BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD
John
1:29-34
In one sentence we have the essence of the Christian
message,
“Behold the Lamb of God” (v29)
What
do you think of when you hear that
statement in the Scriptures? “Behold the Lamb of God”
I
think of pain and suffering that would come to save a sinner like me.
I
think of my sin, and the ultimate cost it took to remove my sin.
I
think of the glorious Christ, that saved me from the death that I deserve.
I
think of what an amazing God, whose love is unending to love the unlovable.
I
think of overflowing grace and His love towards a, once rebellious sinner like
me.
I
think of the joy it fills my heart in the midst of the chaos that gets us
through the day to day.
I
think of the humility in the person of Jesus, who came to do the Father’s will
to save many.
See we “behold the Lamb of God,” when we take up our
crosses daily,
as God instructs us, and to follow Christ.
I’m reminded of that hymn…….
“There is a fountain filled with blood,
Drawn from Immanuel’s veins
And sinner plunged beneath that flood
Lose all there guilty stains”
Kent Hughes said, “Christianity is a bloody religion” It’s through His blood there is grace, mercy and forgiveness. (v29-v34) John the Baptist has been a voice, crying out in the wilderness. John the Baptist’s testimony has reached the ears of the Religious Leaders and they are very unsettled about his unorthodox religious practices and behaviour. The Sanhedrin, the main governing body of the Jewish nation sent scouts to see what he is all about. We know they ended up frustrated when John answered their questions…. I am just a voice crying in a world riddled with sin and death! "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness..."; I baptize you with repentance in preparation..." There is One coming, who none of us are worthy to tie his shoes!! There is One coming, who will be the greatest sacrifice for all of mankind. The Bible says the next day all these things that he was proclaiming came true. (v29) The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” The force of this call was deeply significant when viewed in light of the present day for the Pharisees. They were looking for a King who would deliver them from the Roman yoke of bondage. They were not yearning for a Saviour-priest, but a King to rule. But John proclaims, “The Lamb of God is here, the Lamb that would be slain for the whole world.” Our Savior, our Lamb's Supper has arrived to be our sin offering towards a holy God. There are 2 important truths or promises for us to understand this morning!
Behold The Lamb OF God Who Came To Be Sacrificed For
Sinners.
“Behold the Lamb of God” points to His moral perfection, His sinlessness as Peter wrote, “knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” 1 Peter 1:18-19. This speaks of His gentleness, His voluntary offering Himself to God on our behalf. He was led, not driven as a lamb to be slaughtered. We read in Acts 8:32, “The place in the Scripture which he read was this: "HE WAS LED AS A SHEEP TO THE SLAUGHTER; AND AS A LAMB BEFORE ITS SHEARER IS SILENT, SO HE OPENED NOT HIS MOUTH.” The Pure and undefiled Word, came to be my sin Sacrifice, your sin Sacrifice! "The Lamb of God" Throughout history God had revealed that His relationship with man has been separated, and the only way to restore that relationship comes ONLY by the blood sacrifice of His Lamb. There was NO forgiveness of sin granted by God, apart from an acceptable substitute dying as a sacrifice in our place. This statement must have pierced the conscience of every Jew, because they naturally associated a lamb with there history. Why? Because a Lamb signifies a required sacrifice, a required burnt offering for sin of the people.
All the sacrifices of Old Testament times had foreshadowed this time in history.
The Lamb is symbolised in the firstlings of the flock slain by Abel in sacrifice. “Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering,” Genesis 4
A Lamb was sacrificed for Abraham, instead of his
son Isaac. “But the Angel of the LORD called to him from
heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" So he said, "Here I
am." And He said, "Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to
him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son,
your only son, from Me." Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and
there behind him was a ram (which is a
male sheep) caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the
ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. And Abraham
called the name of the place, The-LORD-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day,
"In the Mount of the LORD it shall be provided." Then the Angel of
the LORD called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, and said: "By
Myself I have sworn, says the LORD, because you have done this thing, and have
not withheld your son, your only son” Gen 22:11-16
The Passover Lamb, for the nation of Israel. “Your
lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. Now you shall keep it until the
fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation
of Israel shall kill it at twilight. And
they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the
lintel of the houses where they eat it.
Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with
unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Do not eat it raw,
nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire—its head with its legs and
its entrails. You shall let none of it remain until morning, and what remains
of it until morning you shall burn with fire. And thus you shall eat it: with a
belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So
you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD's Passover. 'For I will pass through
the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land
of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute
judgment: I am the LORD. Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses
where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague
shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. 'So this
day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD
throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting
ordinance.” Exo 12:5-14
The Jewish required a blood sacrifice for the forgiveness
for sin. “And it shall be, when he is guilty in any of these matters, that he
shall confess that he has sinned in that thing; and he shall bring his trespass
offering to the LORD for his sin which he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a kid of the goats as a sin offering.
So the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin. 'If he is not
able to bring a lamb, then he shall bring to the LORD, for his trespass which
he has committed, two turtledoves or two young pigeons: one as a sin offering
and the other as a burnt offering.” Lev 5:5-7
God required a Lamb that would be lead to the Slaughter. “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed”…..”He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken. And they made His grave with the wicked—But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand. Isaiah 53:5-10
The
nation wanted a King, a Conqueror;
but all that was sent was a
Lamb.
But not just any Lamb; a Lamb that would deal with sin once and for all, as the Hebrew writer said “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, "Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, 'Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.'" When he said above, "You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings" (these are offered according to the law), then he added, "Behold, I have come to do your will." He does away with the first in order to establish the second. And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Heb 10:4-10
He takes away the first, which is the animal sacrifice; and the Second being the atoning work of Christ. Our perfect sacrifice for sin to please a holy and just God. See the sacrifice of animals was a temporary requirement; this did not mean you became sinless men and women. This was only to be done until the Perfect Lamb sacrifice came to pay God's required debt once for all, nothing but the blood of Jesus.
This reminds me of one of my favourite songs “Come o Sinner” by Sovereign Grace.
Come,
O sinner, come and see
Christ
the Lord upon a tree
See
the crown of thorns adorn the King
Who
labors to breathe in agony
Come,
O sinner, come and see
What
our God became to set us free
Verse
2
Come,
O sinner, come and mourn
For
He calls your sin His own
Do
you feel the weight of justice served?
He
suffers the wrath that you deserve
Come,
O sinner, come and mourn
For
He bears the curse for all you’ve done
Chorus
Oh
the wonder of this awesome scene
Where
our Savior bleeds
Oh
the power of the love of God
Come
and stand in awe
Verse
3
Come,
O sinner, come rejoice
Mercy
fills this place of scorn
For
He dies to save His enemies
That
all who draw near may know His peace
Come,
O sinner, come rejoice
Through the death of Christ death is destroyed
John the Baptist used this expression as a reference to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus, to atone for the sins of God’s image-bearers. This Lamb is the only Lamb worthy of all our worship and the only One worthy to open the scrolls. “I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!" And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: "Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!" Then the four living creatures said, "Amen!" And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever.” Rev 5:11-14 Worthy is the Lamb that was slain for us! “For the World (Kosmos)” means “All humanity in general sense, it reaches all human beings without distinction. (transcending all national, racial, and ethnic boundaries)” This means that the singular term “sin” with the collective noun “world” reveals that as sin is worldwide, so Jesus’ sacrifice is sufficient for all people without distinction. Its the same word used when John wrote his first epistle, “And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world”
1 John 2:2
But understanding His sacrificial death is sufficient for the sins of everybody; it is efficacious only for those who savingly believe in Him. This verse does not teach universal salvation, which is the false teaching that everybody will be saved. Unfortunately, the Bible is very clear that a great many will suffer eternal punishment for their unbelief and rebellious hearts. “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” Matt 7:13-13. But don’t loss heart here for lost loved ones, Jesus came to die for those who put their faith in trust in Jesus Christ alone. (There is still hope but it comes in the proclamation of gospel awakening)
His grace is sufficient for everyone, but it only
benefits those who are His.
