Behold The Lamb of God (John 1:19-39)
Jesus is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. We have uttered this phrase much in our lives, but given little thought to its origin. It is the utterance of John the Baptist that made it into hymns and the Christian’s common thought here in John 1.
This truth is central to our beliefs and lives as Christians. But it is not only important for us, it is important for everyone. For this very truth, that Jesus is the Lamb of God, forces everyone to decide who Jesus is. It forces everyone to either accept Christ or reject Him. It forces all people to look at Christ and either walk away from Him or believe in His name.
We are going to break this narrative into two sermons. The first is going to be primarily about who John proclaims Jesus to be. And the second is going to be about the messengers of the gospel message.
Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world and believe in His name.
Jesus is the Lamb of God Who Takes Away Sin (John 1:19-38)
Priests and Levites were sent from Jerusalem to ask John who he was (John 1:20). And this makes complete sense when we think a little about what was going on at the time.
Remember, John the Baptist was part of a priestly family. We meet his father in Luke 1. He was about to drew the lot to perform the burning of incense, which would have been a once in a lifetime experience for him and an angel told him he and his wife would have a son, John the Baptist. Zechariah, in his old age, doubted the message of the angel concerning the birth of John the Baptist and struck dumb for the remainder of the pregnancy. So, the doings of John the Baptist would not have been unknown to the priests of Israel.
These priests and Levites would have been people sent by the Sanhedrin. They were the high council of the people of Israel. In other words, the highest authorities in Israel are curious as to what is going on with John the Baptist. Church and State were blended together completely in the Sanhedrin, they oversaw matters of religious concern as well as legal concern. They needed to know what John the Baptist was doing.
Many people, due to their actions later in the gospel accounts, assume that they were just making trouble for John the Baptist. But that really doesn’t seem to be the case here. It just seems like they are doing their due diligence. And this is in part because of the novel thing that John the Baptist was doing.
John’s baptism was different than baptisms that had been previously practiced. Baptism was already a practice at this time. It was called “Proselyte Baptism”. It was only practiced on former gentiles that were converting to Judaism. They would be baptized to symbolically wash away their former sinfulness due to their being gentiles. That is not what John is doing here. John the Baptist is baptizing Jews, not Gentiles converting to Judaism.
And when you realize this, their questions make a lot of sense. He was not the Christ, the Messiah. He said that he was not Elijah. Remember, Elijah never died. He was carried off to be with the Lord in the chariot. He was obviously not Elijah. But Elijah was to come and prepare the way of the Lord. We see this in Malachi 4:5-6.
“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.” (Malachi 4:5-6 ESV)
Interestingly, there is a sense in which he was Elijah. He just didn’t know it (Matthew 11:7-14). No, he was not literally Elijah who never died. But he did come in the spirit of Elijah, fulfilling the role of Elijah found in Malachi 3-4.
And then, later, Elijah did literally appear at the Transfiguration of Jesus.
It is very likely the case that John the Baptist hadn’t thought or been told that he was Elijah. In other words, he didn’t fully know who he was, which is really the case for everyone here today. And because of this, John’s answers did not suffice. He said that he was not the Christ and not Elijah. But he’s out here baptizing Jews. What is he doing?
John answers them by quoting from Isaiah 40.
“Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins. A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”” (Isaiah 40:1-5 ESV)
He quoted a passage concerning the comforting of God’s people after a long time of devastation. But it also promises a great time in which the rough places will be made smooth and all flesh, that is all nations, would see the glory of the Lord revealed. Yahweh was coming and a voice would cry in the wilderness to prepare the way.
John’s response to them is that he has a historical role. He is the voice crying in the wilderness, preparing the way for Jesus who revealed the glory of the Lord. The way was being prepared for God’s people to prosper and the nations come to the Lord.
There were Pharisees, apparently, within this group. And again, this makes sense because there were Pharisees in the Sanhedrin. And they approached John for more questions.
The Pharisees were, in a real sense, heroes of the common Jew. It was the Pharisees that had withstood the cultural rot that had been introduced a few generations ago by the Greeks. And the people saw them as heroic for doing so. It was the Pharisees that called people to stand firm in the Lord. But as is often the case, their standing caused them to become self-righteous and innovative. After a while they began adding laws and getting creative with God’s Word. But their reputation was still excellent because of their past.
