Turn in your scriptures with
me to John's Gospel. As I said earlier, these are
the first recorded words of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the setting
is a remarkable setting. It's good for us to picture ourselves
being there, somewhere near the River Jordan. somewhere in a
wilderness place, the crowds had come to John the Baptist
in the wilderness. And this is the third, in verse
35, it's the third of four days. There's one day begins in verse
19, a second day begins in verse 29, and a fourth day, third day
begins here, and a fourth day begins in verse 43. And so there
are four particularly poignant days, and they were etched in
the memory of our Apostle John because he was there as a witness.
And what a remarkable day that was, what a remarkable time.
And these are remarkable words from our Lord Jesus Christ. Verse
35, again the next day, after John stood, and two of his disciples,
and looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, behold the
Lamb of God. And the two disciples heard him
speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned and saw them
following, and saith unto them, what seek ye? These are John's
first recorded words from the lips of the Lord Jesus Christ.
What seek ye? That's the title of this part
of my message. They said unto him, Rabbi, which
is to say, being interpreted, Master, where dwellest thou? And he said unto them, Come and
see. And they came and saw. Everyone
that the Lord Jesus Christ says come and see they came and saw
where he dwelt and abode with him that day for it was about
the tenth hour. One of the two which heard John
speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first
bindeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found
the Messiah, which is being interpreted the Christ. And he brought him
to Jesus, and Jesus beheld him, and said, Thou art Simon, the
son of Jonah. Thou shalt be called Cephas,
which is by interpretation a stone. What a glorious day this was.
One of the things that's difficult for us is that there are two
issues of timing in the scriptures. The Romans counted the time from
midnight and then from midday and counted the hours off and
the Jews began at sunset. So this meeting of these two
disciples with the Lord Jesus Christ was either 10 o'clock
in the morning, which is I think the most likely one because John
is translating phrases like Messiah into the language of the people
that he was dealing with in Ephesus and other places, the language
of the Greeks. And so it's most likely this was 10 o'clock in
the morning, but what a remarkable day. What a remarkable day that
must have been. And a remarkable night. They
stayed all night with him. And then the next day, they go
and find their brothers. What a remarkable interview and
what remarkable questions. It is a great reminder to us
again and again and again that John stood with two of his disciples
the previous day. There'd been a crowd that had
come from Jerusalem questioning him. But now he is just with
two of them. And he looked, looking upon Jesus,
looking upon Jesus. This is the last and the greatest
and the unique Old Testament prophet. And in a sense, he wraps
up all of the Old Testament prophecies about the Lord Jesus Christ in
those few short words, doesn't he? He says, behold, look unto
me and be ye saved all the end of the earth. Behold. behold,
stop everything else you're looking at and look here, stop what you're
doing and look, look upon him, behold the Lamb of God, not a
Lamb of God, the Lamb of God, the particular Lamb of God, the
Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. All the Old
Testament prophets are pointing us in that direction aren't they,
that there is a Lamb the lamb you see a man but behold the
lamb behold a sin offering behold a substitute without the shedding
of blood there is no remission of sins behold the lamb behold
the lamb the lamb of God the lamb of God's providing the lamb
slain from the foundation of the world the lamb who came to
gather his people to himself, to completely wash them clean
in his own blood, to make them a perfectly fit habitation for
himself. Blessed Holy Spirit, the Lamb
of God, the Lamb who is God, God the Lamb. Behold Him as sovereign
ruling over all things. Behold Him as holy. Behold Him
as just. Behold Him electing. Behold Him
predestinating. Behold all of the glorious attributes
of God are just wrapped up in the flesh of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Fully, fully divine. If you're going to behold God,
the Lamb, you're going to behold the Lord Jesus Christ and Him
crucified. And John just had one message,
didn't he? When he had a crowd of people there, he says in verse
29, behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
When he just has two of his disciples there with him, he says the same
thing, behold the Lamb of God. I pray the Lord would cause us
in the company of our brothers and sisters and whenever there's
an opportunity before us that we would just be pointing people
again and again and saying, look at the Lamb of God. Look at the
Lord Jesus Christ and Him crucified. There are a million other issues
out there, but there is just one. There is just one that matters
most of all. Behold the Lamb of God. he declared
him. So John is giving a testimony
and he says, make straight the way of the Lord. Not a path of
men's doing, but make straight, clear all the rubbish out of
the road. Let's not have the rubbish between us and a declaration
of the Lamb of God. That's what Nehemiah, when he
came back to build the temple, build the walls of Jerusalem.
