree. He shed tears there in secret. He prayed there in secret. Jesus did not remember Nathanael’s wickedness, but he did remember his tears and prayers. For me personally, there was a time when I was spiritually wandering and had my mother’s heart break especially during my college years. I still remember the day when I asked my mother’s forgiveness for all my faults. When I asked her forgiveness, she said to me, “My son, I don’t remember your faults, but I do remember how much I was happy for you and proud of you in each and every stage of life.” Jesus says to Nathanael, “I saw your tears. I heard your prayers.” All of us in this room have our own fig tree, where we pour out our hearts like water to the Lord in secret. There, he sees our tears. There, he hears our prayers.

“You Shall See Greater Things!” (v. 50)

Today not only does Jesus comfort us, but also he instills new vision and purpose of life into us. Now Nathanael is still a vulnerable and flawed person both in the past and since he has met Jesus. But, Jesus says to him, “You will see greater things than that!” Our Lord Jesus is a visionmaker. When he looks at us, he doesn’t see us as a flawed person today. But, he always sees our future being and our transformed being. And he declares to us, “You are a new creature. You are being changed into my image day by day. You will be a fisher of men!” This love changes us. This love compels us. When I was young, I went to the church that my grandfather was a senior pastor and my uncle and father were associate pastors. One day, by accident, I overheard them choosing the church leadership for the next year. My grandfather recommended one particular person, but my uncle and father opposed and said, “This person is not qualified according to our data in terms of tithing practice, Sunday service attendance, etc. You probably don’t know that he still drinks and smokes.” Then grandfather said, “I know that, but he will do great.” He always tried to see people’s good character and potential more than their current external circumstances. He guided them and prayed for them. The amazing thing was that most of them grew in love and became mature Christians just as he expected.

Today’s passage in verse 51 Jesus says to Nathanael, “I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” This statement reminds us of one bible story: “The story of Jacob.” Nathanael and Jacob have in common in many ways. Jacob was a second son of Isaac. Compared to Esau, his brother, he was a quiet person. He didn’t find favor in his father’s eyes. He decided to improve his lot by his own effort. He bought Esau’s birthright and took the father’s blessing. What was the result? He was turned adrift and had to run away to his uncle’s house. Jacob was not attractive or loving person. But, it is the unlovable who need love the most. In the middle of his journey God appeared to this unlovable Jacob in his dream. Jacob saw the angels of God ascending and descending on the stairway. The Lord said to him, “Before I formed you in the womb I chose you. You are a blessing. All peoples will be blessed through you… I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go… I will not leave you!” (Gen 25:23; 28:14-15). After this, Jacob was turned into a new person. He was changed from ‘taker’ to ‘giver.’ For the first time he worshipped the Lord in spirit and truth, and for the first time he made a vow to tithe to the Lord.

Nathanael was similar to Jacob. He was not attractive like Peter. He was not intelligent like Philip. Rather, he was a quiet and skeptical person. But, Jesus saw his pure heart inside of him and his honest desire for the truth, and Jesus said to him, “You are a true Israelite. I know you well before you were born. I will show you greater things!” As Jesus promised, he showed Nathanael many great things, including seven major miraculous signs, written in the Gospel of John. In the end, Jesus died on the cross, was raised from the dead, and poured out the Holy Spirit upon Nathanael. Nathanel became a new person. He fell in love with Jesus more and more. He trusted in Jesus more and more. Most scholars believe that Nathanael and Bartholomew were the same person. According to church tradition, there are three famous stories about Bartholomew's death. The most famous account says that he was skinned alive and beheaded in southeastern Turkey. So he is often shown with a large knife, holding his own skin as you see in Michelangelo's Last Judgment. At first, Nathanael was skeptical and said, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” But later, he becomes a faithful disciple and boldly dies for Jesus.

The Second Nathanaels

In verse 51, when Jesus says, “I tell you the truth,” the ‘you’ is a second person plural in the original text. In other words, Jesus is speaking not only to Nathanael, but also to all who will follow him. He is calling each of us today, “Follow me, and you will see greater things!” His calling is not an invitation to success. He calls us to come and die with him. It is a narrow gate, but it is a glorious path which leads to eternal life! Are you willing to accept his invitation? Are you willing to bring your family and friends to Jesus? My prayer is that they will be the second Nathanaels who would come to Jesus and die for him! Jesus is still calling them and us today, “Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come with me!” (Sg 2:10)

“Watch the Lamb!” (John 1:29-34)

The Denial of Death
In 1973, Ernest Becker wrote a Pulitzer Prize winning book called The Denial of Death. The main thesis of this book is that the fear of death haunts the human animal like nothing else; it is a mainspring of human activity—activity designed largely to avoid the fatality of death, to overcome it by denying in some way that it is the final destiny for man. Becker says that the fear of death produces a pervasive, lifelong bondage. Fear makes us restrained, confined, narrow, robbing us of adventure and dreams for the sake of Christ and his kingdom. Without knowing it, fear of death binds us with invisible ropes, confining us to small, safe, self-centered ways of life. The Book of Hebrews agrees with Becker. Hebrews 2:15 says that the whole human race is subject to lifelong slavery through fear of death. Unfortunately, Becker has no solution for this bondage, but Jesus does.

