Behold
the Lamb of God!
"Behold!
The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"
John 1:29.
John
the Baptist made this statement as he saw Jesus coming toward
him. John was on a mission as it was prophesied of him from
birth, "And you, child, will be called the prophet of
the Highest; for you will go before the face of the Lord to
prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people
by the remission of their sins. Through the tender mercy of
our God, with which the Dayspring from on high has visited
us; to give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow
of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace" Luke
1:76-79.
A delegation
of Jewish priests and Levites were sent from Jerusalem to
question John about his mission and they asked, "Who
are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us?
What do you have to say about yourself?"
John
replied, "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness;
Make straight the way of the Lord, as the prophet Isaiah said"
(Isaiah 40:3).
"Those
who were sent then asked him, 'Why then do you baptize if
you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?'
"John
answered them saying, 'I baptize with water, but there stands
One among you whom you do not know. It is He who, coming after
me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy
to loose.'
"The
next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, 'Behold!
The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This
is He of whom I said, "After me comes a Man who is preferred
before me, for He was before me." I did not know Him;
but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came
baptizing with water.'
"And
John bore witness, saying 'I saw the Spirit descending from
heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. 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.'
"Again,
the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. And looking
at Jesus as He walked, he said, 'Behold the Lamb of God!'"
John 1:22-36.
Another
John, not the Baptist but one of Christ's disciples, makes
reference of The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the
world, when he wrote, "God did not send His Son into
the world to condemn the world, but that the world through
Him might be saved" John 3:17.
Jesus
reflected on His mission to save the world when he said, "He
who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent
Me. And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. I have come as
a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should
not abide in darkness.
"And
if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge
him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the
world. He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has
that which judges him-the word that I have spoken will judge
him in the last day. For I have not spoken on My own authority;
but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should
say and what I should speak. And I know that His command is
everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the
Father has told Me, so I speak" John 12:44-50.
May our
focus be on the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the
world!
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