And he said, there's much rubbish here. And there's much rubbish
that goes on in our lives and much rubbish that goes on in
this world. And let's get rid of it as best as the Lord would
possibly allow. Make straight the ways of the
Lord. Let's not put anything in the
way. What a lovely expression. John
the Baptist was looking upon Jesus as he walked. And it's
obvious from the context as it goes on that he's actually walking
away. In John 1.29, the Lord Jesus is coming to him and John
declares, behold the Lamb of God. Whether we see him coming
or whether we see him going, he's beholding the Lamb of God.
How precious, how precious to look upon the Lord Jesus Christ. It's remarkable, isn't it? There
is this God in human flesh, and John has given us the most extraordinary,
exalted understanding of who the Lord Jesus Christ is, and
now he is walking. This One who is God over all,
the One who is Creator, this One who is the Lamb of God, is
walking. As a man, how precious are the
days of the visitation of the Lord. What precious days it is
that he comes and makes himself known so you can look upon him
and see him. How precious it is to view him
through the eyes of faith, looking upon Jesus. And isn't it remarkable
that in John's previous declaration in verse 29, to a great crowd
of people, there is no record of anyone following the Lord
Jesus Christ. But here, just with these two
and John, he says, behold the Lamb of God, and what did they
do? If anyone really hears the Old
Testament prophets and hears what the Old Testament is saying,
they will be saying, Behold the Lamb of God, and they will turn
from the Old Testament prophets and fix their eyes upon the Lord
Jesus Christ. It's amazing, isn't it? What
a remarkably simple statement that brought this remarkable
response. Behold the Lamb of God, they
heard him speak and they followed Jesus. They heard John and they
followed Jesus. There's always a testimony given
of the Lord Jesus Christ for him to be beheld. And there's
always a testimony received The word of God will never come to
this earth and return to heaven without having done the work
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Here is this man, John. He was
nothing to look at. John. dressed in camels, fur,
a hairy man, a man in the wilderness, just a man in the wilderness,
declaring the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was a bold man,
but he had a testimony to declare. There is always going to be a
testimony in the wilderness. To hear from God in the days
of John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus Christ, you needed to be
in the wilderness. To hear from God in 2021 in any
part of this creation, you need to be in the wilderness. God
is not seen to be looked upon in organised, man-made, free-will,
works religion. God will be seen in the Lord
Jesus Christ when people say, behold the Lamb of God. When
the Lamb of God is beheld, the Lamb of God is upheld as a sovereign,
successful saviour who was a substitute for his people. And he definitely
and did finish the work that the Father gave him to do and
he put away their sins. There is just one message, isn't
there? There's one eternal message.
God made the universe so that the Lord Jesus Christ could be
hung on Calvary's tree. The fall of Adam was no accident. It was, ultimately, so that the
Lamb of God could come and wash away those sins which were pictured
in that Lamb in the garden, but were pictured really in the lamb
that was slain. And there is one purpose of God,
isn't it? That the glory of God and all the extraordinary attributes
of God would be revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ and him crucified.
That's why Paul says, I made a determination. I was determined
when I was with you Corinthians. And the Corinthians were living
in a city which was a byword for all sorts of immorality. And he says, I'm determined,
I'm determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ
and him crucified. It's one message, isn't it? To
preach. It's one message that makes disciples. Here we have the calling of these
first disciples. The real disciples are disciples
who have heard a message about a lamb slain. It's the only message
that makes real disciples. It is the great question in all
messages, isn't it? Where's the lamb? Where's the
lamb? Where is he? There is no worship
of God without the Lamb. As we saw from Genesis 22, there's
a remarkable statement that Abraham makes, that God will provide
himself a Lamb. Everything that God requires,
He provides. And everything He provides, He
provides in the Lamb. Everything needed for people
to abide with the Lord Jesus Christ is in the Lamb. God provides Himself a Lamb. This message is just to be repeated. John is a wonderful, wasn't he,
wonderful preacher of the Gospel. You behold the Lamb of God. whether
it's a small crowd or a large crowd, you behold the Lamb of
God. This message never grows old. This is John's fourth testament
and he's still saying, behold the Lamb of God. And so the impact
of this message of the Lord Jesus Christ is in the hands of God,
isn't it? As I said earlier in verse 29,
a crowd heard and none followed. Here we have just two disciples
and they follow. No wonder God says to us, you
preach the word, in season and out of season, you just preach
the word. You preach it in public, you
preach it in private. And the evidence they heard,
the evidence that a testimony was received is there, isn't
it? And they followed Jesus. It's as if they shook hands with
John and said, thank you very, very much. We have followed you
faithfully as your disciples, and now your work is done, John. Now your work is done. Not only that, but John says,
that this is his joy. Turn over to John chapter three,
because you would think men of this world are seeking a following
for themselves. John was seeking a following
for the Lord Jesus Christ. He says in verse 29 of John chapter
three, he that hath the bride is the bridegroom. The bridegroom
has a bride. Here he is gathering his bride
to himself. But the friend of the bridegroom,
that's John, which standeth and heareth him rejoices greatly
because of the bridegroom's voice. This is the first time in John's
gospel we have the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ. He rejoices greatly because of
the bridegroom's voice. This, my joy, therefore, is fulfilled. Verse 30, he must increase, but
I must decrease. John bears record, doesn't he?
