“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 (read John 1:29-34)
Who is Jesus? What did John the Baptist testify concerning Him? John called Him “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
He said, “This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God” (John 1:30-34).
John’s testimony — revealed to him by the Holy Spirit — was that Jesus is the only-begotten Son of God, come into the world a true man to redeem all mankind from sin and its consequences.
Like the Passover lamb of the Old Testament whose blood was shed and placed upon the lintel and door posts of the houses in which God’s people dwelt so that the LORD would pass over them when He came in judgment against the Egyptians, so the blood of Christ, the sinless Son of God — the blood of a Lamb without blemish and without spot shed upon the cross to take away the guilt and punishment for the sins of all the world — when it is placed upon us by faith, cleanses us from all sins, delivers us from God’s judgment and guarantees us eternal life in heaven (cf. Exo. 12; Isa. 53:6; 1 Cor. 5:7; 1 Pet. 1:18-21; 1 John 1:7 — 2:2; 2 Cor. 5:18-21; Eph. 1:6-7; Rev. 1:5; 7:13-17)!
As John directed his own followers to look to Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, so we still preach and point people to Jesus, the Lamb of God, today. Why? Because He suffered and died for all sins and rose again (cf. 1 Cor. 15:3-4). He satisfied God’s just wrath against the sins of all. He suffered the full punishment for your sins and mine! He won forgiveness and life eternal for you, for me, and for all that we might look to Him in faith and take shelter under His blood, shed on the cross for the sins of the world! (Cf. 1 John 2:1-2.)
Because Christ Jesus, the Lamb of God, took all our sins upon Himself and suffered and died to bear our punishment, we have the assurance that, on the Last Day, all who trust in Jesus and have their sins washed away in His blood will with their eyes behold the Lamb of God who has taken away the sin of the world. We will see His face and dwell in His presence forevermore! (Cf. Psalm 17:15; Job 19:25-27.)
O LORD God, we thank You for providing a substitute for us, the holy and sinless Son of God, that He might take on our flesh, fulfill all righteousness for us and then suffer and die to pay for the sins of the world. Grant us faith in Him, that our sins may be washed away in His shed blood. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
[Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]