Third Sunday of Epiphany – 20th January 2008

Kill it, Cook it, Eat it’ – is the name of the current BBC series in which members of a studio audience are taken to see how young animals are taken from their mothers while their still suckling and slaughtered for the dining table. Members of the studio audience are seen crying and devastated about what they witness because they did not allow themselves to think about the truth of what is involved.

I too watched one of the programmes and as I watched a baby lamb being led to slaughter I couldn’t help but be reminded of John’s description of Jesus as a Lamb. No, I’m not on a mission to convert you all into vegetarianism – I’m just pointing out the importance of everyone being able to make an informed decision of knowing the facts and making a personal response.

It seems to me today on Education Sunday that we should all re-commit ourselves to educate people about Jesus the Lamb of God and the sacrifice he made for each and everyone of us.

Through the Christmas story we have encountered the baby Jesus born in an animal stable. I’m sure that if we were there we too would join in the excitement of a new-born. But as Mary looked at her little Lamb little would she know that he would grow to be a living sacrifice, to be slaughtered in a cruel a barbaric manner. Did she see “the thorns in the straw on that starry night” – as the Graham Kendrick song goes?

Last Sunday we had the beauty of Matthew's narrative account of the baptism of Our Lord. This week John returns, with a wake up call. The Lamb will take away the sins of the world and it won’t be a pretty sight.

So when John the Baptist encounters Jesus in our Gospel reading this morning his description of Jesus as the Lamb of God conjures in us fear – fear for the baby born in a manger, fear for the one for whom his Father is “well pleased” and appreciation for the one who is to die in order that we may live.

But what did John mean when he spoke of Jesus in words, which liken him to an animal? What do we mean when we sing in the Agnus Dei “Jesus Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us”.

Well the routes of the expression can be found of course in Exodus with the Passover Lamb but it was also found on the Festival of the Day of Atonement, a goat was ejected from the temple with a scarlet piece of woollen cloth on its head. It was goaded and driven, either to death or into the wilderness, carrying with it the sins of the congregation.

It was believed that if these sins were forgiven the scarlet cloth would turn white. The goat therefore became the “scapegoat” who carried the sins of the people. John the Baptist therefore is introducing Jesus as the one who will take away the sins of the world.

It’s difficult for us today to understand the practice of animal sacrifice but at the time people wanted to know that God did not hold their sins against them. People needed to know that God forgave them and loved them and at the heart of this lay the killing of innocent animals.Old Testament Jews did not fully understand the nature of sin and forgiveness. It was when Jesus came to earth that people began to have a new understanding. God comes to earth in the person of Jesus and brings to an end the need for sacrificial killing. No more lambs to kill, goats to drive off into the wilderness, Jesus comes and shows us that he is prepared to die himself to bring the old ways of Judaism to an end.

If ever we needed confirmation that God loves us and forgives us, then this is it, that God dies to make it abundantly clear.

John the Baptist is saying that this particular lamb - this particular person - has been given by God to take away the sins of the whole world.

Sin, as every child of Israel knew, leads to death. Permanent Death. Final Death. Caput!

But the Lamb of God offers us the real hope of eternal life where sin – death - is no more. John the Baptist recognises Jesus in this way. So Jesus takes away our fear of death and we can pray that he will have mercy on us.

When we tell people about Jesus, be it through our worship, young people’s activities, the work of the education committee, mothers union, luncheon club, we can pray that as we say ‘here is the Lamb of God’ others will respond and will want to follow Jesus. John the Baptist’s disciples surely did and they immediately followed Jesus. ‘What are you looking for? Jesus says to them. I’m sure he is saying that to us also. What are you looking for? I wonder how we would answer when asked such a challenging and momentous question by someone who we have just been told, by a trustworthy source, is the Son of God.

They immediately recognise him as a rabbi, which of course translated means teacher. They want to know more about him. Their response prompts Jesus to invite them to “come and see”. After a day spent with Jesus, learning from his teaching, they recognise Jesus as the Messiah. It is the beginning of a shared life long commitment to follow Jesus, absorbing and reflecting on his teaching and example.

Today, like Andrew and Peter, we are those disciples who are asked to recognise and respond to Jesus. To come and see, but also to go and tell.

Paul reminds us of the grace given to us in Jesus which enriches our speaking and our knowledge.

This pattern of finding Jesus and being invited to continue a journey with him is important to Christians around the world.

In the centenary year of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Christians across denominations are considering what it means to when we take Paul’s advice to ‘pray without ceasing’. I hope that many of us from St Andrews, Cobham will join fellow Christians at St Andrews Oxshott for an ecumenical act of worship this evening to commemorate this week of prayer for Christian unity. For we are all called to follow the Lamb of God. To respond to the one who offered himself as a symbol of the fragility andvulnerability of incarnation.

Some of you may be surprised that we will soon be in Lent. After all Christmas was not that long ago. But maybe we need to be reminded that the baby we have been cooing over grew up to be slaughtered in a cruel and barbaric way in order that we can have life in all its abundance. Our mission must be to tell others to “come and see” the Lamb of God so that everyone may know the consequences of what killing the Lamb has done for you and for me. Amen

©Renos Pittarides 2008