(John 1.29-42)

29-31The very next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and yelled out, "Here he is, God's Passover Lamb! He forgives the sins of the world! This is the man I've been talking about, 'the One who comes after me but is really ahead of me.' I knew nothing about who he was-only this: that my task has been to get Israel ready to recognize him as the God-Revealer. That is why I came here baptizing with water, giving you a good bath and scrubbing sins from your life so you can get a fresh start with God." 32-34John clinched his witness with this: "I watched the Spirit, like a dove flying down out of the sky, making himself at home in him. I repeat, I know nothing about him except this: The One who authorized me to baptize with water told me, 'The One on whom you see the Spirit come down and stay, this One will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' That's exactly what I saw happen, and I'm telling you, there's no question about it: This is the Son of God." Come, See for Yourself 35-36The next day John was back at his post with two disciples, who were watching. He looked up, saw Jesus walking nearby, and said, "Here he is, God's Passover Lamb." 37-38The two disciples heard him and went after Jesus. Jesus looked over his shoulder and said to them, "What are you after?" They said, "Rabbi" (which means "Teacher"), "where are you staying?" 39He replied, "Come along and see for yourself." They came, saw where he was living, and ended up staying with him for the day. It was late afternoon when this happened. 40-42Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard John's witness and followed Jesus. The first thing he did after finding where Jesus lived was find his own brother, Simon, telling him, "We've found the Messiah" (that is, "Christ"). He immediately led him to Jesus. Jesus took one look up and said, "You're John's son, Simon? From now on your name is Cephas" (or Peter, which means "Rock").

This is sermon '2' on John the Baptist. Last week we learnt that he was wild and uncouth He came out of the desert eating locusts and wild honey and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. This week we see that this wild man was also a gracious man. He was clearly not competitive (unlike me and many vicars who will quickly but surreptitiously ask "how many do you get?") - he was happy to take second place and to give all the attention to Jesus. Based on John's witness, two of John's own disciples follow Jesus. The movement is away from John and toward Jesus. John will later say, "He must increase, and I must decrease" (3:30). All four gospels insist that John is a subordinate figure to Jesus, but the fourth gospel may take the strongest position of all - we are told that John "himself was not the light." John himself testifies to the higher "rank" of Jesus. He was "before me," John says, perhaps another reference to Jesus' pre-existence already stated in verse one: "In the beginning was the Word."

The behaviour of John and Jesus gives us the key to understanding the baptism service. John is happy to put in the time understanding who Jesus is and what that would mean to him. Jesus is happy to put himself in a vulnerable position by going public over his identity as the Messiah. John did not immediately realise who Jesus was and then later on John's disciples also failed to recognise him. Even when they had worked out who he was Jesus still needed to spend the day explaining himself to them - any understanding John and his disciples had of Jesus was not instantaneous but took time and needed to be worked at.

A public statement makes you more and not less vulnerable. If you say to someone 'I love you' then the relationship changes and it can not go back to what it was before. In terms of negative emotions people use the saying 'least said soonest mended'. Something is created by the words used. A public statement gives a reality to what we say or do. Coming to church gives a reality to your faith in Jesus. People sometimes tell me that there is no need for them to come to church to believe in God - they tell me that 'It is something in my heart'. If someone is given no choice about church going then it is legalism. However if someone refuses to consider going to church because belief is 'something in their heart' then it is sentimentality. Action changes the thinking but not necessarily the thinking the action - what are you going to do differently

Some people will believe anything. It was reported in Thursday's Evening Standard that a pensioner had complained to the police after paying #100,000 for a suitcase full of worthless blank paper in the belief that it contained bank notes dyed black. The victim, from Dorset, was duped into believing that he had brought money that had been stained to escape detection by customs officials. He also paid for a 'chemical' to wash away the die so he could literally launder the money.

Don't be gullible like this man but enter into the reality of baptism. Easter is early this year and there is a fast turn around time from after Christmas. The story needs to be told quickly. Lent starts in two weeks time and Easter is in nine weeks time. The journey starts here and now and who knows where it will end. Follow the wind and come along for the ride. Show the humility of John in putting himself in second place and the vulnerability of Jesus as he talked about who he was to others.