We as a church are grieving over the recent deaths of our loved ones. Those incidents make us stop and ask ourselves: “Why this person died so unexpectedly?” “Why did that person had to suffer so badly?” “What happens when I die?” The list of questions goes on. Those questions may make us depressed and increase our fear of dying. But we do have a merciful and faithful high priest who has gone through this. He is able to comfort us and help us to walk through our grief (Heb 2:18). He is able to set us free from the fear of death. In today’s text John the Baptist introduces Jesus in two ways: “The Lamb of God” (v. 29) and “the Baptizer of the Holy Spirit” (v. 33). This morning we will explore why these two roles of Jesus are so important for us to overcome our grief and loss, guilt and shame, anxiety and fear of death.


The Removal of Sin (v. 29)
John the Baptist sees Jesus coming toward him and he says, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” The first and the greatest gift of Jesus Christ our Savior is a taking away of all our sins. Sin has power. Once we commit sin, from that moment it begins to have authority over us. We become lifelong slaves to sin and are controlled by sin. Jesus says, “Everyone who sins is a slave to sin” (John 8:34). Now this is not the end. The necessary consequence of sin is death. The Message Bible translates Romans 6:23 in this way: “Work hard for sin your whole life and your pension is death.” After death, we have to face judgment (Heb 9:27). The problem is that there is no way to take away sin in this world. In other words, there is no way for us to flee from this vicious circle: sin -> death -> judgment. At the end of our rope we cry out, “What a wretched person I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” (Rom 7:24) Then, we see the light of salvation. We see the Lamb of God, who takes away our sin. Hebrews 2:14-15 puts this good news in this way: “Since the children [that’ us] have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity [he became human], so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil – and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” By his death Jesus has taken away our sin and the fear of death once for all.


Gordon MacDonald was a pastor of Grace Chapel in Lexington, MA for 12 years. In 1987 he admitted to an adulterous affair. He publicly repented. He experienced forgiveness of sin in a very personal way. He asks us to imagine the scene of Jesus’ baptism if it took place in the twenty-first century. Imagine John’s baptism occurs in our lifetimes, so we go out to be baptized by John. Imagine someone decided to get organized, so they set up a registration table, handing out nametags for each person who wants to be baptized by John. When a person registered for baptism, the person working the registration would ask, "What’s your name? And what sins do you need to repent of?" You’d say, "My name is Gordon and I’m an adulterer." So each person to be baptized would have a nametag with their name and their sin written on it. My nametag would say, "Victor" and then underneath would be words like “hypocrisy,” "pride," and "judgmental spirit." Then comes Jesus who doesn’t need a nametag, and he asks each of us to take off our nametags. As Jesus prepares for his baptism, he puts all our nametags on himself, mine and yours, my name and your name, my sins and your sins. And then Jesus goes into the waters of baptism, identifying himself with our sins. That’s why Jesus was baptized by John. Jesus became our sin, and we became his righteousness (2 Co 5:21).

What would you have on your nametag? Perhaps your nametag would have “unforgiving spirit” or "gossip” or "premarital sex" or “guilt of abortion” or “scars from divorce.” Whatever we have on our nametags, Jesus takes off ours and gives us a new nametag, on which is written, “Beloved child of God” (cf. Matt 3:17). All we have to do is to confess our sins and to trust in the Lamb of God who takes away our guilt and shame, sin and sadness, anxiety and fear of death. You don’t have to wait until you die. You can get a fresh start right now. Look to Jesus Christ. Look! Look! Look! You have nothing to do but to look to the Lamb of God, and the cloud and darkness will be rolled away, and you will live!

The Bestowal of the Holy Spirit (v. 33)
Indeed, the forgiveness of sins is the wonderful gift that only God can give us. But God’s salvation is much more than just forgiveness of sins. Not only does God remove our sins, but also he bestows the Holy Spirit upon us without limit. That is the other half of God’s plan of salvation. In today’s passage John the Baptist cries out at the top of his voice, “He will baptize with the Holy Spirit.” On the night Jesus was betrayed, he said to his disciples, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Paracletos to be with you forever” (John 14:16). And he continued, “But Paracletos, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (v. 26). The Greek term, Paracletos, which refers to the Holy Spirit, can be translated as “Advocate” (NRSV) or “Helper” (ESV) or “Comforter” (KJV) or “Counselor” (NIV). In our life’s journey on earth God knows we need this Paracletos to finish the race and to keep the faith.

