Jesus – The Lamb of God!
John 1:29-34
We are introduced to John the Baptist as he was preaching in the wilderness. This gospel account does not tell us as the Synoptic gospels do, that he was preaching a message of repentance and baptism. Nor are we told that the people are flocking out of the cities and villages to hear him. The religious leaders are deeply concerned over two things. First, they are concerned that John is undermining their authority, And secondly, they are worried that John the Baptism may stir the crowds into some action that cause the Romans to call in the soldiers to intervene.
This text deals with two crucial questions, “Who John is and Who Jesus is!”
First, Who is this one called “John the Baptist?” (vv. 19-28)
At some point the religious leadership became so concerned that they sent a delegation to question John. Beginning in verse nineteen they attempt to determine who John by asking him a series of five questions. “Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”
•Question One: Who are you? (vv. 19-20)
“…“Who are you?”(20) He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” Implied is the question, “Are you the Messiah?” They are asking and John is denying that he is “the anointed one” – the long awaited Messiah of Israel.
•Question Two: Are you Elijah? (v. 21a)
“And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” This is not quite as easy a question to answer as it appears. They are asking if he is the bodily return of Elijah. Yet, Jesus says of John that he does fulfill the spirit of Elijah return in (Matt 11:14) “great and dreadful day of the Lord” prophesied in Micah (4:5). John says, “I am not Elijah returned in bodily form.”
•Question Three: Are you “that” prophet?(v. 21b) “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.”
They asked John if he was the prophet spoken of in Deut. 18:15-19, a prophet like Moses who they thought would accompany the Messiah. John simply said, No!The delegation pressed him with possible options but he persistently answered them in the negative, He is not the Messiah, not Elijah, not the prophet.
•Question Four: Then who are you?
(vv. 22-23) “Then they said to him, “Who are
you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?” (23) He said: “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
“Make straight the way of the Lord,” ’as the prophet Isaiah said.”
The religious delegation was not content to know who John was not. They wanted to know then who he was. But John’s purpose was never to talk about himself his job was to prepare the way for Jesus.
•Question Five: Why then are you baptizing? (vv. 25-26)
“And they asked him, saying, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” (26) John answered them, saying, “I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. (27) It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.”
John’s baptism is distressing to the Jewish leadership. Baptism is a well known practice in Judaism. It was a part of the process by which Gentile converts became a part of the Jewish religious system. What made John’s baptism distressing to the Jewish religious leaders was that it was not Gentiles who were being baptized but Jews. It was not Gentiles but Jewish who were being warned about their sins and their need for repentance. John was treating Jews as though they were lost sinners in need of salvation. The Jewish religious leaders were teaching that simply being Jewish and keeping the law was sufficient to save them. Yet John’s ministry and message, was that this was not so! It’s funny that people still are under the illusion that they do not need to repent, that somehow they are going to make it to heaven on their own goodness!
The delegation still wants to talk to John about himself and his ministry, but John’s ministry is all about magnifying Jesus.
Having dealt with Who John Is ….
Secondly, “Who Then Is Jesus?” (1:29-34)
“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (30) This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’(31) I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.” (32) And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. (33) 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.’ (34) And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”
When Jesus came toward John on “the next day” it is obviously not their first contact. In fact, John has already baptized Jesus. These are crucial events but John does not retell them because they have been given in some detail in the synoptic gospels and John assumes they are common knowledge among the people to whom he is writing. Instead John goes on to deal with amazing story of Jesus’ true identity being revealed by the Baptist.
John the Baptist declares, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’ (v. 29). The expression, “Lamb of God” is widely used in our hymns and in our worship, “But do we really understand what it means?” In this one sentence is the essence of the Christian message. It is difficult for western minds to fully appreciate the import of John’s words, but to the Jewish people of that day, these words were powerful in their significance.
Notice with me these four powerful truths about the Lamb of God!
•He Was The Lamb That Was Promised. (Gen 22:7-8)
For centuries Israel had known about the sacrificial lamb. They had learned about it first from the story of Abraham (Gen 22). God had commanded Abraham to take Isaac his only son up on the mountain to sacrifice him. Isaac had said, “… Look, the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering …” (Gen. 22:7–8). In presenting Jesus as the Lamb of God, John is telling us that Jesus is the fulfillment of the answer that Abraham had given to Isaac those many years ago. In one sense of the word, the question of the Old Testament was, “Where is the lamb?” John tells us that Jesus is the Promised Lamb.
