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Series A – Second Sunday After the Epiphany – Sunday, January 15, 2023 | Pr. Chris Rosebrough

Welcome to the Teaching Ministry of Kongsvinger Lutheran Church. Kongsvinger is a beacon for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and is located on the plains of Northwestern Minnesota. We proclaim Christ and Him crucified for our sins and salvation by grace through faith alone, and now, here’s a message from Pastor Chris Rosebrough:

Time Stamp	Transcript
0:27	The holy Gospel
0:29	According to Saint John of the first
0:31	chapter
0:33	Glory To You O Lord
0:37	the next day John saw Jesus coming
0:40	toward him and said Behold the Lamb of
0:43	God who takes away the sin of the world
0:44	this is he of whom I said after me comes
0:49	a man who ranks before me because he was
0:51	before me I myself did not know him but
0:54	for this purpose I came baptizing with
0:57	water that he might be revealed to
0:59	Israel and John bore witness I saw the
1:02	Spirit descend from heaven like a dove
1:04	and it remained on him I myself did not
1:06	know him but he who sent me to baptize
1:08	with water said to me he on whom you see
1:11	the spirit descend and remain he this is
1:13	he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit and
1:16	I have seen and I have borne witness
1:18	that this is the Son of God the next day
1:21	again John was standing with the two of
1:24	two of his disciples and he looked at
1:25	Jesus as he walked by and said Behold
1:28	the Lamb of God the two disciples heard
1:30	him say this and they followed Jesus
1:32	Jesus turned and saw them following and
1:35	said to them what are you seeking and
1:38	they said to him Rabbi which means
1:40	teacher where are you staying he said to
1:43	them come and you will see so they came
1:45	and saw where he was staying and they
1:46	stayed with him that day for it was
1:48	about the tenth hour one of the two who
1:51	heard John speak and followed Jesus was
1:53	Andrew Simon Peter’s brother he first
1:56	found his own brother Simon and said to
1:58	him we have found the Messiah which
2:00	means Christ and he brought him to Jesus
2:03	this is the gospel of the Lord so Jesus
2:06	asked the question in Our Gospel text
2:08	what are you seeking what are you
2:13	seeking and when I hear a question like
2:15	that I cannot help but think of you too
2:16	now I’m not talking about you two I’m
2:18	actually talking about the band you too
2:20	the rock and roll band with Bono right
2:22	and that song of theirs it gets stuck in
2:24	my head from time to time I Still
2:26	Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For right
2:29	Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For
2:32	So In Our Gospel text today something
2:34	interesting is happening in fact quite
2:37	fascinating if you consider its
2:39	implications here John the Baptist is
2:41	about ready to finish all of his work
2:45	and I wish I could say that from here he
2:47	retired in Bermuda and lived happily
2:49	ever after but that’s not the fate of
2:51	John the Baptist remember John the
2:53	Baptist was prophesied by the Old
2:55	Testament prophets to be the Forerunner
2:57	of Christ who would prepare the way
2:59	before him and make straight the paths
3:02	of well people before God and how did he
3:06	do it well by preaching repentance
3:08	that’s what he preached repentance but
3:10	you’ll note something interesting
3:12	happens because as John is getting ready
3:14	to finish his course Jesus is baptized
3:18	by him we talked about that last week
3:20	Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist
3:23	and while he was being baptized the
3:25	whole the heavens opened up the Holy
3:27	Spirit descended on him in the form of a
3:29	dove and remained on him and the voice
3:31	of the father was heard this is my
3:33	beloved Son in whom I am well pleased
3:36	and John the Baptist this now you can
3:39	legitimately say he’s done his bit his
3:42	his job is over he can
3:45	be done with it right but here’s the
3:48	thing is you’ll note that always and
3:49	again when you’re at when you’re on your
3:51	last day of work or your last week of
3:54	work there’s always a couple of loose
3:55	ends you have to tie up and in this
3:58	particular case John the Baptist has to
4:00	tie up the Loose Ends of he has
4:02	disciples whom he’s been teaching and
4:05	it’s time to pass them off to Jesus
4:08	because John ain’t going to be here for
4:10	much longer it’s important that he pass
4:12	him off to Jesus because it was never
4:14	about them being Disciples of John the
4:16	Baptist in the first place it was always
4:18	about him preparing the way for Christ
4:21	but in so doing John the Baptist does
4:24	something very interesting in Our Gospel
4:26	text
4:27	he says while Jesus is passing by Behold
4:32	the Lamb of God who takes away the sin
4:34	of the world
4:36	notice he doesn’t say there’s the
4:39	Messiah
