The Lamb of God

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

THE LAMB OF GOD

John 1:29-31

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel."

NIV

The system of having a sacrificial lamb was a part of the life of every Israelite as they have offered them for the sin of Israel for many years. It is noteworthy that John did not say, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of Israel.” He said this Lamb God takes away the sin of the world, the whole world, which at that time would have meant the gentiles as well as Israel. Of course we, having the whole of scripture know all this and it is not new to us, at least us who believe, but they did not know as we do, and it may not have registered that he was the Messiah of the whole world. Now John also said, which may have lead those hearing him to think of Israel only, the reason he came was so the Jesus would be revealed to Israel. Just because Jesus was revealed to Israel certainly did not mean that he came only for Israel, but that he came for us. Jesus is the One and Only true sacrificial lamb, provided by God, to take away our sin. In the Old Testament this sacrificial lamb was representative of taking away the sin of Israel, but no longer is it representative, it is actual.  Jesus actually, literally takes away our sin. Our sin is gone, not by any action on our part, but solely because of Jesus, all we need to do is accept him as our Sacrificial Lamb of God.