Israel also knew the sacrificial lamb through the institution of the Passover. The Passover was given as a means of delivering his people from last plague, given to make Pharaoh release the Children of Israel from slavery in Egypt, The death of the first born would visit every house that did not have the blood applied to the doorpost. The blood of the lamb was the sign for the death angel to pass by.
Moreover, historically two lambs were sacrificed each day... one in the morning and one at twilight. Symbolically, the sins of the people were removed from the people and placed on the two animals. In every instance the sacrifices meant the death of an innocent substitute in the place of the one who had sinned. John tells us that all the lambs that were slain on Jewish altars down through the ages now find their fulfillment in Jesus. John marks him out when he said,. “Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world.”
•He was the Lamb That Was Pictured.
Because the Passover feast was near it may well have afford John the perfect illustration to identify Jesus as the sin-bearing lamb of God. As he stood to present Jesus it may well be that there were flocks of lamb being driven up to Jerusalem to serve as sacrificial lambs in Jerusalem. The picture of Jesus as the Passover Lamb vividly illustrated that Jesus was able to deliver from death all those who believed in him.
Just as the blood of the Passover lamb saved those Jews who by faith applied the blood to the doorpost of their homes, those who believed in Jesus likewise are saved through his blood.
•He was the Lamb that was Provided.
John was telling the people that Jesus was to
be the sacrifice for their sins, God’s provision for man’s greatest need. Central to the good news is the fact that Jesus is the sin-bearer and that as “the Lamb of God” he has taken the sins of the whole world upon himself. Peter explained this way in (1 Peter 1:18-19) “knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, (19) but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”
•He is the Lamb that is to be Praised.
(Rev 5:12)
I read an illustration that I really struggled with whether or not to use. It is so graphic that it really gripped my heart. The story is told of a young man who worked “… in a slaughter house, putting to death cattle, hogs, chickens, turkeys; you name it he did it. One day there was an exceptional animal that was penned in the slaughter barn. A lamb. "Usually," my friend voiced, "I would just slit the throat of the beast and it would fall to the ground. I’ve never killed a lamb." The young man went on in detail. "I would usually have to chase down the animal to be killed. They were all very skittish; probably because of the smell of death and blood. But you know, this little lamb just walked right up to me and nudged my hand with his head. I stuck to my routine and grabbed under the chin of the lamb, put the knife to his throat, and pulled hard and swift.
The cut was deep, severing it’s throat, and blood sprayed everywhere. I let go of the animal and it staggered as if it were drunk. Wit it’s blood all over my hands, I dropped the knife in disbelief, as the next scene that I saw changed my life completely, as a Christian.
The lamb did not fall to it’s knees whisping for breath. The little lamb staggered back to me and nudged my bloody hand for the second time with his nose, and started to lick the blood from my hands! I could not believe what I was experiencing! I started to think of how Christ endured his suffering and painful death for me on Calvary. Something wet started splashing on the ground, and it was coming from my face. I was weeping. I quit that job, that day."
This young man realized what every Christian should be sobered by. The horrific events that took place during the crucifixion of Christ were far worse than we could ever imagine. We should always be humbled by the death of Christ.” [James Drake. “The Lamb of God” John 1:29 – www. sermoncentral]
And as the John writes in the book of Revelation 5:12 “the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world truly is worthy of our all our praise. He wrote, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”
Conclusion
According to verse thirty-seven, when two of the disciples of John the Baptist heard him say, “look the Lamb of God” they immediately followed Jesus. May our study of this passage lead us to do the same.
So let me ask, “Have you ever accepted the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made with his blood on the cross of Calvary for you?” This is too important to miss.
The one thing that is emphasized about John the Baptist over and over is that he was above all a witness for Jesus Christ. You must understand this morning that if you are uncertain about your relationship to Christ you will never be worth anything as a witness! If you don’t know for sure why don’t you settle it today?
If you’re saved today, you know for sure that you have accepted Jesus as your personal savior, “How long has it been since you really considered what it cost Him to save you?”