I saw him, looked upon Jesus and they followed. We are Human beings are following people,
aren't they? They're flocking and following
people. We like to claim our independence,
but we're often, and ought to be often, embarrassed by how
much we want to follow dedicated followers of what's going on
around us. The question is, does the man
you listen to, Does he point you to Jesus such that you look
to him and follow him? It's a one big test, isn't it? I remember years ago there was
a very extraordinarily charismatic preacher here and he was in a
charismatic church, of course, and he had a great following.
And when he left to go to Brisbane to further his empire, a significant
number of people sold their houses and followed him all the way
to Brisbane. I thought, what on earth are you people, who
are you people following? They weren't following the Lord
because that man didn't know who the Lord was. Pray the Lord
has mercy upon him and all the others, but he was a false teacher. But they followed him because
he was powerful and he was charismatic and he had a picture postcard
family and life. But here, here in John's gospel,
we have the greatest man born of a woman. The man with the
most remarkable evidence of God's special blessing upon him. the
man who could have given the most remarkable list of his credentials
he has written about in the Old Testament. But he was a man whose
great joy, his joy is fulfilled when people are following the
Lord Jesus Christ. John's joy is fulfilled. In verse 38, we have this remarkable
statement. it's the scenes and they are
walking the Lord Jesus walking along with his back to these
disciples seemingly ignoring them and they
follow along after him then verse 38 then Jesus turned Part of
the way the Lord draws his people to himself in the most remarkable
way is that he draws out from us what's in us, doesn't he? He stirs people up to exercise
their faith. He stirs people up to call upon
him. He stirs people up to seek him. And the wonderful who are sought of Him will find
any of the distractions, just little things in their way. They
will just stay there. I love that story in Matthew
chapter 15 of that Syrophoenician woman. And she came to the Lord
Jesus Christ because there was just nowhere else for her to
go, the Canaanite woman. She had nowhere else to go. She
had no help, no possibility of help from anyone else. And she
says, O Lord, Matthew 15, 22, O Lord, have mercy upon me. Thou son of David, my daughter
is grievously vexed with the devil, and he answered her not
a word. And then the disciples came and besought
him saying, send her away, for she crieth after us. But he answered
and said, I am not sent, but to the lost sheep of the house
of Israel. And then she came and she worshipped
him, saying, Lord, help me. Even with that plea, he answered
and said, it is not right to take the children's bread and
cast it to dogs. You would think that that would
have been such a discouraging interview that she would have
walked away extraordinarily disappointed when the Lord draws people to
himself. They are really drawn by him and they have nowhere
else to go. What's she respond? I love how
she responds. He says, I have come for a particular
group of people. I have come as the lamb for this
particular group of people. I've come for my bride. I've
come for my church. And she says, truth, Lord. Yet the dogs eat the crumbs which
fall from their master's table. Brothers and sisters in Christ,
there will be times when it looks as if the Lord has his back to
us. It looks as if he's walking away. It looks as if he has ignored us
in our efforts to follow him. Keep seeking. seeking. Jesus, verse 38, it's
remarkable, Jesus turned and saw them following. Jesus turned and saw them following. The Lord Jesus Christ always
turns to his own. He turns his hands upon the little
ones. He always turns. He stops and
turns. You think of the number of times
in the scriptures where he stopped and turned. That woman who had
that issue of blood for 12 years, the Lord Jesus said to her, stopped
in the middle of that crowd and turned and he said, who touched
me? Well, he knew exactly who touched him and he knew exactly
what had happened. And what he was doing was drawing out from
her a confession of who he was and what he'd done for her. Jesus turns and he sees. And here we have this remarkable
statement, a remarkable question. What seek ye? What seek ye? What are you looking for? It's such a remarkably searching
question, that I wonder whether my words are going to be any
help for you, because it's a question that God asks you. What are you seeking individually?