4:40	that’s important that he didn’t say that
4:44	and here’s your reason why Messiah was
4:47	one of these words that was hijacked and
4:51	false meanings were poured into it back
4:55	in Christ’s day the expectation because
4:58	it was taught by the Pharisees is that
5:00	when Messiah shows up he’s going to flex
5:03	his davidic muscles he’s going to kick
5:06	out those evil Roman idolaters free them
5:09	from the oppression of the Roman Empire
5:11	and Usher in a second glorious Kingdom
5:15	age of the davidic reign of of Israel
5:21	um here’s the issue that’s not why Jesus
5:25	came and so if John the Baptist had said
5:28	there’s the Messiah right there it would
5:31	have led to all kinds of trouble which
5:33	again comes to our question
5:35	that Jesus asked what exactly are you
5:39	seeking and you’ll know in our day and
5:42	age we kind of have the same problem and
5:45	it goes something like this is that we
5:48	kind of think that we intuitively know
5:51	what we want and what we need as it
5:53	relates to God and Jesus and things like
5:56	this and as a result of it our intuition
5:59	has led us astray I can give you kind of
6:02	an analogy when when I really got going
6:04	again on photography there were certain
6:07	pieces of equipment that I thought that
6:09	I needed and the reason I thought that I
6:11	needed them is because well I some of my
6:13	favorite photographers use those pieces
6:16	of equipment but the thing is is that
6:18	they’re different artists than I am and
6:20	so I have a few pieces of camera
6:22	equipment that I don’t use that very
6:24	often because it doesn’t fit my artistic
6:27	Vision it doesn’t really work with who I
6:29	am and how I photograph as a result of
6:32	it what I thought I needed actually
6:34	turned out to be not what I needed and
6:36	what I needed I didn’t know that I
6:38	needed it until I figured it all out you
6:40	kind of get the idea and so oftentimes
6:42	when it comes to Christianity we think
6:45	we know what we need we look at the
6:48	world around us have you noticed that
6:50	the world has a few problems things can
6:52	be a little bumpy In Our Lifetime right
6:54	especially if you’re married and you
6:56	have kids things can be a little bumpy
6:59	or if you have any kind of relationship
7:01	with any other human being if you’re not
7:03	a recluse and you’re dealing with other
7:05	human beings especially when you’re at
7:07	work in the office remember where two or
7:09	more gathered there is politics right
7:11	things can be a little dicey a little
7:15	dangerous and so we think we know what
7:17	we need we need a God who’s going to
7:20	help us solve all of our little life
7:22	problems right we need a God who’s going
7:24	to help us get more money we need a God
7:27	who’s going to help us to have a little
7:28	bit more influence maybe to build some
7:30	kind of an influencer platform on social
7:32	media we need a God who’s going to make
7:35	us healthy because you’ll know how many
7:37	people their lives are falling apart
7:38	because their health is failing so we
7:41	needed God is going to solve that
7:42	problem we need a god well and then I
7:45	think about how the uh the Seeker driven
7:47	guys talk about Jesus have you noticed
7:49	this but the secret driven big big box
7:53	mega churches do they kind of like take
7:55	out one of these big strip mining sand
7:57	blaster things to the Bible and they
7:59	blow away everything that they don’t
8:01	think is practical because we’ve got we
8:03	need a relevant God and so they kind of
8:06	turn Jesus into one of those
8:09	um
8:09	what are those videos that are on
8:12	Facebook and things like that like The
8:14	Artsy Panda thing you know what I’m
8:16	talking about where they reduce Jesus to
8:19	like uh he’s the guy who gives us life
8:22	hacks to make our lives better you know
8:24	Jesus is the guy that you can take a
8:26	Bendy straw a little bit of duct tape
8:28	and and a pair of scissors and you can
8:30	create the most amazing thing ever that
8:32	will make it so that your your food
8:34	Cooks in 15 minutes faster than you
8:36	could ever thought right The Crafty
8:38	Panda uh you know video so they’re
8:40	looking for crafty Panda Jesus who’s
8:42	going to give us these life hacks to
8:43	make our lives easy and stuff like this
8:46	and you’ll note that that’s not what
8:49	Jesus is really about and so John the
8:52	Baptist rather than say behold the
8:55	Messiah
8:56	he instead invokes the reason why Christ
9:01	came and here’s the thorny bit
9:05	if you’re not looking for this Messiah
9:08	to solve this particular problem that he
9:11	legitimately came to solve then there’s
9:13	a really good chance that the Jesus that
9:15	you’re worshiping is an idol that you’ve
9:17	created
9:19	sad but actually true that’s really what
9:23	this deals with you’re breaking the
9:24	first commandment so what does John the
9:26	Baptist say of Jesus Behold the Lamb of
9:30	God who takes away the sin of the world