We are introduced to John the Baptist as he was preaching in the wilderness. This gospel account does not tell us as the Synoptic gospels do, that he was preaching a message of repentance and baptism. Nor are we told that the people are flocking out of the cities and villages to hear him. The religious leaders are deeply concerned over two things. First, they are concerned that John is undermining their authority, And secondly, they are worried that John the Baptism may stir the crowds into some action that cause the Romans to call in the soldiers to intervene.
This text deals with two crucial questions, “Who John is and Who Jesus is!”
First, Who is this one called “John the Baptist?” (vv. 19-28)
At some point the religious leadership became so concerned that they sent a delegation to question John. Beginning in verse nineteen they attempt to determine who John by asking him a series of five questions. “Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”
•Question One: Who are you? (vv. 19-20)
“…“Who are you?”(20) He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” Implied is the question, “Are you the Messiah?” They are asking and John is denying that he is “the anointed one” – the long awaited Messiah of Israel.
•Question Two: Are you Elijah? (v. 21a)
“And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” This is not quite as easy a question to answer as it appears. They are asking if he is the bodily return of Elijah. Yet, Jesus says of John that he does fulfill the spirit of Elijah return in (Matt 11:14) “great and dreadful day of the Lord” prophesied in Micah (4:5). John says, “I am not Elijah returned in bodily form.”
•Question Three: Are you “that” prophet?(v. 21b) “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.”
They asked John if he was the prophet spoken of in Deut. 18:15-19, a prophet like Moses who they thought would accompany the Messiah. John simply said, No!The delegation pressed him with possible options but he persistently answered them in the negative, He is not the Messiah, not Elijah, not the prophet.
•Question Four: Then who are you?
(vv. 22-23) “Then they said to him, “Who are
you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?” (23) He said: “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
“Make straight the way of the Lord,” ’as the prophet Isaiah said.”
The religious delegation was not content to know who John was not. They wanted to know then who he was. But John’s purpose was never to talk about himself his job was to prepare the way for Jesus.
•Question Five: Why then are you baptizing? (vv. 25-26)
“And they asked him, saying, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” (26) John answered them, saying, “I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. (27) It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.”
John’s baptism is distressing to the Jewish leadership. Baptism is a well known practice in Judaism. It was a part of the process by which Gentile converts became a part of the Jewish religious system. What made John’s baptism distressing to the Jewish religious leaders was that it was not Gentiles who were being baptized but Jews. It was not Gentiles but Jewish who were being warned about their sins and their need for repentance. John was treating Jews as though they were lost sinners in need of salvation. The Jewish religious leaders were teaching that simply being Jewish and keeping the law was sufficient to save them. Yet John’s ministry and message, was that this was not so! It’s funny that people still are under the illusion that they do not need to repent, that somehow they are going to make it to heaven on their own goodness!
The delegation still wants to talk to John about himself and his ministry, but John’s ministry is all about magnifying Jesus.
Having dealt with Who John Is ….
Secondly, “Who Then Is Jesus?” (1:29-34)
“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (30) This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’(31) I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.” (32) And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. (33) 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.’ (34) And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”
When Jesus came toward John on “the next day” it is obviously not their first contact. In fact, John has already baptized Jesus. These are crucial events but John does not retell them because they have been given in some detail in the synoptic gospels and John assumes they are common knowledge among the people to whom he is writing. Instead John goes on to deal with amazing story of Jesus’ true identity being revealed by the Baptist.
John the Baptist declares, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’ (v. 29). The expression, “Lamb of God” is widely used in our hymns and in our worship, “But do we really understand what it means?” In this one sentence is the essence of the Christian message. It is difficult for western minds to fully appreciate the import of John’s words, but to the Jewish people of that day, these words were powerful in their significance.
Notice with me these four powerful truths about the Lamb of God!
•He Was The Lamb That Was Promised. (Gen 22:7-8)
For centuries Israel had known about the sacrificial lamb. They had learned about it first from the story of Abraham (Gen 22). God had commanded Abraham to take Isaac his only son up on the mountain to sacrifice him. Isaac had said, “… Look, the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering …” (Gen. 22:7–8). In presenting Jesus as the Lamb of God, John is telling us that Jesus is the fulfillment of the answer that Abraham had given to Isaac those many years ago. In one sense of the word, the question of the Old Testament was, “Where is the lamb?” John tells us that Jesus is the Promised Lamb.