What are you to seeking? What are you as a church seeking? What are you looking for? What are your desires? What are
the greatest desires of your life? I don't claim for any moment
to see into the hearts of people that I'm speaking to. But the
Lord does, and He knows our hearts, doesn't He? He knows what it
is for us to be just dust. He knows what it is for us to
be tempted by all of the things of the world. I love the fact
that the Lord Jesus Christ donned flesh, that He could be tempted
in all points such as we are and without sin whatsoever. What
happens when we are tempted? One thing always happens when
we're tempted. Sin happens when we're tempted.
Lead me not into temptation. It's an amazing question, isn't
it? What do you wish for yourself? See, the Pharisees and the others
had come down from Jerusalem to seek some information about
John the Baptist and seek some information about the one he
proclaimed, and they had no desire for seeking the Lord Jesus Christ
at all. What they were doing, like so
many people in religion, is that they were actually seeking some
affirmation of their righteousness. Most people, in answer to that question, are
seeking things for themselves in this world. And we have a
world which is remarkably enticing. Never has the world been more
enticing to fallen Adam. What seek ye? It's a great question
from God, isn't it? Let's turn to Philippians and
let's hear what the child of God seeks. Philippians chapter 3. Verse 8 he says, yea doubtless,
I count all things but loss, for the excellency of the knowledge
of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss
of all things, and do count them but done, that I may win Christ. He wants to win him. The religious people of this
world have all sorts of affirmations in their religion that they are
right, that they are walking on the path, the Lord, and a
path that's a sure path to heaven. They're speaking peace to themselves
and peace to each other and they gather to give peace to each
other. They've made a decision, haven't they? They've made a
decision for Jesus. They've done these good works.
And Paul had the most remarkable testimony of good works, wasn't
he? He says in verse 3, he says, We are the circumcision which
worship God in the Spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have
no confidence in the flesh. But listen to the confidence
that he could have had in the flesh. If Paul came back today,
he would be the head of a denomination, he would be the head of large
churches, he would be the head of Bible colleges. As Saul the
Pharisee, he would be head of those things. As Paul the Apostle,
he would be treated exactly the way Paul the Apostle was throughout
the New Testament record of him. He says, Though I might also
have confidence in the flesh, if any other man thinketh that
he has whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more. He had
more reason than anyone he knew of to trust his fleshly activities. And listen to his record. I was
circumcised on the eighth day, on the stock of Israel, of the
tribe of Benjamin. He wasn't one of those ten northern
tribes that apostatised so early on. He was one of the faithful
ones, one of the two out of twelve. Hebrew of the Hebrews as touching
the law a Pharisee a Pharisee concerning zeal persecuting
the church touching the righteousness which is in the law a righteousness
that could be seen by him and seen by his fellows and applauded
by them all right he was blameless blameless but what things were
gained to me those I counted lost for Christ I count them all lost everything
everything that this world everything that the flesh of man had everything
that man men esteem in religion Paul says it's done It's just
done. You cannot come to the Lord Jesus
Christ for righteousness and bring in of your own righteousness.
We come as beggars, we come as empty handed mercy beggars, always. I love what Paul said to the
Colossians, he says, to those who think that we progress in
our progressive sanctification. He says in verse six of Colossians
2, as you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk
in him. How did you receive him? You
receive him as a sinner. You receive him as nothing other
than a sinner. I want to know him. I want to
know him. I want to be found in him. I
want to be found in Him, not having my own righteousness which
is of the law. I don't want to have any righteousness
that is attached to anything I do at all. Period. I want to be found in Him. not having mine own righteousness
which is of the Lord, but that which is through the faith of
Christ, the righteousness which is of God, the righteousness
whose origin is from God, the righteousness which comes as
a gift of God, that I may know him and the power of his resurrection
and the fellowship of his suffering being made conformable unto his
death. if by any means I might attain
unto the resurrection of the dead. Wotsiki. Wotsiki. Wotsiki. You see, the answer is in the
declaration, isn't it, of who the Lord Jesus Christ is. What
do you seek from the Lamb of God? What's the one thing that
is absolutely necessary for anyone really coming to Him? I need to know that the Lamb
of God has fulfilled exactly what he has promised to do. What seek ye? I'm seeking a God
who is faithful to his promises. I'm seeking God who has sealed
his promises with the blood of his dear and precious Son. something for me that I cannot
do myself. I need Him to be my sin offering
before God. I need Him to be my righteousness
before God. I need Him to provide everything
for me that God requires. That's what I'm seeking. God's
children are made to be seekers. They are made to be seekers.
