L is for Lamb
The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29
John the Baptizer uttered this phrase the first recorded time that he saw Jesus. He might have seen Jesus before, but these are the first words written in the book of John that are said by someone about Jesus. Why did John call Jesus “the Lamb of God”?
It’s hard to say exactly what John was thinking about, but one thing we can be sure about is that he was thinking of lambs and how they were used in the Old Testament sacrifices. Sacrifices were to be offered to God by his people regularly in order to pay the penalty for the sins of the people. These had to be continually offered, because each sacrifice never completely paid for all of a person’s sins. Even the yearly sacrifice of atonement had to be offered each and every year.
But Jesus, on the other hand, is the one lamb, the one sacrifice that is full, final, and complete (see Heb. 9:11-14). John the Baptizer, by the grace of God, was able to proclaim that truth in a way that people would not understand until Jesus’ death and resurrection.
John told the people who were listening, “Look! Pay Attention!” He shouts that to us as well. Look at this wonderful person, the Son of God become a lamb to offer himself for our sin! The question is, are you looking to him in worship and adoration because of what he has done for you, or are you looking to him because you need a Savior to take away your sin and enable you to live as a forgiven person this Christmas? If you need a Savior, seek him today. If he is your Savior, praise him today.