Israel also knew the sacrificial lamb through the institution of the Passover. The Passover was given as a means of delivering his people from last plague, given to make Pharaoh release the Children of Israel from slavery in Egypt, The death of the first born would visit every house that did not have the blood applied to the doorpost. The blood of the lamb was the sign for the death angel to pass by.
Moreover, historically two lambs were sacrificed each day... one in the morning and one at twilight. Symbolically, the sins of the people were removed from the people and placed on the two animals. In every instance the sacrifices meant the death of an innocent substitute in the place of the one who had sinned. John tells us that all the lambs that were slain on Jewish altars down through the ages now find their fulfillment in Jesus. John marks him out when he said,. “Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world.”
•He was the Lamb That Was Pictured.
Because the Passover feast was near it may well have afford John the perfect illustration to identify Jesus as the sin-bearing lamb of God. As he stood to present Jesus it may well be that there were flocks of lamb being driven up to Jerusalem to serve as sacrificial lambs in Jerusalem. The picture of Jesus as the Passover Lamb vividly illustrated that Jesus was able to deliver from death all those who believed in him.
Just as the blood of the Passover lamb saved those Jews who by faith applied the blood to the doorpost of their homes, those who believed in Jesus likewise are saved through his blood.
•He was the Lamb that was Provided.
John was telling the people that Jesus was to
be the sacrifice for their sins, God’s provision for man’s greatest need. Central to the good news is the fact that Jesus is the sin-bearer and that as “the Lamb of God” he has taken the sins of the whole world upon himself. Peter explained this way in (1 Peter 1:18-19) “knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, (19) but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”
•He is the Lamb that is to be Praised.
(Rev 5:12)
I read an illustration that I really struggled with whether or not to use. It is so graphic that it really gripped my heart. The story is told of a young man who worked “… in a slaughter house, putting to death cattle, hogs, chickens, turkeys; you name it he did it. One day there was an exceptional animal that was penned in the slaughter barn. A lamb. "Usually," my friend voiced, "I would just slit the throat of the beast and it would fall to the ground. I’ve never killed a lamb." The young man went on in detail. "I would usually have to chase down the animal to be killed. They were all very skittish; probably because of the smell of death and blood. But you know, this little lamb just walked right up to me and nudged my hand with his head. I stuck to my routine and grabbed under the chin of the lamb, put the knife to his throat, and pulled hard and swift.
The cut was deep, severing it’s throat, and blood sprayed everywhere. I let go of the animal and it staggered as if it were drunk. Wit it’s blood all over my hands, I dropped the knife in disbelief, as the next scene that I saw changed my life completely, as a Christian.
The lamb did not fall to it’s knees whisping for breath. The little lamb staggered back to me and nudged my bloody hand for the second time with his nose, and started to lick the blood from my hands! I could not believe what I was experiencing! I started to think of how Christ endured his suffering and painful death for me on Calvary. Something wet started splashing on the ground, and it was coming from my face. I was weeping. I quit that job, that day."
This young man realized what every Christian should be sobered by. The horrific events that took place during the crucifixion of Christ were far worse than we could ever imagine. We should always be humbled by the death of Christ.” [James Drake. “The Lamb of God” John 1:29 – www. sermoncentral]
And as the John writes in the book of Revelation 5:12 “the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world truly is worthy of our all our praise. He wrote, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”
Conclusion
According to verse thirty-seven, when two of the disciples of John the Baptist heard him say, “look the Lamb of God” they immediately followed Jesus. May our study of this passage lead us to do the same.
So let me ask, “Have you ever accepted the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made with his blood on the cross of Calvary for you?” This is too important to miss.
The one thing that is emphasized about John the Baptist over and over is that he was above all a witness for Jesus Christ. You must understand this morning that if you are uncertain about your relationship to Christ you will never be worth anything as a witness! If you don’t know for sure why don’t you settle it today?
If you’re saved today, you know for sure that you have accepted Jesus as your personal savior, “How long has it been since you really considered what it cost Him to save you?”
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