April 10, 2004

THE LAMB OF GOD

"The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, 'Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29, NKJV).

The portrayal of Jesus as the Lamb of God is unique to the apostle John. He is the only New Testament writer to identify Christ directly as the Lamb. The designation of Christ as the Lamb occurs twenty-seven times in John's writings. In the Gospel of John, Christ is the "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29, NKJV). In the Apocalypse, He is "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" (Revelation 13:8, NKJV).

The announcement, "Behold! The Lamb of God," was a recognition that at last Christ, the antitypical lamb, had appeared in fulfillment of the prophecy (see Isaiah 53:2-7). All the lambs offered on the altars of the Jewish sacrificial system prefigured the atoning work of Jesus, the Lamb of God.

The imagery emphasizes Christ's innocence, perfection of character, and submission to God's will. He is the paschal Lamb through whose precious blood there is cleansing and deliverance. The announcement, "Behold! the Lamb of God," further identifies Christ as the one who "takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29, NKJV). Jesus is the sin bearer and sin remover.

He alone can ultimately eradicate the deadly virus of sin forever. Let us rejoice that the Lamb of God has lifted the insufferable burden of sin from our shoulders and has set us free! Therefore, "We are to contemplate the character of Christ. We are to meditate upon the Cross of Calvary; for it is the unanswerable argument of Christianity. The message we are to bear to the impenitent, the warning we are to give to backsliders, is, 'Behold! The Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.' "--Bible Echo and Signs of the Times, November 1, 1893.

My Prayer Today: Lord, I come just as I am. Wash me in Your atoning blood and clothe me in Your righteousness. Amen.