Have you ever been a witness, giving testimony in a court of law? Probably someone here has. I once came near to doing so – as an ‘expert witness’ in a civil case concerning an infringement of patent. But it was settled out of court, before I had to testify. However, the experience made me realise how important being a witness is.

It establishes the truth. But it does more. It commits me. If I take a stand and testify that such and such is the truth, I am no longer neutral. I have committed myself. Have you ever committed yourself like that? Especially – have you spoken to others about the meaning given to your life by the Lord Jesus Christ?

In the first part of this passage John the Baptist witnesses about Jesus; in the second part two men meet Jesus for themselves, and then one tells another. John told his disciples a number of things about Jesus, and about himself. But he was concerned above all else to speak about Jesus, and point men to him. So let’s see what he said about Jesus, as he saw Jesus coming towards him.

He is the Lamb of God

Look! There’s the Lamb of God! What an extraordinary thing to say – what did John mean? Do you think it means Jesus was meek and gentle as a lamb? Hardly, because John went on to say, who takes away the sin of the world. (John 1:29) No, he meant that Christ was the great – the only – remedy for the sin of mankind. Sin blights the life of every man, woman and child. It poisons every relationship. It rejects the will of God, and substitutes self-will. It therefore makes us guilty of rebellion, cuts us from the source of life, and condemns us to death.

Thank God Jesus takes away the sin of the world. He can take away the guilt and the power of sin in everyone – from whatever nation in the world – who turns to him in faith. As God spoke through Isaiah, I will make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may be my salvation – my y’shua (the Hebrew word for Jesus!) – to the ends of the earth. (Isa 49:6)

Christ is God’s remedy for sin, because he loves us. But that remedy meant Christ’s death in place of our death. For John’s words must mean that Jesus was to be God’s sacrifice for our sin. Therefore, he was to be the true Lamb, to which every morning and evening sacrifice in the Temple daily pointed. (Exod 29:38)

He was to be the true Lamb which Abraham told Isaac, as they climbed the hill together, God would provide (Gen 22:8). He was the true Lamb which Isaiah prophesied would be led to the slaughter, on whom the Lord would lay the iniquity of us all. (Isa 53:6,7) He was the true Lamb, to which the Passover pointed, whose blood would rescue his people from the judgement of death. (Exod 12:13)

He existed before me

What else did John say? The man who comes after me has surpassed me, because he was before me. A bit mysterious that, isn’t it? But in that day, people who were older were more respected than those who were younger! John was older than Jesus, and had begun his ministry first. But John knew he was just a herald; Jesus was the one who was truly great: because he was, before John, “the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. (John 1:27,30) The one who comes from above is above all..” (John 3:31)

A disciple of a rabbi would do all kinds of service for his teacher, but not that – that was the task of a slave! But John held himself to be unworthy of doing even such a menial task as that for Jesus. Is that how you and I feel about Jesus? Are we willing to do whatever he asks of us? Do we recognise that Jesus is God from eternity, the true light for all men – the light John was sent to bear witness to, so that all men might believe? (John 1:1-4, 6-7) Is he our Lord?

He will baptise with the Holy Spirit

Finally John said, The One who sent me to baptise with water told me, ‘The man, on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain, is he who will baptise with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and testify that this is the Son of God. (John 1:33-34) What wonderful, profound words! Here we are being told, whatever John understood by these words, that God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – is all together involved in our salvation.

John was sent to Make straight the way for the Lord – by calling men to repent of their sin.(John 1:23; Isa 40:3) He baptised men and women on confession of their sins – in water – to symbolise the cleansing that we all need. But it is Jesus who effects the real cleansing of our hearts, by the work in them of the Holy Spirit. Baptism with water may remove dirt from our bodies, but it effects no more unless it is accompagned – or followed – by a true inward appeal to God for forgiveness, for a cleansed life, because Jesus has died for us and been raised from the dead! (1 Pet 3:21RSV)

Coming to know Jesus

When, the next day, John saw Jesus passing by, he again said, Look! There’s the Lamb of God. And this time two of John’s disciples responded. They left John and followed Jesus. Isn’t that what we should want people to do? This was the whole purpose of John’s life, that others should follow Jesus. My joy is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less. (John 3:30) What a truly humble man John was! No wonder Jesus said, at the time, There has not risen anyone greater than John. (Matt 11:11)

Why did Andrew and his companion (who was probably the John who wrote this Gospel) follow Jesus? No doubt they were intrigued by John’s witness, and wanted to know more. They wanted to know Jesus himself. They wanted an unhurried meeting with him. When Jesus asked, What do you want? – they made that plain, by asking where Jesus was staying.

And they got what they wanted, because Jesus responded, Come and you will see! Do you really want to know Jesus for yourself? Then ask him to show you. But only ask if you intend to commit yourself if you find out. At another time, Jesus made an explicit promise, If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out – whether my teaching comes from God, or whether I speak on my own. (John 7:17)

Why do you think John, who wrote this Gospel, records the time of day when this took place? Surely because it meant so much to him! It was the hour he first met Jesus for himself – and not just heard about him by hearsay. Can you name such an hour? I can. But it doesn’t matter if you can’t – provided you know that you have asked Jesus to come into your life as Saviour and Lord. It may not be at a known moment – but it must be a fact, a reality in your life, that has had its impact on everything concerning you.

What Andrew did first

The first thing Andrew did... When was that? The next morning, perhaps? It doesn’t matter – it was the priority Andrew gave to finding his brother Simon, and telling him, We have found the Messiah! Is it our priority, to tell our family and our friends? To pray for them and to tell them gently how much Jesus now means to us.

To do as Andrew did, to bring them to Jesus. What a great thing Andrew did! What if he’d been a shy, reserved and tongue-tied man? His brother might have lived and died a fisherman on the Galilean lake! But, by the grace of God, Andrew wasn’t like that! His witness was the simplest possible – but it was the first step in Simon’s becoming the great apostle Peter.

John the Baptist’s witness needed to be repeated before Andrew and his friend responded. Are we willing to persist, even if no- one responds the first time we speak about Jesus? We only know of these two who sought out Jesus for themselves. But they told others – who, in turn, witnessed to more. And that’s how it reached us!

The work of passing on the good news of Jesus Christ ought not to be left to ministers, to those who know themselves specially called and sent, like John the Baptist. It is for all of us, who have been much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you. (Mark 5:19)
Bishop Azariah, of the diocese of Dornakal in South India, used to invite the newly baptized to place their hand on their head and say after him, I am a baptized Christian; woe is me if I do not preach the Gospel!

We are not all called to be evangelists – but we are all called to be witnesses.