29The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”
32Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him.33And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One. 35The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” (John 1:29-36)
Thoughts: John didn't just say, "Here's my cousin." He didn't just say, "Here is a great teacher." He didn't even say, "Here is the Messiah." He took all that up a huge notch. Twice he called his disciples to look to Jesus (vs. 29, 36). Twice he called Jesus the Lamb of God. This is sacrificial language. Jesus, though was not called "a" lamb- but "the" Lamb. The Revelation of St. John describes this further portraying a Lamb standing before the throne. Then the elders sang, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain for by his blood he has purchased people from every tribe, language,and nation" (Rev. 5). John testifies that this Lamb takes away the sin of the world.
How can a Lamb take away sin? The Lamb really takes away the penalty of sin symbolically. The sinner would lay their hand upon the animal symbolically uniting them and placing their sin on the animal. The animal would be killed to represent that the penalty is death for breaking God's Law. Heaven is a perfect and holy place and if we went there with our sin it would defile and imperfect the place and the perfect God. So sin has a consequence- our death, our deafness, our blindness to the Holy God and our being shut out of the Holy place. The Lamb is a means to forgiveness that God has made. The Lamb's innocence reminds us that we are not. The Lamb's death reminds us that we deserve death for our sin. But the Lamb's death also frees us from our sin. it is like turning over a new leaf; wiping the slate clean; starting over. But lambs are just symbols pointing to the real Lamb- the pure and innocent God who came down to ransom us and pay the penalty- the cost for our sin. The death of Jesus, the Lamb of God, forgives and frees us to live for God and to hope for blessing here and heaven later.
Prayer: Lamb of God, you not only take away the sins of the world, you take away my sin. Thank you for giving me a second chance and hope.
Ghent altarpiece by Jan Van Eyke 1432
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