The Pharisees were more concerned then the rest of the Sanhedrin delegates that John the Baptist wasn’t up to some funny business. John’s answer to them is one that we will discuss more next week. But I tis that he is preparing the way for the Messiah. John baptized with water, but Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist was doing a great things, but he was not worthy to untie the sandal that was on Jesus’s feet. That was a job for servants and slaves, and John felt he was not worthy to do even that menial task for the Lord.
The Pharisees seem to have been okay with that answer and went on their way without giving anymore thought to John the Baptist or Jesus who he said so many great things about.
Then, the next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him and cried out. “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) This one born after him was actually before him. Jesus is the eternal Son of God after all.
We find out here that John the Baptist didn’t know that Jesus was the Messiah before now. It is something he figured out when Jesus was baptized as a voice from Heaven cried out and the Holy Spirit, in the likeness of a dove, descended upon him and remained upon Him. It was a message from God the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.
God sent John the Baptist to baptize with water. And God said to John, “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” (John 1:33) And then John testified that Jesus was the Son of God (John 1:34). It seems to me that he said it in a vague enough way that the Pharisees did not get angry. For they just left John alone. They would later want Jesus dead for claiming to be God, so it stands to reason that they didn’t catch on to what John was throwing down.
But the next day, while with two of his disciples he again said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” and they turned to follow Jesus (John 1:37).
It would be wrong of us to think that John was referencing a singular lamb of God passage in the Old Testament.
The fact is that John very likely spoke better than he knew. But he spoke it and John, writing after the fact, knew exactly what this meant.
Jesus is the Lamb led to slaughter in Isaiah 53:7-10 that takes away the guilt of God’s people. He was crushed for the iniquity of God’s people.
He is the Lamb offered up as a sacrifice in the temple sacrifices of Leviticus of the Book of Leviticus. He is what all those sacrifices were pointing to according to the Book of Hebrews.
“For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” (Hebrews 10:1-4 ESV)
Jesus is the Lamb without blemish, the Passover Lamb of the Exodus out of Egypt (Exodus 12:3-13). The blood of the lamb was brushed over the doorpost of the home and the angel of justice passed over every home that had the blood of the lamb placed over it.
We rebelled against God and earned His wrath and justice. And God the Son took on human flesh, dwelt among us, accomplished all righteousness on our behalf, and died on the cross to take away our sins. He is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. He didn’t just take away the sins of the Jew, but also the Gentile. The offer wasn’t just for Jews in that day. The salvation is offered to you. As we read last week, it is for all those that believe in His name. It is for all those that believe in Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.
You broke God’s Law and earned punishment. The Lamb of God carried His cross up a hill called Golgotha and died outside of city limits, credited with your sin and shame. He died as the substitute for sin for all who would believe. He is the Lamb of God who bled and died to that our sins could be removed. He is the Lamb whose blood was poured out upon the ground there at Golgotha so that we could be cleansed from sin.
He is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. And all those that believe in His name have their sins removed. He paid it all. He took it all upon Himself. And if the blood of the Lamb is spread over your life, then God’s wrath will pass over you on the day of judgment.
Jesus is the Lamb of God that takes away our sin. Turn to Him. Trust in Him. Believe in His name today and be forgiven. Believe in Him and have your sins removed. Believe in Him and on the Day of Judgment the wrath of the Almighty will pass over you.
Believe in Him. Trust in Him today.
Jesus is the Lamb of God who Baptizes with the Holy Spirit (John 1:33)
John’s baptism was preparatory. It was preparing for the coming of the Messiah. That is why it was so different from previous baptisms.
Over and over in the Old Testament, the Scriptures looked forward to the day when the Spirit would be poured out upon all flesh. And that day was here. That time had come, and it would be ushered in through the work of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.
Ultimately this happened after Jesus’s ascension and the Holy Spirit came down from Heaven and was poured upon all believers (Acts 2:1-4). And John was preparing for Jesus and all that He was bringing. They were repenting of sin and pleading with the Lord for cleansing as they awaited the appearing of the Messiah who would bring the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. And now, He was here.
