p. 722 | PHILIP GIDDINGS by Philip Giddings

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 13, 1900

PHILIP GIDDINGS

By Philip Giddings

“BEHOLD the Lamb of God.” In teaching children to read, a pointer is sometimes used to trace the words. The object of the pointing is frustrated if the attention is drawn to the pointer instead of to the words pointed at. The minister is a pointer. It is his duty not to show himself, but the Lamb of God.

He is the gateman. His business is not to keep people standing there listening to him, but to show them in to the Master. At the hospital in New Amsterdam there is a young man at the gate to let patients in to the doctor. He does his duty well only as he lets them in, with as few words and as little time as possible, to the one who can help. Let not the preacher forget he is only the usher to lead to the Great Physician, who only has the balm of Gilead. The callers have not come to him, but to the Goodman of the house. Lead them in. And though, possibly, there will be those who have come simply to while away time, and to frolic with the servant outside, let them see that you have time only for the King's business. “Behold the Lamb of God.”

Like the same tune arranged in different keys, so our sermon, texted from whatever part of Scripture, should have this one and only intent and meaning, “Behold the Lamb of God.” Indeed, I can perceive no other legitimate purpose of preaching.