What seek ye? What a testing question. If God
saw our hearts, we'd be embarrassed, wouldn't we, by the things that
we seek so often. What an amazing question that
John asks at the very beginning of his gospel when he brings
these words of the Lord Jesus Christ to us. What seek ye? John, by this stage, had lived
through all of the ups and downs of what it was to bear testimony
to the Lord Jesus Christ in that world. He'd seen so many come
and seek the Lord Jesus Christ. Those who were of the sect of
the Pharisees came and wanted to bring the people back under
the bondage of the law all the time. They weren't seeking Him. They weren't
seeking Him. We want to behold Him in His
beauty. We want Him. We want Him. What seek ye? Verse 38, it goes on to say,
and they said unto him, and it's a remarkable answer, isn't it?
And the Lord brings out the answers to his questions, doesn't he?
What are you seeking? And they said unto him, Rabbi,
which is to be interpreted master, where dwellest thou? Where do you dwell? Where do
you dwell? And he saith unto them, come
and see. What extraordinary tenderness
of our God to say to us, come. Come, he says come, he says right
now, come. He's continually saying, the
Spirit and the bride say come. Come and see, come and behold. Come and see. And such is the
power of his promise. So he makes a command, come and
see, and then he fulfills the command. Straight away, doesn't
he? They came and saw where he dwelt
and abode with him. So if you're gonna come to him, you're
going to come with him to the place of his abiding. And you're
going to be there in him. And you'll see through the eyes
of faith, things you've never seen and never could possibly
see anywhere else. He says in verse 51, he says,
Hereafter, you'll see the heaven open and the angels of God ascending
and descending upon the Son of Man. You'll see things that heaven
alone can give you witness to. They came. See all the commanded I will, says the Great Shepherd,
and they shall. In John 6.45 he says, every man
therefore that has heard, heard from God, and hath learned of
the Father, cometh unto me. and they are bad with him. Come
and see, come and see the shepherd gathering his flock. Come and
see the divine sovereign hand. Come and see divine majesty.
John has already described him, hasn't he, in the most remarkable
words. He's the word of God. He's the one who is the same
in a world that changes all the time. He's the creator and the
ruler and sustainer of everything. He is the light. He's a light
that shines. You come to Him, He's full of
grace and truth. You come to Him, He has the power
from God to make the sons of God. Not born by the will of
man, not born by the will of the flesh, but born of God. Come and see. Come and see. The dead shall live. They will come. The great promise
we have in our gospel, the great promise we have in our God, is
that when you lift Him up, when He is raised up as the Lamb slain,
He will draw all men to Himself. He will draw all of His people
to Himself. May God cause us to lift Him
up. What a remarkable event that
was that day, and they abode with him. What an amazing day,
what an amazing night they have. And what were they asking him? What was the conversation about?
What was the conversation about? The conversation about was about
the lamb. He doesn't have to change the
conversation, it's about the lamb. He began, in his resurrection,
words to those men on the Emmaus road, and beginning at Moses
and all the prophets, he began at Genesis 1.1, and he expounded
unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. And their hearts, their hearts
burned within them. While he talked with us by the
way, and he opened to us the scriptures, And what did they
say? What was their plea with him?
They constrained him, verse 29 of Luke 24, abide with us. If he has brought you by his
sovereign grace into the place where he abides, you'll come
and see. You'll come and see. And he will
teach you of himself from the scriptures. May God ask that question of
us. He says, to finish where we started
earlier this morning in Psalm 27 verse 8, he says, When thou
saidst, Seek my face, my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord,
will I seek. They came, they saw, and they
obeyed. Let's have a break. May the Lord
bless his words to our hearts.