Behold the Lamb of God

Minister:
Date: PM
Text: John 1:29b
Psalters: 255, 396, 365, 141
  1. His identity.
    1. John knew that he was the forerunner of the promised Messiah (Luke 1:17b).
      1. He knew about the child of his mother?s cousin (Luke 2:52).
      2. Jesus had suddenly come to him to be baptized (Matt. 3:13ff) and then immediately went into the wilderness.
      3. Now 40 days later Jesus comes to John again, and now John does his work as forerunner.
    2. To call Jesus ?Lamb? means that John saw Jesus as the reality toward which all the types pointed.
      1. God taught Adam and Eve and later Israel to look to the blood of the lamb for the remission of sin.
      2. John called Jesus ?the? lamb as THE actual way of forgiveness.
    3. And Jesus is called the lamb ?of God.?
      1. Jesus is the Lamb God produced and provided.
      2. And Jesus is God (like the expression: crown of gold) (John 10:30; 8:58).
  2. The purpose of the Lamb of God is to take away the sin of the world.
    1. God?s Lamb takes away sin.
    2. He ?taketh away? sin.
      1. The idea is that of lifting up, raising from the shoulders.
      2. The present tense means that John saw Jesus in the very act of removing their sin.
    3. He takes away the sin ?of the world? (cf. John 11:51,52).
  3. ?Behold? Him!
    1. Look at Him ? Not at our works nor at our sins (as being too great for Him).
    2. Look at this Lamb of God Who has in fact taken away the sin already ? it is an accomplished fact.
    3. Look at Him as Israel looked at the brazen serpent and be healed.
      1. All Who look by faith at Jesus alone are saved eternally.
      2. See that in Him alone is all that is needed for the complete forgiveness of each and every one of our sins.