"The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." John 1:29
The Bible tells us of John the Baptist in the first chapter of St. John's Gospel: "There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe" (v. 6-7).
John the Baptist was sent into this world that he might prepare people for the coming of the Messiah and Savior by calling upon all to repent of their sin and pointing them to Jesus Christ, their Savior. This John did when he saw Jesus coming to him. Directing the people to Jesus, John said, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."
John knew and recognized that Jesus was and is the very Son of God and the Messiah and Savior of the world (cf. v. 30-34).
He pointed his hearers to Jesus that they too might see and believe in their Savior.
With these few words, John says so much! Jesus is that perfect sacrifice for sins which God promised of old. Like the sacrificial lambs of the Old Testament, Christ would shed His holy and precious blood upon the cross to pay for the sins of all people (cf. 1 Pet. 1:18-19; Heb. 9:11-15, 25-28).
We too, who have sinned against the holy commandments of the LORD God, are directed to look in faith to Jesus, who suffered and died upon the cross for all sins, that we might receive forgiveness and everlasting life in heaven.
"Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."
Dear holy, spotless Lamb of God, cleanse us from all our sins with Thy precious blood, shed for us upon the cross of Calvary. Amen.
[Devotion by Randy Moll. Scripture quotations from the King James Version of the Bible]
Editorial on 01/18/2017