The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29)
Today is Wednesday, January 1, 2025. It is just another Wednesday, not much different than yesterday, but it is special because it is the first day of a new year. As we start a new year, it is usual to look back at the events of the past year – celebrating the good times and remembering the difficulties. We enter a new year with high hopes of a better year, less problems, prosperity and good times. We may make a new year’s resolution, which may have to do with health and fitness – yet, we realize that we have done this before and it is likely futile.
There is one thing that we can celebrate that will change us – it is to celebrate the lamb, Jesus, the Son of God. The same baby Jesus, whose birth we celebrated a week ago, came to remove the sin that separates us from God. In our passage today, John introduced Jesus to the crowds as “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” Sin separates us from the almighty God, whose holiness is so great that he cannot tolerate sin. Yet, because of his love for people and his desire to fellowship with us, he sent Jesus to pay the penalty for our sin. To ensure a great 2025, you must first make sure that your sin has been forgiven.
But then, there is more. After seeing Jesus, John’s disciples immediately started following him. It wasn’t enough to just acknowledge Jesus, they wanted to learn more. So, in this way, 2025 is a year to learn more – to read the Bible, join a community group, and pray.
And there is more! This passage tells us that Andrew, who was one of the disciples that followed Jesus, immediately found his brother, Simon, and brought him to Jesus. Consider who you can bring to Jesus in 2025.
And there is even more! When Jesus saw Simon, he changed his name to Peter. Paul tells us in 2 Cor. 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!” In reality, we have no idea what will come in 2025. Yet, if we simply follow Jesus, our future is secure. Celebrate the Lamb! Happy New Year!