Still on the Job - July 6, 2010

Good Tuesday morning! We are under another flash flood watch today. I am starting to think about the possible advantages of a stockpile of sandbags. The church parking lot is still a bit mobile in the downpours, but it doesn't get as far as it did before the big project. A dirt and gravel parking lot is just too water flowable, but unless someone wants to pave the entire hill... Yes, some days we are content to work with what God has given in place of wishing for what we don't have. John didn't miss a beat after Jesus came on the scene. Today, we find him still doing his duty.

As Jesus walked by, John looked at him and declared, "Look! There is the Lamb of God!" (John 1:36)

This statement is going to cost John something, but we'll get to that tomorrow. Today, we work with what we have, just as John did back in the day. In my new professions, I can think of a score of new tools that would help me immediately; I can think of dozens more that might help, and even more that would be nice to have but not necessary to get started. On the other hand, I have a job to do for God, and I can do it well with a lot of learning and plenty of effort, along with using the tools I have right now. John didn't receive any new tools when Jesus arrived; he still had the time given to him by God, his voice, his brain, a river, and his disciples: all given to do the job God sent him to do.

Jesus walked by in our verse this morning, and John was right there to do his job, "Look!" John wanted people to realize who was walking by. To us a call of 'look' means to pay attention, to notice something interesting or vital, to see an interesting scene or person; we holler, "Look!" to those we love in order to prevent them from missing something important. We might holler the same thing to a cat and get no response at all; they respond to different stimuli than we do or they simply ignore us as a part of their job, I haven't figured out which yet.

John wanted people to know who was the important one to notice now. Like a relay runner cheering on the one to whom he has handed the baton, John wanted people to see Jesus now. People looked at John the Baptist, and John said, "Look!", there goes the Son of God, the Messiah, the Lamb of God. The people listening would have known exactly who John meant when he said, 'The Lamb of God'. John continued to point to Jesus.

Can you imagine a minister today saying something like that and encouraging people to leave his congregation to follow Jesus instead? Actually, yes; every minister I listen to in fact would do the very same thing I do believe. My brothers and sisters in Christ are doing that same thing every day. One and all of those who believe in Christ point to Him alone as the source of salvation bringing eternal life to those who will believe in the Lamb of God. The message is good news and we can't stop bringin' it! Go forth today with a new encouragement in Christ!

Bucky