Lamb of God

The One Who Takes Away Sin

The Declaration

"The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29, KJV).

John the Baptist had been preaching repentance. He had been baptizing in the Jordan. He had been preparing the way. But when he saw Jesus, he did not call Him "Teacher." He did not call Him "Prophet." He did not call Him "King." He called Him the Lamb of God.

Behold. Look. See. Fix your attention. Do not glance. Do not wander. Look at Him.

The Lamb of God. The One provided by God Himself. The One to whom every Old Testament sacrifice pointed. The One who would do what no animal could do: take away sin.

Which taketh away the sin of the world. Not covers. Not conceals. Not postpones judgment. Takes away. Removes. Carries off. Annihilates. The sin of the world — not just individual sins, but the entire weight of human rebellion — laid upon one Lamb and carried away.

"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him" (2 Corinthians 5:21, KJV).

This is the gospel. The Lamb of God.

The Lamb in the Old Testament

The Lamb is not a New Testament invention. The Lamb is the thread that runs through the entire Scripture.

Genesis 22: The Lamb Provided

Abraham took Isaac up Mount Moriah. Isaac asked, "Where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" (Genesis 22:7, KJV). Abraham answered, "My son, God will provide himself a lamb" (Genesis 22:8, KJV).

God did not provide a lamb that day. He provided a ram. The lamb was not yet. But the prophecy was planted: God will provide Himself a lamb. Abraham named the place Jehovah-jireh — "The Lord will provide" (Genesis 22:14, KJV).

Two thousand years later, on that same mountain, God provided the Lamb.

Exodus 12: The Lamb Delivers

The children of Israel were in bondage in Egypt. God sent plagues. The final plague was the death of the firstborn. But God provided a way of escape: a lamb.

"Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb... a lamb without blemish" (Exodus 12:3, 5, KJV).

The lamb was slain. Its blood was applied to the doorposts. The death angel passed over. "When I see the blood, I will pass over you" (Exodus 12:13, KJV).

The Passover lamb was a prophecy. The blood of the lamb covered the people. But the Lamb of God would do what the Passover lamb could not — take away sin, not merely cover it.

"For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us" (1 Corinthians 5:7, KJV).

Isaiah 53: The Lamb Suffers

The prophet Isaiah saw the Lamb centuries before He came:

"He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:3-6, KJV).

The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. The Lamb bears sin. The Lamb suffers. The Lamb is crushed. And through His suffering, healing comes.

"He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth" (Isaiah 53:7, KJV).

As a lamb to the slaughter. Silent. Submissive. Willing. He chose silence. He chose the cross.

The Lamb in the New Testament

John 1: The Lamb Revealed

John the Baptist was the forerunner. His purpose was to prepare the way for the Lamb. When he saw Jesus, he pointed. He did not point to himself. He pointed away from himself.

"He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30, KJV).

The Lamb is not introduced with fanfare. He is introduced with a pointer. "Behold." Look. See. Do not miss Him.

Revelation 5: The Lamb Triumphant

The Lamb appears in Revelation as a triumphant figure. Not a suffering lamb. A conquering Lamb. A Lamb worthy to open the scrolls of history.

"And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain" (Revelation 5:6, KJV).

As it had been slain. The wounds remain. The marks of His suffering are visible. He is not ashamed of them. They are His glory.

"Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing" (Revelation 5:12, KJV).

Worthy. Not because of His power alone. Because of His sacrifice. The Lamb is worthy because He laid down His life. The Lamb is worthy because He took away sin.

The Lamb and the Cross

The Lamb could not take away sin without the cross. The cross is the altar. The cross is the place of sacrifice. The cross is where the Lamb was slain.

"And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him" (Luke 23:33, KJV).

Calvary. The place of death. The place of the Lamb.

On the cross, the Lamb bore your sin. Every sin you have committed, every sin you will commit, the sin of every human being — He bore them all.

"Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed" (1 Peter 2:24, KJV).

He bore your sins. He did not sympathize with your suffering. He bore it. He took the weight. He endured the penalty. He exhausted the punishment.

"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God" (1 Peter 3:18, KJV).

Once. Not repeatedly. Once. For all. His sacrifice is complete. It is final.

"It is finished" (John 19:30, KJV).

The Lamb cried out. The work was done. The sacrifice was accepted. Sin was taken away.

