Christmas Turns Duty into Desire

John 1:29-37

Some of you are here this morning with a desire to change. You feel the frustration of trying to live a better life but struggle to change. Two steps forward are often followed by two steps back. How do you break free from this cycle? That’s a good question. John has an answer for you and his name is Jesus.

Before we look at his answer let’s spend a moment reflecting upon the problem, for it isn’t a new problem. In fact, it was the principle problem that God’s people experienced through their history up until the time of Christ. Their story started with Abraham, when God chose him and his family to be His people. It was a future filled with great promise. Specifically, “Go and see a land that I will give to you and your children after you. I will make you into a great nation and through you all the people of the earth will be blessed. You will be my people and I will be your God.” Such high hopes! Abraham obeyed. Two steps forward. And yet, it wasn’t long before Abraham’s descendants reached a low point when they sold their own brother into slavery. In just a few generations they found themselves enslaved to the Egyptians for 400 plus years. Three steps back. Eventually God sent Moses to lead the people out of slavery. God entered into a covenant relationship with him. They would be his people and He would be their God. Two steps forward! But when they got to the border of the promised land, they were afraid of the people there. And so God took them back into the wilderness for 40 years. Two steps back. When that generation died off, he led them once again to the promised land and this time brought them into it. Two steps forward! But they soon forgot God as they blended into Canaanite culture, and as a result, God allowed their neighbors to overcome them. Two steps back. They repented and cried out for another deliverer. God answered and raised up a judge to lead them out of trouble. This was a repeated cycle we see in the book of judges, summed up

Whenever the LORD raised up judges for them, the LORD was with the judge, and he saved them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge. For the LORD was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who afflicted and oppressed them. 19 But whenever the judge died, they turned back and were more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods, serving them and bowing down to them. They did not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways. (Jdg 2:18–19)

Two steps forward, two steps back.

Eventually, the people asked for a king and so God answered. They took two steps forward with King David and two steps back when the kingdom was divided two generations later. There were occassional steps forward with kings such as Jehoshophat, Hezekiah, and Josiah, but they were short lived. One step, two steps, three steps back until God had enough and drove them into exile. But in their exile God promised something new; something better. The cycle would end when the promised one came.

They assumed the cycle would end by once for all conquering their enemies around them. One day this will be true. But Jesus had another mission first. He came to solve with the root of the problem. The cause of all the enemies rising up around them was not because their enemies were too strong, but because God’s people were guilty of sin. Jesus came to deal with take away their sin. This is why he is introduced the way he is: “Behold, the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” This was the key to Jesus accomplishing his mission. This was the key to that cycle ending. Jesus takes away our sin.