John 1:29. “Look & live!”
Have you ever looked and beheld something which has simply taken your breath away, maybe an amazing view, ( from a mount top - a beautiful sunset) something you’ve be held in this wonderful creation. Maybe some dramatic human act has left you speechless, an act of sacrifice, heroism an amazing feat performed on the other hand you may well have been in such a situation but failed to look and see the wonder and beauty of what was before you . Well in this passage of scripture there is one of those verses of scripture which simply stands out, above all, which simply when looked at, meditated upon , applied and experienced in our lives personally will always leave us with an amazing appreciation of Our God and Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ.
“Have you Looked, the Lamb of God who takes away the Sin of the world? John is calling us to look & live.”
Background:
After Johns encounter with the delegation from Jerusalem in regard to his own identity & purpose , John clearly pointed to himself as the one who was simply preparing the way for one greater than himself (23) one whom sandals he was not even worthy to untie (27). (V29) The next day John would encounter not for the first time the one for whom many as yet, like the delegation earlier did not know (1:10,11, 26) they failed to really look. This wasn’t John’s first encounter but probably his second for he mentions the baptism of Jesus (Mark1:9). Here he testifies to God speaking to him earlier (Jhn:1: 32- 34) , to the Spirit falling on the One in the form of a dove - who would baptise with the Holy Spirit. This event obviously points to the time when John Baptised Jesus in the river Jordan (matt 3:13-17).
After this event John is fully aware of who Jesus of Nazareth was he calls Him ( v34 The Son of God ) he calls Him (V29 the lamb of God). Fully aware to what he came to do, (v29 to take away the sin of the world) and how he would do it. ) His sacrifice & all who look would live (v33 baptised with the Holy Spirit).
1. Look, at who He is (29, 34)
Many people have different opinions of who Jesus is a Muslim might say he is a prophet, A Sikh / Hindu might say he was a god among many gods or a visible reincarnation of god for that time, someone with a secular mindset might say he was simply a man which the Bible has distorted, others might say he was a great teacher a guide, a healer a great man, before his time, others would certainly have him stand alongside other greats of the worlds history and place him alongside others in a hall of fame; people like Buddha, Muhammad, Ghandi, Shakespeare, Darwin, Winston Church Hill, Einstein, George Washington and so on but to do so would be to miss the point because Jesus is so much more than great figure head of history who impacted the world and we need to heed the words of John and look at Jesus and see the real greatness of Jesus, because when we do it is sublime, it is a view which takes your breath away.
a) The Son of God (34)
Look at the magnificent title he gives to Jesus. (34) “I have seen &testify that this is the Son of God.” (Johns firm conviction is that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the Living God, here John is pointing once again to the divinity of Jesus - The Son of God - The eternal God - not simple the son of Mary – In his humanity – but the Son of God) Not created, but Co-equal, CO eternal with the Father& Spirit three distinct persons in the God head, yet One in Being.
Have we Looked and seen Jesus for who He is? If we have that should leave us humbled and in awe before Him as John says “I have seen &testify that this is the Son of God.” As Peter says, You are the Christ the Son of the living God” Like Thomas before the risen Jesus falls to the ground and says, “My Lord & My God”, or like the dying thief on the cross moment from death acknowledges Jesus as who He really is, “Lord remember me when you come into your kingdom?”
Before we go any further let’s ALL Look and see Jesus for who He really is the Son of the Living God, have you acknowledged Him as such? Without doing so you shall never be saved.
We must confess with our mouth that Jesus is LORD. (JEHOVAH)
Consider this closing thought on this point what a wonderful privilege it is if you see Him as such for there are others who do not they see other things and fail to see him as He really is, so we must ever be a thankful people because its all of his grace & mercy that you have looked & see and others may look but fail to see.
b) The Lamb of God.(29)
But not only does John see Jesus of Nazareth as the Son of God as He looks, he also sees Jesus as the ‘Lamb of God!’
What is John proclaiming here as he calls Jesus the lamb of God? Is it his meekness and gentle character of course he possessed those character traits no it something far more profound that John is what us to see.
a) Far greater he is describing to us that Jesus is the fulfilment of all the types that went before : Go back to Abraham travelling up Mount Moriah to sacrifice (Gen 22:7- 8) When Isaac asked his father where is the lamb? Abraham told Isaac ‘God will provide the sacrifice’ .
b) Consider the people in bondage whilst in Egypt and God told them to sacrifice a Passover lamb, pouring its blood over the lintels of the houses (Jhnn2:13 the Passover was near)
c) All the sacrifices found in the sacrificial system seen in Leviticus are all types which pointed to the forthcoming Lamb of God. The lamb which was prophesised by the prophet Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed and afflicted yet he did not open his mouth, he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before his shearers is silently so he did not open his mouth.