On January 19, 1981, a group of terrorists called "M-19" broke into the S.I.L. residence in Bogotá, Columbia, and kidnapped Wycliffe translator Chet Bitterman. The communiqué from the terrorists read, "Chet Bitterman will be executed unless the Summer Institute of Linguistics and all its members leave Columbia by 6:00 PM February 19." Wycliffe did not budge. Brenda Bitterman and her two little children waited 48 days. On March 7 the terrorists shot Chet Bitterman through the heart and left his body on a bus in Bogota. More than one hundred Wycliffe members in Columbia were given the choice of a new field. None left. And two hundred candidates volunteered to take Chet Bitterman's place.

When we hear stories like these, we ask ourselves, “Could I stand it?” “Would I have the courage of Chet Bitterman?” or more practically, “If I battled fatal disease and had to suffer so badly, would I still have the strength to endure it and keep the faith?” Corrie ten Boom helped many Jews escape the Nazi Holocaust during WWII and was imprisoned for it. She tells how she worried as a girl whether she would be able to stand against the Germans if she was threatened. She felt so weak when she thought about what might happen. Her father gave her a great illustration. He said, "When you are going to take a journey on the train, do I give you your ticket three weeks early or just as you get on the train?" She answered, "As I get on the train." "So God will give you the special strength you need to be strong in the face of death just when you need it, not before." Corrie was released from a Nazi concentration camp, but in her last years she suffered several strokes. The first stroke made her unable to speak, the second stroke resulted in paralysis, and after a third stroke she died. But she endured trials and tribulations and finished the race. The Holy Spirit doesn’t help you escape hardship, but surely he will give you the strength to endure it. The Holy Spirit will help you die the way you should. He will sustain your faith. He will stand by you when there is no one else. He will be with you forever!

Watch the Lamb!
The Bible says the last enemy to be destroyed is death (1Co 15:26). The devil still intimidates us with all kinds of troubles, hardships, persecutions, sufferings, diseases, and death threats (cf. Rom 8:35). But by the blood of Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit we have victory. We fight from victory, not for victory. Apostle Paul puts it in this way: “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?... But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” And then, he concludes, “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1Co 15:55, 57-58). I pray that as we get through the grieving process; as we go through valley experiences in life, we will remember the words of today’s message. We have Jesus. Jesus is all we need. In Christ we are forgiven, and by his Spirit we are able. In Christ our life is invincible, and by his Spirit our church is unstoppable. Look, the Lamb of God! He will take away your sin. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit! Amen. 

“How Do You Respond to King Jesus?” (Matt 2:1-12)

Epiphany?

Today we celebrate Epiphany Sunday. Literally, Epiphany means “manifestation,” or “striking appearance.” Epiphany always falls on January 6. In early centuries Epiphany was one of the three major festivals of the Christian calendar, along with Easter and Pentecost. So on this special day we celebrate the revelation of God the Son as a human being in Jesus Christ to his people, especially to the Gentiles. Today’s scripture is about how the people responded to King Jesus. It is well known that how the wise men responded to the Christ child. But in fact, in this passage we see at least three different responses to the manifestation of Jesus Christ. C. S. Lewis, in his book Mere Christianity, said that people often say: “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse.” Who do you say Jesus is? How do you respond to Jesus? That is the driving question of today’s passage.

Hostility: Herod’s Response (vv. 3-4, 7-8)

After Jesus was born, a special star was placed in the sky as a “sign” for his birth. When King Herod heard of this star, he was “troubled” (KJV), “disturbed” (NIV), and “frightened” (NRSV). He became very angry and deeply threatened by the fact that another king, a greater King was born. Historians tell us that in Herod’s last years he grew increasingly paranoid to protect his throne. He even murdered his wife (Miramne I) and later her two sons (Alexander and Aristobulus). When Herod learned that he had been tricked by the wise men, he became furious and ordered to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under (v. 16). Across the ages and in all countries of the world Christian persecution has been always in existence. According to the United States Department of State, Christians in more than 60 countries face persecution from their governments or surrounding neighbors simply because of their belief in Jesus Christ. Each month 322 Christians are killed for their faith. Each month 214 churches and Christian properties are destroyed. Each month 772 forms of violence are committed against Christians. Not only in hostile countries, but also here in the United Sates many people are hostile to Christianity. When I lived in Boston, I used to evangelize on the streets after class on a weekly basis for about a year. And I met so many different kinds of people, especially college students. When we had small talk, they were nice and friendly, but when I started talking about Jesus and his cross, their attitude toward me changed suddenly. Many of them were troubled and disturbed and even hostile. This is the first kind of response to Jesus.