Jesus did not just bring to us forgiveness of sins. His people also receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
God the Holy Spirit was present throughout the Old Testament, but the Old Testament always looked forward to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on all believers.
“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.” (Joel 2:28 ESV)
And Peter announced that this very thing was fulfilled at Pentecost. The Holy Spirit fell upon the disciples, just as Jesus said would happen after His death. The disciples were enabled, by the power of the Holy Spirit to speak in other languages. The scene was so strange that the people around them thought they were drunk. But Peter insisted that this was the fulfillment of the prophesy we just read from Joel.
“But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.” (Act 2:14-18 ESV)
And through the finished work of Christ, every Christian receives the promised Holy Spirit.
“For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body–Jews or Greeks, slaves or free–and all were made to drink of one Spirit.” (1Corinthians 12:13 ESV)
Don’t listen to those Pentecostals that set up a system where some Christians are baptized with the Holy Spirit while others are awaiting a second blessing. That’s not what Jesus purchased for you with His sacrifice on Calvary. If you are His then you have the promised gift of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus is the Lamb of God who is the Son of God (John 1:34)
John the Baptist may not have expressed this in a way that everyone around him understood it. But it did mean something. And John helped us to see that Jesus was and always has been God.
It helps to consider that the historical narratives in the gospel are true events arranged in such a way that they teach who Jesus is. And this is here, right after the prologue to emphasize that Jesus is God the Son and has always been God the Son. This is clear in the Gospel of Matthew,
“and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”” (Matthew 3:17 ESV)
God announced from Heaven that this was His “beloved Son”. God the Son in human flesh.
Put all of these ideas together and you get something extraordinary. God had long promised the day when His Spirit would be poured out on all His people in abundance. God had long promised a day when He would deal with sin, when the world would be renewed, when a voice would cry in the wilderness announcing His coming. And the one who would come, was Jesus Christ. God the Son who is Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
He laid down His life to give forgive us from sin and make us part of the family of God. He laid down His life and made us His people and now we receive the blessing of the promised Holy Spirit.
And this leads me to the end of the message today. There are two groups of people within our narrative today that made decisions about Jesus Christ.
They were both confronted with a choice to believe in Him and follow Him. One group followed. The other did not show the slightest interest in doing so.
Jesus is the Lamb of God and a Decision is Required (John 1:26-27, 35-39)
I want to end with something that you may not have picked up on immediately. There are two groups of people that heard about Jesus. One group completely ignored the message and the other followed after him.
Remember, the Pharisees were told by John of the greatness of Jesus (John 1:26-27). John was preparing the way for Jesus, but professed that he was not worthy even to untie the sandal of Jesus in their presence.
Based on all information that we have, they were completely unconcerned by the fact that this one was in their midst. They fulfilled their duty with the Sanhedrin when they questioned John and went on their way. They didn’t ask to see Jesus. They just left. They didn’t care that someone greater than John was in their presence that day.
A couple days later John was standing with two of his disciples, one of the two was Andrew, Peter’s brother (John 1:40). And as we read the Gospel of Matthew, we figure out what we already suspected that the other unnamed disciple is John, the writer of this gospel account.
Next week we will see that these men later went to be with their brothers and told them about Jesus. And they became disciples as well. Andrew told Peter about Jesus and John told James about Jesus.
But today, Jesus asked Andrew and John “what are you seeking?” (John 1:38) The two simply asked Jesus where he was staying and He took them there. So they followed Jesus.
The insinuation is that the two now went from following John the Baptist to following Jesus.
John the Baptist declared that Jesus was the Son of God, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world and they followed Him. He prepared the way for the Lamb of God and they went. But the Pharisees did not.
Who are you in this story?
Are you the Pharisee listening to how great Jesus but not caring enough about it to respond to Him?
Or
Are you the Andrew and John who heard the good news of Jesus Christ and entrust your life to Him?
We earned God’s wrath and justice. And God sent His Son, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world for our salvation.
You’ve heard the message of the gospel today. If you don’t know Jesus, turn to Him today.