d) This is what John the Baptist had grasped and understood, the early apostles too grasped this amazing truth, like Paul who describes Christ 1Cor 5:7 as our Passover Lamb. John who describes Jesus as the one who would be the propitiation for our sins 1Jhn 2:2 ( means to appease- atoning death upon the cross , he paid the penalty demand by a Holy God for sin, for our sins). Consider peter also who tells us 1peter 1:18-19 You were not redeemed with perishable things like silver and gold from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers. But with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
When pointing to Christ as the Lamb of God: John the Baptist, The apostles Paul, Peter & John all saw Jesus as the fulfilment of all sacrifices gone before Him, presented and sacrificed on our behalf, whereby He redeems his people back to God, Satisfies is Holy indignation toward sin and demonstrates his immense love towards sinners, He liberates us from the empty way of life.
Consider this one thought my friends, Jesus is not only the Son of God and not only the one and only perfect spotless lamb, like a guilty sinner would bring forward as an offering for sin as time passed before a holy God they are just types pointing to the LAMB OF GOD Himself. But this is the lamb of God who was offered up by God Himself, not for Himself , for He has no sin, but for you and for me we are guilty sinners who have violated His law and his holiness. Yet the LAMB OF GOD is offered up by the offended, God himself, not the offender the guilty sinner, isn’t that just amazing. No wonder John said LOOK! The words of Abraham echo back through the centuries, “God will provide a sacrifice”
2. Look at what He is able to do? (29, 33).
If you think that there is nothing special about this one they call the lamb of God who died for sinners , considered the enormity ot the task, “He takes away the sin of the world”
a) Consider the horroriffic nature of sin in the world - The horror of sin through the civilisation of humanity – The wars - with their untold suffering – the death- the lies- the corruption- the greed – the sin of the nations – the sin of corrupt leaders – Hitler and mass genocide – the starving left to die – those hit my natural disaster given pittance as aid – the crime - murders - the adultery – the lies – the abortions – the abuses - child abuse - pornography – paedophile - child prostitution – slavery - immorality – vice & drugs - terrorism - gluttony- envy – hatred – lust – bigotry - then consider your own sins - the wickedness of the whole world our own wickedness is beyond our human comprehension.
b) The amazing power of His sacrifice - John the Baptist is telling us here that Jesus as the lamb of God is the one who would die for the sins of the whole world. His sacrifice is sufficient; it is enough to deal with the sins of the whole world that is amazing! He has the power to take away our sins – ( Not just for Jews – Gentiles – but the whole world) And this wasn’t just some vain proclamation - he actually did it - ‘Christ died for our sins’ he bore our sins in his body upon the tree (1Pet 2:24.) Jesus died, he acted, he demonstrated his love through his death.
c) We must look if we want to live!
If the world is going to know the forgiveness of sins, each individual sinner has to look at Jesus upon that cross (it’s not a universal blanket forgiveness for all Jn 3:16) Individuals must see that it was for their sins that He died for them they must believe! The atoning death is sufficient for the Whole world, but it’s only those who look, those who believe will live! Jhn 3:14-15. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.
When we look to Jesus as our saviour & Lord trusting in his atoning sacrifice, God looks upon us as though we have never sinned at all ( past present future). The Lamb of God takes away our sins. And he goes on taking away our sins it is sufficient for all the days of our lives. For He is the risen priest at the right hand of the father interceding for his redeemed ones.
d) How is anybody enabled to look & live! After all let us remember that the Bible tells us that we are all dead in our trespasses and sins (Eph 2: 1-5) It is God who makes us alive in Christ (5) .
Well notice what John says (32-33) If we are enabled to look and believe in Christ it is because you have been baptised by the great baptiser Himself the Lord Jesus Christ , who baptises us not with water but with the Holy Spirit . All believers who repent and believe are only enabled to do so because they are baptised with the Holy Spirit of God (1Cor 12:13) for we were all baptised by One Spirit into one Body.
This baptism doesn’t consist of water, it’s not a baptism that is given by a minister/vicar or priest or by any denomination, it’s the baptism of the Holy Ghost and only God can give it and it’s essential to saving faith. It’s when by the grace of God, he places the Holy Spirit into our heart of stone and creates a new heart, it’s what Jesus termed ‘being born again’ or ‘born from above.’
It’s a baptism the thief received on the cross at Cavalry, it’s a baptism that Blind Bartimaeus received on the road side, It’s a baptism Judas knew nothing off, even though he was one of the 12 disciples, it was a a baptism Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5) knew nothing of despite being accepted into the Church by the apostles.
So in closing have you looked at Jesus the Son of God, who became the lamb of God , who takes away the sin of the world, Have you looked to Him and seen your own sin laid upon Him, repent and believe and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, enter into a living faith. And if you have Him o from this place calling others to look & live , point others to the Lamb of God who takes away the Sin of the World.
