Trusting in the Lamb of God

Read

John 1:29–34 (ESV)

29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”

Opening Prayer

Intro

One of the things that we often miss when we read the gospels and the New Testament is...

We forget to read it in the light of the New Covenant promises and features.

Much of the friction between Jesus and the religious leaders are about the newness of the New Covenant…

How it was different than the old covenant.

How it had a new and different way of entering.

How it made the old covenant obsolete.

This new covenant has benefits like no other covenant given to man.

This offer, this good news, that is founded in Christ...

Has certain features...

Jeremiah 31:31–34 (ESV)

31 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. 33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

There’s a lot to say about this new covenant that is coming in and through the person of Jesus Christ...

But, an important truth to note for this passage in the gospel of John...

Those who will enter the new covenant will have forgiveness of sins.

So, all New Covenant people will have their sins forgiven.

Now, one thing that the covenant of works teach us is that disobedience to God brings death to the disobedient.

Something that the old covenant teaches us is that God allows for a substitute death for the sinner.

In the Old Covenant, however, the animal sacrifices were merely for ceremonial cleansing...

They were never for the cleansing of the conscience.

They were never for the removal of the penalty of sin against God...

They were a temporary allowance for the Nation of Israel to worship God ceremonially.

But, in the New Covenant, there is a sacrificial lamb that will actually clear our conscience...

Remove our guilt before God...

Allow us to enter into His presence and not die.

It would take a special person to do such a work...

A one-of-a-kind Representative for the people of God.

#1 – The sacrificial Lamb must be willing to die for those whom He represents.

#2 – The sacrificial Lamb must be able to represent those for whom He dies.

#3 – The sacrificial Lamb must be righteous in and of Himself or the sacrifice of Himself is worthless.

#4 – It would take someone infinite in person & value to make atonement for a multitude of people.

Interesting note in Jeremiah, a few chapters later when God speaks of this new covenant time of initiation...

God says this time of the New Covenant coming into view...

It’s taking place…will be called...

The Lord is our righteousness.

So, because we have sinned and fallen short of the righteousness of God...

Somehow we need to regain a standing of righteousness...

—>And, the first thing that must happen is our unrighteousness must be removed...

—>And, for it to be removed it must be paid in full.

The justice of God must be fully kept.

Once our sins have been paid for...

Our unrighteousness remembered no more...

Then we can be made righteous...

By a righteousness being given to us from someone else...

From God.

But, who do we look for to take away our sin...

To pay for it in full?

John tells us in this passage...

John 1:29 (ESV)

29 ...“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

Behold...

This is like at an assembly where a representative calls for the attention of the attendees.

Attention! Attention! What is about to be said is very important. Please quiet so all can hear and so that no one misses what is about to be said.

The Lamb of God...

The One who can once for all time…pay for the penalty of sin...

And, restore a right relationship with God for those who believe...

Reconcile a relationship with God in which our unrighteousness has become a blockade between us and God.

Jesus is the Lamb of God...

And, so John is drawing us in to the mission of the Christ.

He goes on to say who takes away the sin of the world!

It’s really important to have a proper understanding of this truth that is described here...

Because a false understanding leads to universalism...

Or it denies the biblical truth of Christ’s actual substitutionary atonement.

It’s important to understand that this does not mean that Jesus pays for the sins of every person of the world.

If that were the case, there is no need for hell and punishment.

There can be no courtroom of God in which someone is declared guilty...

—> Not if Christ paid for the sins of every single person.

Is the value of Christ’s atonement infinite in value?

Yes.

Is it powerful/valuable enough to pay for the sins of every single person of the world?

Yes.

But the question is not of the efficacy of Christ’s atonement...

The question is one of representation.

Who did Christ represent on the Cross?

Not everyone.

His sheep.

His bride.

His people.

He died for those who past, present, future...

Place their faith upon Him.

And, so John doesn’t mean by using the word “WORLD” that Christ pays for the sins of the entire world of humanity...

What he does mean is that the new covenant is not just for the Jews...

It is for people of every nation, tribe and tongue.

Just as was promised in Gen. 3 and to Abraham...

A singular Seed that would bring blessings to the Nations.

And, this is a truth that is unsettling for the Jews to hear...

Especially, the religious leaders.

Nicodemus so struggles with it that he came to Jesus by night.

John is revealing to us that not only is the atonement of Christ for people of all nations...

But that atonement for sins is needed for the Gentiles...

And, that atonement is needed for the people of the Nation of Israel, as well.

This is the news that brought such resistance.

The whole world, both Jew & Gentile alike, are under condemnation and need the atoning blood of Jesus.

The question is this:

Who will recognize this truth within themself?

Who will acknowledge such truth about themself?

Who will cry out to God for this need?

Who will trust that Christ accomplished this need?

Where are you looking for atonement?

What/Who are you trusting in, to atone for your sins?

There are multiplied ways that mankind have sought to atone for their sins by doing something.

