Study of John - Week 10

c. Verses 29-31 “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Isreal.”

This is day number two in the ministry of Jesus. The Daily Study Bible – The Gospel of John by William Barclay mentions that by this time, Jesus had been baptized and tempted by the devil. This was when He went to work.

First, John the Baptist calls Jesus the “Lamb of God”. This is a reference to the “sacrificial lamb”. It is also a reference to the Passover and the blood of a lamb that was spread over the doorways of the Jews so that their first born children would be spared. Another more obscure reference was that the lamb was a symbol of a conqueror (Judas Maccabaeus, Samuel, David and Solomon are all referred to as the honored lamb). All of these references are perfect as a title to describe what Jesus means to us. His act of sacrifice as an attonement for our sin, His blood that spares us from death, and His victory over sin and death are all wrapped up in this reference.

The “sins of the world” is a broader statement than just the “sins of Israel’. John states here that Jesus has come for everyone and He is here to take away our sins. That in itself is a bold statement at the time. John goes on to say that he did not know Jesus was the Christ before he was baptized, but after he witnessed the Holy Spirit come down on Jesus, he was willing to point out Jesus and claim that Jesus was actually the Christ. That was a very bold statement. It was actually something that could be considered blasphemy and could have resulted in John being put to death. This statement wasn’t what caused John’s death, but it was very bold. John also reiterates his intent in ministry was to help other get ready to receive Jesus.

Question: If you were to act as boldly as John the Baptist, what would that look like in your life?