The Lamb and the Throne

The Lamb did not remain on the cross. He rose. He ascended. He sits at the right hand of the Father.

"Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us" (Romans 8:34, KJV).

He is seated. Not still suffering. Seated. The work is finished. The sacrifice is accepted. The Lamb is on the throne.

"And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it" (Revelation 21:22, KJV).

The Lamb is the temple. The Lamb is the dwelling place of the redeemed. The Lamb is the presence of God.

"And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof" (Revelation 21:23, KJV).

The Lamb is the light. The One who was slain is the One who shines. The One who suffered is the One who illuminates. The One who took away sin is the One who reveals glory.

What the Lamb Has Done for You

The Lamb is not a concept. The Lamb is a person. And He has done something for you.

He took your sin. You do not have to carry it anymore. The weight is gone. The guilt is removed. The penalty is paid.

"As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us" (Psalm 103:12, KJV).

He gives you righteousness. You are not just forgiven. You are made righteous. Not righteous in yourself. Righteous in Him.

"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him" (2 Corinthians 5:21, KJV).

He gives you access to God. You do not approach God through a priest. You do not bring a sacrifice. You come through the Lamb.

"For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father" (Ephesians 2:18, KJV).

He gives you eternal life. Not just life after death. Life now. Life in the presence of the Lamb forever.

"And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand" (John 10:28, KJV).

He gives you a future. The Lamb is coming again. Not as a suffering servant. As a conquering King. All who trust in Him will be with Him forever.

"And he shall reign for ever and ever" (Revelation 11:15, KJV).

What It Means to Behold the Lamb

To behold the Lamb is to look away from yourself. To stop looking at your sin. To stop looking at your failures. To stop looking at your efforts. To look at Him.

"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2, KJV).

Beholding the Lamb is faith. Trusting that His death was enough. Trusting that His resurrection is real. Trusting that His intercession is ongoing. Trusting that His return certain.

Beholding the Lamb is surrender. Admitting that you cannot save yourself. Admitting that your best efforts are insufficient. Admitting that you need a Savior.

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9, KJV).

Beholding the Lamb is worship. Acknowledging that He is worthy. Lifting your voice to sing His praise. Bowing your heart before His throne.

"And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood" (Revelation 5:9, KJV).

Beholding the Lamb is waiting. Looking for His appearing. Longing for His coming. Living in the hope of His return.

"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13, KJV).

A Prayer of Beholding the Lamb

Father, I come to You through the Lamb — not through my own merits, not through my own repentance, not through my own works, but through the finished work of the One who bore my sin in His body on the tree.

I confess that I have tried to carry what only He could carry. I have tried to atone for my own sin. I have tried to earn Your favor. I have tried to make myself acceptable by my own efforts. And I have failed — not because I did not try hard enough, but because the task was never mine.

I acknowledge that my righteousness is as filthy rags. I acknowledge that my best works cannot stand before Your holiness. I acknowledge that I am deserving of nothing but judgment — and I do not appeal to my own worth. I appeal to His.

I behold the Lamb.

I look at the cross. I see the One who knew no sin made sin for me. I see the One who was crushed for my iniquities. I see the One who bore the wrath that I deserved. I see the One who cried out, "It is finished," and meant it.

I trust that His death was sufficient. I trust that His blood cleanses from all sin. I trust that His righteousness is imputed to me. I trust that His intercession is unceasing. I trust that His return is certain.

I receive His forgiveness — not as a license to sin, but as the ground of my salvation. I receive His righteousness — not as my own, but as my covering. I receive His life — not as a reward for my effort, but as a gift of grace.

I renounce every claim of my own worth. I renounce every confidence in my own works. I renounce every attempt to stand before You on my own merits. I stand only in Him.

I am not ashamed to say: I am a sinner saved by grace. I am not ashamed to say: I have nothing to offer but a broken heart and a contrite spirit. I am not ashamed to say: I am wholly dependent on the Lamb.

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain. Worthy is the Lamb who lives forever. Worthy is the Lamb who is coming again.

In His name I come — and in no other.

Amen.

A Final Word

The Lamb of God is not a symbol. He is a person. He has done what no one else could do. He has taken away your sin.

"Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29, KJV).

Behold Him. Trust Him. Worship Him. Wait for Him.