The Lamb of God

John 1:29 says, "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, 'Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!'" John the Baptist was being questioned by "priests and Levites from Jerusalem" whom "the Jews sent... to ask him, 'Who are you?'" (v. 19). John "confessed, 'I am not the Christ'" (v. 20). Being questioned further concerning who he was, John denied being "Elijah" or "the Prophet" (v. 21). Exasperated, they finally asked him straight out, "Who are you?" (v. 22a).

Note John's reply. He quotes Isaiah 40:3, saying, "I am 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the LORD,' as the prophet Isaiah said" (v. 23). "Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees. And they asked him, saying, 'Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?'" (vs. 24-25). His reply: "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose" (vs. 26-27). Then we are told, "This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing" (v. 28, NIV).

You might note here a very important truth spoken by John the Baptist and likely missed by the priests and Levites: In verse 27 John referred to Jesus as "coming after me" yet being "preferred before me." What does that mean? It can mean only one thing; that Jesus is none other than the eternal Son of God! Then he adds in verse 29, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"

Continuing on, John the Baptist said. "This is He of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.' I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water" (vs. 30-31). Explaining further, he said, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God" (vs. 32-34). "Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, 'Behold the Lamb of God!'" (vs. 35-36).

Jesus is the Son of God! Jesus is the Lamb of God! Hebrews 9:12-14 explains it all: "Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"

Jesus, the Son of God, the Lamb of God, shed His blood for you. He died for the forgiveness of your sins. He rose again to give you eternal life. Give your heart to Him and trust Him above all else for all eternity. Amen.