9:31	now we look at our sin problem and we
9:34	see the consequences of it in the pain
9:37	and the Suffering The difficulties that
9:39	we go through in our life and we think
9:41	if you just deal with the symptoms the
9:44	problem will go away no it won’t have
9:46	you noticed that when you have a cold
9:48	that you can take NyQuil and DayQuil and
9:51	you still have a cold the reason why you
9:53	still have a cold is because NyQuil and
9:55	DayQuil only apply to the symptoms they
9:58	ease the suffering But ultimately they
10:00	don’t get rid of the cold they they just
10:04	mask it so that you can endure it a
10:06	little bit better you still have the
10:08	virus and when it comes to sin all of
10:10	the problems that we have in our life
10:12	These are the symptoms of sin and Christ
10:15	didn’t come to mask the symptoms he came
10:17	to address the root problem it’s self
10:20	which means he’s going to have to go to
10:22	the Cross he’s going to have to suffer
10:25	in your place he is indeed the Spotless
10:27	Lamb of God who takes away the sin of
10:30	the world and here’s where I will take
10:32	issue with the calvinist Jesus is not
10:34	the Lamb of God who takes away the sin
10:36	of the elect he is this Lamb of God who
10:38	takes away the sin of the world and the
10:41	Calvinists will protest and say well
10:42	then you believe in universalism and you
10:44	sit there and go no we do not believe in
10:46	universalism you’re missing a category
10:49	Theo in your theology but we’ll save
10:51	that for another time
10:52	indeed Jesus comes to bleed and die for
10:55	the sins of the world and this is what
10:59	we need it’s not exactly what we’re
11:01	looking for it’s not who we’re seeking
11:04	and intuitively our intuitions and our
11:07	own selfish and sinful desires aren’t
11:09	make it so that this kind of Savior this
11:12	kind of Messiah is most likely not the
11:14	one that we want but believe me when I
11:17	tell you this is exactly the Messiah you
11:19	need so
11:21	John then testifies he says this is he
11:25	of whom I said after me comes a man who
11:29	ranks before me because he was before me
11:33	now wait a second I my memory may be
11:36	failing as I get older but I can
11:38	remember the Advent text I can remember
11:40	the Christmas text remember during
11:42	Advent we read Luke chapter one and with
11:45	the account of Zechariah and Elizabeth
11:47	and the conception of John the Baptist
11:50	you’ll note that Elizabeth was was six
11:54	months pregnant before the angel Gabriel
11:57	appeared to the Virgin Mary which means
12:00	John the Baptist got a quicker start he
12:03	came before Jesus how can John the
12:06	Baptist who’s six months older than
12:09	Christ say he what he ranks me because
12:13	he was before me
12:15	you’re going to note
12:17	John the Baptist had a good christology
12:20	he understood that Jesus Christ is a
12:23	hundred percent man and a hundred
12:25	percent God all in one hypostasis in one
12:31	personal Union just like you have a body
12:33	and a soul and the two come together to
12:36	make the one person that you are Christ
12:38	has a human nature and a divine nature
12:41	they come together in the Incarnation to
12:43	make the one Jesus and because of that
12:46	by virtue of his divine nature which is
12:48	united with his human nature John the
12:50	Baptist is Right Jesus does come before
12:54	him and he ranks not only John the
12:56	Baptist he ranks us all and then he says
12:59	I myself I didn’t know him but for this
13:01	purpose I came baptizing with water so
13:03	that he might be revealed to Israel and
13:06	John bore witness I saw the Spirit
13:08	descend from heaven like a dove and it
13:10	remained on Jesus I myself did not know
13:13	him but he who sent me to baptize with
13:15	water said to me he on whom you see the
13:18	spirit descend and remain this is he who
13:21	baptizes with the Holy Spirit and you’ll
13:24	note John the Baptist legitimately was
13:26	hearing directly from God and the orders
13:29	that God gave him are the things that he
13:31	actually did John the Baptist didn’t
13:33	willy-nilly decide to One Day begin
13:35	baptizing God spoke to him and told him
13:38	to do these things in preparation for
13:41	the arrival of Jesus Christ and so he as
13:44	Christ says is truly a prophet and even
13:48	more than a prophet
13:49	then it goes on I have seen I have borne
13:53	witness that this is the son of God
13:58	that’s a good witness that he’s bearing
14:01	and so you’ll note basically John the
14:03	Baptist is saying
14:05	listen he’s on the scene here he’s the
14:08	son of God I’m not he ranks me he’s
14:11	before me and that’s a pretty good sales
14:14	pitch if you’re asking me because who’s
14:16	he saying this to his disciples
14:19	he’s the one he’s the one he’s the one
14:22	and that’s exactly correct so the next
14:25	day John was standing with two of his
14:28	disciples and as he looked at and he