For every sinful act I’ve done or will be committed! The Lamb of God, came to be a willing sacrifice for all of them. There are not words that can express my thankfulness to the gospel that saves, other than its….
All of grace, grace that is greater than all my sin.
A love that surpasses any, and all human
understanding.
The gospel that saved a wretch like me.
Behold The Lamb Of God Who Came To Provide Forgiveness.
The Lamb came to deal with the Sin issue, to provide forgiveness for the wicked and rebellious created children. He came as a Lamb offering to provide forgiveness for the lost! “for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10. Paul said He offers forgiveness through His blood on the cross. “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” Eph 1:7. This is the Lamb of God, who is always ready to forgive a sinner! “For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.” Psalm 86:5
The call to repentance and faith is a pleading to holy God who is just and full of grace; its not accepting Jesus as if He needs your acceptance, and approval. It’s a humbling oneself to the foot of cross, seeking a holy and gracious God for your holy treason; as you seek forgiveness, and eternal life with Him.
His forgiveness is for those who trust in His Son
completely! Though He came to provide this forgiveness for all,
unfortunately scripture says He would be rejected by many ".... 'THE STONE
WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED HAS BECOME THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE.” Mark 12:10
As we have already seen here in John's opening
remarks to his gospel! “He was in the world, and the world was made
through Him, and the world did not know Him.
He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.” John 1:10-11
The first martyr Stephen, said this to the religious
leaders "You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always
resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets
did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming
of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers,.” Acts
7:51-52. And sadly the end result is eternal suffering “in
flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do
not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with
everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His
power,” 2 Thess 1:8-9.
Why
do we believe this statement?
Why
is He our Perfect sacrifice for sin?
Why
is He the only One who can forgive?
By what we see in the next few verses! The Spirit descending from Heaven…this is the promise, or conformation, that this is the true Messiah. Remember what John said in (v33-v34) “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."
How
did John know ahead of time that
Jesus was the One?
In Luke’s account we read “And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, "You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased." Luke 3:22
My
Beloved Son
My
Only Begotten Son
My
Lamb of God
My
Perfect Sacrifice
My
Son of Man who comes to be a ransom for all! But received by few!
John Calvin said "Since no man is
excluded from calling upon God the gate of salvation is open to all. There is
nothing else to hinder us from entering, but our own unbelief."
Salvation is only found in the ultimate sacrifice of the only begotten Son of God “the precious Lamb of God” We desperately need this sacrifice because sin has affected the very heart of every individual in this world from the point of conception. Sin affected the Nation, from the prophets down to the apostles, and the church age. Sin makes us incapable of changing the future, or the present, or repaying for the past wickedness and rebellion, before a holy God. We desperately need a lamb sacrifice! This is what John was proclaiming “Behold the Lamb of God” who came to save sinners from spiritual death [separation]. This is why He came as John testifies "This is the “Son of God” who has come to seek and to save that which was lost". (v34)
There is so much information in this chapter that John the Baptist is testifying to….
Jesus’
pre-existence. (v15)
Jesus’
Lordship. (v23)
Jesus’
immeasurable superiority. (v27)
Jesus’
sacrificial work. (v29)
Jesus’
moral perfection. (v32)
Jesus’
divine right to baptism. (v33)
Jesus’ Divine Sonship. (v34)
This
testifying goes against the social fabric of
our present and future society.
Many voices call for the allegiance of people throughout the world today. Many gods and religions are presented. And many follow after doctrines of demons. Millions of people find them attractive, but there is salvation in none other but Jesus Christ. As Paul wrote, “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,” 1 Cor 15:1-4. Charles Spurgeon said, "We have an unchanging gospel, which is not today green grass and tomorrow dry hay; but always the abiding truth of the immutable Jehovah." He also said, "The heart of the gospel is redemption, and the essence of redemption is the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ." Our, your salvation is only possible through the precious, spotless, perfect Lamb of God!
“Behold the Lamb of God!
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