John Series Part 6 Series

Jesus the Lamb of God, the Son of God: The Third Witness of John the Baptist, 1:29–34

(1:29–34) Introduction: John’s witness about Jesus Christ is one of the greatest witnesses ever given by man. John was unmistakable in His proclamation of the Lord Jesus Christ (Lu. 4:18–19).

1. Christ is the Lamb of God (v.29).

2. Christ is the Preeminent One (vv.30–31).

3. Christ is the Messiah, the One upon whom the Spirit of God remained (vv.32–33).

4. Christ is the Son of God (v.34).

1 (1:29) Jesus Christ, Lamb of God: Jesus Christ is the “Lamb of God.” Down through the centuries “the Lamb of God” has been one of the most cherished symbols of Jesus Christ held by believers. There are four reasons for this.

a. The Lamb is a picture of Christ our Passover who was sacrificed for us.

“For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us” (1 Co. 5:7).

Historically, the Passover refers back to the time when God delivered Israel from Egyptian bondage (Ex. 11:1f). God had pronounced judgment, the taking of the firstborn, upon the people of Egypt for their injustices. As He prepared to execute the final judgment, the faithful, those who believed God, were instructed to slay a pure lamb and sprinkle its blood over the door posts of their homes. The blood of the innocent lamb would then serve as a sign that the coming judgment had already been carried out. When seeing the blood, God would pass over that house. Those who believed God applied the blood to their homes and were saved, but those who did not believe did not apply the blood to their homes and their firstborn were destroyed.

Symbolically, the Passover pictured the coming of Jesus Christ as the Savior. The lamb without blemish pictured His sinless life (see Jn. 1:29), and the blood sprinkled on the door posts pictured His blood shed for the believer. It was a sign that the life and blood of the innocent lamb had been substituted for the firstborn. The eating of the lamb pictured the need for spiritual nourishment gained by feeding on Christ, the Bread of Life. The unleavened bread (bread without yeast) pictured the need for putting evil out of one’s life and household. (STUDY, Feast of Unleavened Bread—Mt. 26:17.)

The major point to note is this: it was the blood of the lamb that saved the people. The lamb was sacrificed; that is, its blood was shed as a substitute for the people. The lamb symbolized Christ our Passover who was sacrificed for us. If we believe and apply His blood to our hearts and homes, He saves us. If we do not believe and do not apply the blood to our hearts and homes, we are destroyed. It is the Lamb of God who was sacrificed for us; it is His blood which saves us.

b. The Lamb is a picture of the precious blood of Christ which redeems us.

“Ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things … but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Pe. 1:18–19).

Historically, two lambs were sacrificed “day by day continually … the one … in the morning; and the other … at even” (Ex. 29:38–39). The sacrifice of the two lambs, the shedding of their precious blood, became a substitute for the people. The people knew their sins had separated them from God and that their sins had to be removed before they could be reconciled to God. Thus, symbolically, the sins of the people were removed from the people and placed upon the two animals. The animals, without blemish and without spot, had the sins of the people placed upon them; and symbolically, they bore the judgment of sin, which was death. They were sacrificed for sin, and by their death, they symbolically set the people free by redeeming them from their sins. (But note a critical point. It was not the deed that caused God to remove the sins but the faith of the person in God’s Word that He would remove the sins.)

This, of course, is a picture of Christ. (See Is. 53:6–7; Je. 11:19; Ac. 8:32; 1 Co. 5:7; He. 9:28; 1 Pe. 2:22–24; Re. 5:6; 6:1; 7:9; 12:11; 13:8; 14:1; 15:3; 17:14; 19:9; 21:22.) Jesus Christ is …

• the perfect Lamb of God, without sin (blemish or spot). )

• the One upon whom the sins of the people were placed

• the One who bore the judgment for sin, which was death

• the One who was sacrificed for sin

• the One whose death sets people free by redeeming them

• the One whose blood is counted precious both by God and believers

It should be noted that Christ willingly offered Himself as the sacrificial Lamb, as our substitute and sin-bearer; and God willingly accepted the offering and sacrifice of His Son for us (Jn. 10:17–18). God is satisfied with the settlement for sin that Christ made. If any person really believes the blood of Christ to be precious—really believes that the blood of Christ covers his sins—God will take that person’s belief and count it as righteousness (see DEEPER STUDY # 1, 2—Ro. 4:22; notes—5:1; 1 Jn. 2:1–2).