The Word Divides

Part VIII

John 1:29-34

"the Lamb of God"

“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.” Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.”

“The next day” probably following the encounter in vs. 19-28.

Try to visualize the scene: a man dressed in clothes made of camel's hair, and wearing a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey (Matthew 3:4); he may have taken a Nazirite vow (Numbers 6) therefore he was unshaven with long hair and was wandering around in the Judean wilderness. Then out of nowhere, he sees “Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” In 2015, we would ask for a mental health assessment of John (the Baptist). It is very difficult to grasp the meaning of this encounter. John had been tilling the soil letting everyone know that the Christ was present. The attire of John is similar to the attire of the great prophet Elijah (2 Kings 1:8). John then burst forth with a declaration characterizing Jesus as the “Lamb of God.”

Every Israelite would celebrate the Passover feast, a celebration in remembrance of God’s deliverance from bondage in Egypt. The Passover feast was a “lasting ordinance” remembering the slaying of the Passover lamb and the applying of the blood to doorposts of the houses (Exodus 12:11-13). The blood of the lamb covered those who did not die that Passover night. The Israelites had the Old Testament and the teachings were an integral part of the fabric of society so those who looked upon John had a context from the Word of God. Is John crazy, a false prophet or is he fulfilling the Word of God and “a voice of one calling in the desert?”(Isaiah 40; Malachi 4) The Word Divides! You are forced to make a decision. John’s testimony has been made known to you!

John says, “Look the Lamb of God.” First God declared he sent John as “a voice” (Isaiah 40; Malachi 4) wanting us to know that the mystery has been revealed (Galatians 1), God has fulfilled his promise of sending “the seed of the woman”(Genesis 3), “the suffering servant” (Isaiah 53), the lamb provided to Abraham (Genesis 22), the “sheep lead to the slaughter” (Isaiah 53) and what the Sacrificial system (Leviticus) pointed to and could not do has arrived and will be fulfilled in Him. The sacrifice of this “Lamb of God” which John “testifies” will be a once for all sacrifice. Jesus sacrifice will accomplish that which the blood of bulls and goats could not do (Hebrews 9; 10). This “Lamb of God” will “take away the sin of the world!” This “Lamb” is identified as Jesus. If John’s testimony is not true then certainly he should have been put to death (Leviticus 24).

The lamb that was offered for sacrificial purposes in the Old Testament had to be perfect, “without spot or blemish.” John is identifying Jesus as one who is perfect, an offering from God, one who John says, “was before me” and is the “Son of God” (of same essence, the very nature of God, the Chosen one). This “Lamb”, Jesus, will live the life all humanity failed to do and then present Himself as payment, willingly bearing our penalty for guilt, death, “taking away the sin of the world.” (God’s work includes Jews and Gentiles) How can John know this? How did he come to that conclusion? Is John insane? Is he a blasphemer?

John’s convictions were such to compel him at the risk of death to declare Jesus to be the “Lamb of God”, “Son of God”, “who takes away the sin of the world.” How was John so certain? John says, “I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me.’” God gave John a way to recognize His Son, the “Lamb of God.” John’s authority to baptize was directly from God. The use of water was discussed in an early post and was often used in the Old Testament for purification rituals. Jesus Baptism as well coincides with his coming of age to fulfill his Priestly role, which required a ritual cleansing. (Numbers 4; 19); The Old Testament Ceremonial Law was a foreshadowing, pointing to the future work of God, which finds fulfillment by God, in and through the work of His Son, Jesus Christ. How then does John know? The sign given: ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ At Jesus baptism, John observes the “Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well please.” (Matthew 3:13-17) The Word of God also confirms John’s testimony, God promises to pour out his Spirit on the future son of David (Isaiah 11), the Servant of the Lord (Isaiah 42) in the last days (Joel 2). This Jesus is different from all others, for the “Spirit remains” and He will baptize with the Holy Spirit. John then lays out for those who hear his proclamation “Look, Behold the Lamb of God” a means by which to test his claim. If in fact Jesus is the one, then signs will follow; "Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have the Gospel preached to them” (Luke 7:22). However, the greatest evidence is a second genesis that occurs in the lives of those “who believe in his name.”

God has sent word to us declaring; the “Word of God”, the “Lamb of God”, the “Son of God”, Jesus the Christ has come. The John’s testify; examine their testimony to determine if this is true! God says, “Look”, open your eyes, and hear “the heavens declare the glory of God” (Psalm 19); I have “walked among you.” Jesus has come “to take away the sin of the world.” “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13)