20. John the Baptist proclaims Jesus as the Messiah
– John 1:29-34
John 1:29 “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
Exodus 12:7-13 “Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the door frames of the houses… On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn – men and animals – and I will bring judgement on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.”
Exodus 29:38-42 “This is what you are to offer on the alter regularly each day: two lambs a year old. Offer one in the morning and the other at twilight… For the generations to come this burnt offering is to be made regularly at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting before the Lord. There I will meet you and speak to you: there also I will meet with the Israelites, and the place will be consecrated by my glory.”
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 her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.”
What does it mean when John calls Jesus, “the Lamb of God”? In order to really understand this reference, it is important to note how God spoke about sacrificial lambs in the Old Testament. In Exodus, when the Israelites were trying to escape Pharaoh, God put on many plagues to convince Pharaoh to let them go. Of the plagues, the last one was the plague of the firstborn. One night, God killed every firstborn son of man and animal throughout Egypt. In order to spare the Israelites from this plague, God instructed them to sacrifice a lamb and put its blood on their doorframes. When God saw the blood, he would the plague would pass over the household. In the same way, through Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins, we are covered by Jesus’ blood so that spiritual death would pass over us. Additionally, two lambs would be sacrificed everyday at the temple to atone for the people’s sins. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, lambs no longer had to be sacrificed because his sacrifice was the ULTIMATE sacrifice for all sin forever. Even in Isaiah Jesus was identified as a silent lamb before he was slaughtered. When John notices Jesus, he did not call Jesus by his given name. He didn’t say, “Look its Jesus.” Instead, he was able to recognize Jesus as someone God gave to the world to be the ultimate sacrificial lamb to take away the sins for all. A lamb not from this earth, but rather a pure and holy lamb from heaven. Jesus’ sacrifice covered all sin for all people forever. He paid the penalty of death specifically for you. If you accept God as your savior and claim his death for your sins, then nothing you do can ever separate you from him. When you are forgiven, you are forgive for your past, current, and future sins.
John 1:30 “This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.”
John recognizes that Jesus came before him even though on earth Jesus was born after him. John knew from the beginning that Jesus always existed. He understood how Jesus is part of the trinity and is also our creator. Jesus is the alpha and omega; he is the beginning and the end.
John 1:34 “I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.”
John stated that he would testify that Jesus is the Son of God. By definition, when someone testifies, what they say has the ability to be used as evidence because the person experienced it firsthand. Furthermore, the person is willing to speak out about what they have seen. They are certain that what they have experienced is true. Through John’s testimony, we are able to be more certain that Jesus is God’s son. Like John, be willing to testify to others about what God has shown or done for you. Because of your testimony, others can know more about Christ. Don’t be afraid to speak out about what you know is true.