14:31	looked and he looked at Jesus as he
14:33	walked by and said again Behold the Lamb
14:37	of God
14:39	and two of his disciples heard him say
14:41	this
14:42	and then they followed Jesus
14:46	we get what you’re saying here John it
14:48	was great it was great working with you
14:50	thank you so much for your teaching
14:52	thank you so much for calling us to
14:54	repent thank you so much for pointing us
14:57	to this fellow we are leaving now to go
15:00	and follow Christ
15:03	and so they
15:05	they returned and they followed Jesus
15:08	Jesus turned and saw them following and
15:10	he said to them what are you seeking
15:14	and they said to him Rabbi which means
15:16	teacher where are you staying
15:19	he said them come and you will see so
15:23	they came and they saw where he was
15:25	staying and they stayed with him that
15:27	day for it was about the tenth hour now
15:30	one of the two who heard John speak and
15:33	followed Jesus was Andrew Simon Peter’s
15:36	brother
15:37	and he first found he first found his
15:39	own brother Simon and said to him listen
15:42	to the words we have found the Messiah
15:46	so John the Baptist points to Christ
15:48	says the Behold the Lamb of God who
15:51	takes away the sin of the world and
15:53	Andrew and this other disciple of John
15:55	the Baptist they begin following Jesus
15:57	and thou Andrew goes and shares the good
16:01	news that they have found the Messiah
16:03	with his brother Peter and so we see now
16:07	how this is starting to Cascade the
16:09	effect that this is having Christ is now
16:11	drawing his disciples to himself John
16:13	the Baptist is about ready to leave the
16:15	scene when it comes to human history in
16:18	his last chapter is about to be written
16:20	and now his disciples are coming to
16:23	Christ and they are going and letting
16:25	everybody know but notice that Andrew
16:26	didn’t say that Behold the Lamb of God
16:29	who takes away the sin of the world he
16:30	was able to put two and two together and
16:32	was able to say this is the Messiah we
16:35	have found him so he brought Peter to
16:39	Jesus and Jesus looked at him and said
16:41	so you are Simon the son of John
16:45	you shall be called kephas which means
16:49	Peter I always remember one of my old
16:52	pastors uh you know Ron Hotel he had he
16:55	he took this text and did something kind
16:57	of funny with it he would say well look
16:59	at here Jesus is changing his name to
17:01	Peter and Peter is John’s son he’s the
17:04	son of John so he said he basically from
17:07	day one renamed him Rocky Johnson okay
17:10	and and here’s the thing he’s not wrong
17:13	he’s yeah Pastor hodle was not wrong in
17:16	this account so what does it all mean
17:18	for us what does this text mean this
17:21	second Sunday of the Epiphany as Christ
17:23	continues to be manifested and revealed
17:25	to us through these texts it’s important
17:28	for us to recognize that our sinful
17:30	nature intuitively seeks after and
17:34	creates idols and the Jesus we may be
17:37	intuitively looking for maybe a figment
17:40	of our sinful imaginations the Jesus we
17:44	need is the one who takes away the sin
17:46	of the world your sin and mine and no
17:50	point in seeking after a different Jesus
17:52	one that will only mask the symptoms of
17:55	sin you need the the Savior the one
17:57	revealed in scripture the one who is
17:59	true who has come to take away your sins
18:02	so that he might lead you through death
18:05	and the resurrection to life eternal in
18:09	a world where there will be no sin in
18:11	this world we will continue to
18:13	experience the consequences and the
18:16	result of our sin the world’s sin your
18:20	neighbors sin your wife’s sin your
18:22	husband’s sins your brother’s sins your
18:25	sister’s sins your cousins sins you on
18:27	and on and on and on and on
18:29	Christ has not come to put a Band-Aid on
18:32	our problem
18:33	he’s saving us through all of this so if
18:36	the Jesus you are seeking only gives you
18:39	temporal relief that’s Pepto-Bismol
18:42	Jesus and that’s not what you need you
18:44	need something more than temporal relief
18:46	you need true relief and only Jesus the
18:50	Lamb of God who takes away the sin of
18:51	the world is capable of giving that so
18:54	let us again consider what we what our
18:57	motivations are what our intents are
18:59	what our desires are regarding Christ
19:01	and the church and let us put away our
19:04	idolatrous desires and instead seek the
19:07	one who takes away our sin and Promises
19:10	eternal life because he took our sins
19:13	upon himself and he suffered in our
19:16	place so that we can be forgiven and
19:18	reconciled and promised in inheritance
19:20	so I’ll ask the question of that Christ
19:23	asks his disciples
19:25	what exactly are you seeking
19:29	seek the one who truly can save you in
19:32	the name of Jesus Amen

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