Self-inflicted pain.

Resolving to do better after a mess-up.

Doing good deeds for others in an attempt to make up for the areas of our life that we’ve wronged them.

But, the flip side of that is that if we do good in area...

Better than others, we put hope in our goodness to atone for the areas in which we are weak.

There are lots of ways that we can trick our self into thinking we’ve somehow atoned for our sins...

And, their not necessarily bad things...

But we heap on those things a misplaced hope that they will atone for our sins.

Here’s the good news...

Although, the world and our flesh lure us to have a misplaced hope in our attempt to atone for your sins by doing something.

The gospel calls us to rest in something that has already been done by Jesus.

This is of utmost importance.

Only the blood of the Lamb of God can atone for sin.

And, our hope must only be in the blood of the Lamb for the necessary atonement we need for our sins.

Now, let’s zero in on something intriguing that the Baptist says...

What Does John Mean...

John 1:30–31 (ESV)

30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’

So, John verifies the absolute divine significance of the Christ.

He is the everlasting, ever-existing divine Son of God...

And, He ranks above all. (repeat of v.15)

But, John goes on...

31 I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.”

John’s obedience to perform the ministry he’d been assigned by God...

Was critical for the revealing of the Christ.

John didn’t know who it actually was, the Christ.

He was told how to spot him and that the Christ would be revealed to him...

As he obeyed the Lord in the work of the ministry.

John didn’t know the Christ...

He didn’t know who to physically point the people to...

He could only declare the quality and nature of the One coming…until He was revealed to him.

Well, he says it again and adds something in v.33...

John 1:33 (ESV)

33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’

Is there significance to this statement to John?

Is John just looking for this to happen?

Is there significance to the Spirit descending upon an eschatological figure?

What in the world does this mean to the hearers?

Isaiah 11:1–3 (ESV)

1 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. 2 And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear,...

This is the Davidic King of Psalm 2…the fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant.

v.1 is specifically detailing the Davidic Covenant.

One who will come from the Davidic line...

Will not only come upon the scene, but He will accomplish His mission. (bear fruit)

v.2 entails that the Spirit of God will descend upon and remain on Him.

Just as was told John the Baptist would occur and be visible to him.

v.3 gives more detail of the quality of His character.

This occured at the baptism of Jesus.

The synoptics tell us...

Matthew 3:16–17 (ESV)

16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

Now, remember that wording and listen to this...

Psalm 2:7–8 (ESV)

7 I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. 8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.

This is the promise to the fulfillment of the Davidic covenant…which is JC.

This will play out more as we make our way through John’s gospel.

But, we have God the Father anointing Christ, the Son of God, as the anointed Son–King of the eternal Kingdom of God...

And, the citizenry is open to all nations.

Isaiah 42:1 (ESV)

1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.

He will bring justice to the Nations...

Which means blessings because justice will be met for people from every nation, tribe and tongue…

An atonement for sins and imputed righteousness for all those who believe upon Jesus Christ.

He is the fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant.

So, John says...

Behold...

The Lamb of God...

The once-for-all sacrifice who is also...

The King–Son of the Davidic covenant...

Who is the Seed of the woman, the seed of Abraham...

He will atone for sin.

He will conquer death.

He will fulfill all the promises of God.

He will reign on the throne of the Kingdom of God forevermore.

The object of all prophecy, the purpose of the Mosaic law, the end of all sacrifices, the desire of all nations, is at hand.

Take comfort in the Christ.

Let’s think about this...

John the Baptist states twice that he did not know who the Christ was.

The only thing he had to go on was God’s Word.

And, his response to God’s word was…FAITH.

Listen, it wasn’t as if there were no obstacles for John.

Certainly there were skeptics, scoffers...

Those who responded towards John’s call for Jews to be ceremonially & symbolically cleansed from their sinful pollutions...

Just as the religious leaders responded…with hatred, disbelief, and horror.

He was most likely considered by many as a crazy man because of his message.

Thinking nothing more about John and his message other than insanity.

We don’t really know dates or length of time from the time John the Baptist started his ministry...

And when Jesus came on the scene and was baptized.

But, we can estimate that there was friction between the time God sent John to preach and baptize and how to recognize Christ...

That there were doubts flooding his mind.

There is always conflict in our hearts between God’s promises and the fulfillment of them.

Doubt is a norm to our fallen minds.

But, we must do like the Baptist did.

We must cling to the promises of God...

We must cling to the Word of God...

Because we cling to the God who speaks and promises.

So, often we know that God is providentially maneuvering throughout and within history...

To work all things together for our good...

But, when we’re in between that promise and good things visible to our eyes and mind...

It becomes difficult and doubts enter our minds, right?

And, it is in these moments that we must do what the Baptist did.

He honored the Lord with the ministry assigned to him...

And, the work that was before Him...

While trusting that God would fulfill the promise of the Christ to appear on the scene.

Closing Prayer (Lord’s Supper)