Grace Congregational UCC

“Testimony”
I Corinthians 1:1-9
John 1:29-42

January 20, 2008 - Kim M. Henning

A person stands before a court of law, raises her right hand and listens to the question:

Do you promise to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?

The courtroom is a place for truth-telling. Truth, as much as truth is humanly possible is necessary if disputes are to be settled. Truth, as much as truth is humanly possible is necessary we are to co-exist with each other. Truth, as much as truth is humanly possible is necessary for peace of mind. Without truth----it is all chaos!

Truth–what have you seen? Truth–what have you heard? Truth–what really happened?

Do you promise to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God? That is a courtroom question because we understand..... that it doesn’t pay to talk and it doesn’t pay to listen if truth is not spoken.

And that is true at every level of society: our places of work, our schools, government and even----even---our families. If there is to be any love, if there is to be any respect, if there is to be any hope of getting along—there has to be ‘truth.’

Do you promise to tell the truth? the whole truth? And nothing but the truth?

John the Baptist said of Jesus, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Then he says, “I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.”

One of the reasons John is so popular is because he lived with focus. John wasn’t distracted by what others thought about him. John did not dress to impress. John did not eat to feast. John’s life was authentically simple and focused. It was all about God. John said things like:

Repent....the kingdom of heaven is at hand. And, Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘we have Abraham as our father, for I say to you God is able from these rocks to raise up children of faith.’ And “If you have two coats, give one away. If you have power, don’t abuse it.” People came to John because there was something real about him. Today, John testifies, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” and “I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.”

Karl Barth is a theologian who has had quite an influence upon the Christian Church. Even though Karl Barth died about 40 years ago, he is still read and frequently referred to. When Barth was still alive he had a print hanging in his office. The print, by Leonardo DaVinci, was a portrait of John the Baptist pointing to the cross of Jesus Christ. Do you see it? (Screen—Power Point)

This print captures the entire essence of John the Baptist’s life. He pointed to Jesus Christ. John was not into John and making a name for himself. John was not into John and becoming an icon of biblical history. John’s purpose was to point to Jesus.

John noticed two unique features of Jesus Christ. One, “He takes away the sin of the world.” Two, “I testify that this is the Son of God.” Now if those two things don’t mean a thing, then we can ignore Jesus and we can ignore John—because Christianity says that the crises of humanity is ‘human sin’ and the hope we have is the ‘Son of God.’ John spends the whole of his life ‘on the witness stand’ testifying to Jesus Christ.

John, do you promise to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?

John, this morning, testifies.

John, of course, had his own following. John had his own students. On one occasion John noticed Jesus and said to his students, “Look, here is the Lamb of God.” And the story goes that Peter and Andrew left John and followed Jesus. That is powerful. John did not want a personality cult focused on him. John was directing people toward Jesus. Here—Lamb of God. Here—Son of God.

Now the story goes that Peter and Andrew follow Jesus. Peter and Andrew ask Jesus if they can spend time with him. Jesus says, ‘come and see.’ And that is what they do. Peter and Andrew don’t want a second hand testimony. Peter and Andrew don’t want a second hand faith.

They want to see for themselves. They want to think for themselves. They want to eat with Jesus and listen to Jesus and pray with Jesus and then make up their own minds. And as the story this morning concludes, Peter and Andrew are heard to be testifying themselves, “We have found the Messiah!”

Do you understand why Karl Barth had that portrait of “John pointing” on his office wall? The purpose of our lives, the purpose of this ministry, the purpose of coming out in this awful, awful cold is to follow the pointing finger of John toward the empty cross and Jesus Christ.

Of course, there are many, many people who are pointing their fingers. We live in a finger-pointing world. Some would have us passionately believe that if we elect the right presidential candidate that our country’s woes will be resolved. Some would have us believe that the highest purpose of life is patriotism. Some are always pointing toward financial wealth—the mood of the country swings by the rises and falls of the stock market. Some never take their eye off the stock market.

And others.... there’s always a pointing finger. Today, the pointing is towards Lambeau Field. Next week, the pointing may be at American Idol. And who knows about the week after that and the week after that???? The finger is always moving. Read the newspaper. Look at the Internet. Watch TV. Today, they’ll be pointing in one direction. Tomorrow, they’ll be pointing in another direction. Next year, another so-called ‘little m’ messiah will attempt to save us from ourselves.

John the Baptism would have us keep a steady gaze on Jesus Christ. The world will take us on a roller coaster. Today—up, up, up. Tomorrow—down, down, down. Up, down, up down..... that is the world in which we live. But John testifies with a singular focus, ‘here is one who will take away the sin of the world’ and ‘here is the Son of God.’

What is your testimony? What do you say? Dorothy Day, the great–great social activist for the poor once said, “If I have achieved anything in my life—it is because I have not been embarrassed to talk about God.”

What is your testimony? Don’t be afraid. Don’t be embarrassed. If there is to be one gaze in life, what would that gaze be?

Who created you?

Who has a history of justice?

Who has raised up leaders like Moses? Like David? Like Paul? Like Peter and Andrew?

Who loves you more than life itself?

Who would die for you?

I would like to testify. This, I have to say:

Jesus is the one who saves us from our sin. Jesus is the one who heals us. Jesus will lead you to places you would never walk alone—to the poor, to the prisoner, to the stranger. Jesus is the one who leads us toward God. You and I have one purpose: keep pointing.