John 1:35-36 Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!" We come to the second time John the Baptist recognized Jesus as the Lamb of God. In vs. 29, the apostle gave this report about John the Baptist. “The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’” Jesus is like a lamb. The first time a lamb is mentioned in the Bible is in Gen. 22:7-8. Abraham was taking Isaac to be sacrificed when Isaac asked, “Where is the lamb for the burnt offering?’ Abraham said, ‘God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.’” We know the rest of the story. God provided a ram caught in the thicket as a substitute for his son to provide a type of Christ. Lambs were also offered as sacrifices in the tabernacle or temple. We and John’s first readers were familiar with the Passover lamb commemorating the passing of the death angel over the people of Israel in Egypt so that the firstborn among them would not die. The prophet Isaiah wrote in 53:7 that Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah of God, was like a lamb to be slaughtered. “He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so He did not open His mouth.” So John testified twice that Jesus was the lamb of God, understanding He was sent to be a sacrifice for sins. Yet, when John was imprisoned, he sent two of his followers to ask Jesus if He was the expected one (Luke 7:19-20). It seems strange to me that he would ask such a question when he had prophesied that Jesus was the Lamb of God. It makes me think that both times when John referred to Jesus as the Lamb of God were Holy Spirit-inspired moments—more for us than for The Baptist. Let’s remember, the apostle John knew the whole story of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, which John the Baptist never saw. Furthermore, more than likely, the apostle John was one of the two disciples standing with the Baptizer when these statements were made. So when John wrote this account, the Holy Spirit reminded him of these two declarations. They are the central point of this gospel, for John wrote in 20:30-31, Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name. Today’s verses contain Holy Spirit selected truth about Jesus upon which we can base our lives. He is God’s lamb given for us that we might have eternal life and not the death we deserve. This is central to understanding the love of God for us—the sustained direction of the will toward our highest good, at the cost of the life of His Son, in the power of the Spirit, for the glory of God. From the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, the Holy Spirit declared Jesus to be our savior through His testimony from heaven and then through John the Baptist. This is why we live to love with Jesus. God gave us His Son because He loves us. Jesus laid down His life in this world to live to love with His father, and we lay down our lives in this world to live to love with Jesus. I invite you to become a partner in our ministry. Would you pray about becoming a regular supporter of Elijah Ministries and the Live to Love with Jesus ministry? I hope you will receive the joy and benefit of “giving it forward,” so others may receive encouragement to turn their hearts to God and to live to love with Jesus. You may give online or send a check to the address listed at www.spiritofelijah.com/donate.