Indifference: Religious Leaders’ Response (vv. 4-6)

The second kind of people is represented by the chief priests and scribes. They are the people who simply do nothing about Jesus. According to verse 4-6, these religious leaders had scriptural knowledge about where the Messiah would be born. They even accurately quoted from Micah 5:2, “And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.” But that was it. They went back to business as usual. Their biblical knowledge did not lead them to accompany the Magi to Bethlehem to worship Jesus. In fact, they were not interested in the arrival of the Savior because they were contented with their present life. They did not need a Savior. Like these religious leaders, there are many in the church who have scriptural knowledge and affirm its teaching. They regularly attend church and pray a prayer. But in reality, deep down in their hearts they feel indifferent towards Jesus. Pastor and theologian Michael Horton, in his book Christless Christianity, said, “In short, the spirituality of American is Christian in name only…We embrace preferences rather than truth. We seek comfort rather than growth…We have enthroned ourselves as the final arbiters of righteousness, the ultimate rulers of our own experience and destiny.” John Wesley called this kind of people “Almost Christians.” Many of us fall under this category. We see God’s sign, but we don’t want to go there. We hear God’s message, but we don’t want to change patterns of our lives because then we need to give up our preferences and comfort. We find ourselves in the religious leaders.

Worship: The Wise Men’s Response (vv. 1-2, 9-12)

Then we meet the third kind of people, the Magi, who were the true worshippers. In today’s passage we learn from the Magi what it means to be true worshippers. First, true worshippers come to the light. Scholars assume that the Magi came from the environs of Babylon. If so, they would have traveled about nine hundred miles. It would have taken at least several months. When they saw the star, God’s sign, they spared no efforts to leave their country and come to Jerusalem. They admitted that they lived in darkness and that they needed a Savior. They came to investigate the arrival of the Savior for themselves. John 3:21 says, “But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light…” The Magi came to the light. Second, true worshippers ask, seek, and knock until they find the truth. The term “Magi” originally referred to a priestly caste in ancient Persia, perhaps followers of Zoroaster. The Magi were court magicians or astrologers. They were gentiles. They were unclean pagan worshippers. They didn’t have accurate biblical knowledge unlike the Jewish leaders. But deep down in their hearts they were seeking the truth. They were seeking a Savior. So they came and asked Herod and the religious leaders, “Where can I find the newborn King of the Jews?” And finally, they came face to face with King Jesus. Third, true worshippers do their ascribing with sacrificial gifts. The Magi didn’t come to Jesus empty-handed. Instead, they brought their precious and valuable gifts – gold, incense, and myrrh – to Jesus the King. They worshiped Jesus with sacrificial gifts.

God’s Love, Our Love

Probably, many of you have read “The Gift of the Magi” a short story written by O. Henry. Jim and his wife, Della, are a couple living in a modest apartment. They have only two possessions between them in which they take pride: Della's beautiful long, flowing hair and Jim's shiny gold watch, which had belonged to his father and grandfather. On Christmas Eve Della was desperate to find a gift for Jim, but she had only $1.87 in hand. She decides to sell her hair for $20 to a wigmaker, and eventually she finds a gold watch chain for $21. She buys that chain with joy. Without knowing what she has done, Jim sells his cherished watch to buy expensive hair accessories for his wife. At 7 o’clock, Jim walks in and gives Della her present. Della then shows Jim the chain she bought for him. Both Jim and Della are now left with the gifts that neither one can use, but they realize how priceless their love really is. The very act of sacrificial giving defines what it means to love each other.

God showed first his sacrificial love by not sparing his own Son but giving him up for us. In Romans 5:8 Apostle Paul tells us, “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” God has entered our lives in Jesus, and we have never been the same. By God’s sacrificial giving, we experience a fundamental transformation, and now we give ourselves to King Jesus. When the Magi gave their gifts to Christ, I think they would have given with this in mind, “Lord, I have not come to you for your things, but for yourself,” Lord, you are my treasure, not these things!” If the Magi knew this song, I think they would sing along their journey:

Lord, You are more precious than silver.

Lord, You are more costly than gold.

Lord, You are more beautiful than diamonds.

Nothing I desire compares with you.

I think that's what it means to worship God with gifts of gold and incense and myrrh. While I was meditating on today’s scripture, I had time to prepare my own gifts to King Jesus. I prepared three gifts: (1) Lord, I offer “my money and possessions” to you. You are more costly than gold. (2) Lord, I offer “my family” to you. You are more important than anyone else. (3) Lord, I offer “my dreams, my plans, my preferences, my ambitions and my life” to you. You are more precious than anything else. True love requires a mutual self-sacrificial giving. Jesus was already born in Bethlehem and in us. He has already entered our lives as our King and Savior. He already laid down his life for us. He already gave everything that he could give. And now it’s our turn. How do you respond to King Jesus? What gifts would you bring to him?