BEHOLD

John 1:29 (ESV)

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

January 6, 1850—15-year-old Charles Spurgeon was trudging up Hythe Hill in Colchester, on his way to church. When the blizzard prevented him from going further, he turned the corner and made his way into a small Primitive Methodist Church on Artillery Street.

I sometimes think I might have been in darkness and despair now, had it not been for the goodness of God in sending a snowstorm one Sunday morning, when I was going to a place of worship.

When I could go no further, I turned down a court and came to a little Primitive Methodist Chapel.

In that chapel there might be a dozen or fifteen people.

The minister did not come that morning: snowed up, I suppose.

A poor man, a shoemaker, a tailor, or something of that sort, went up into the pulpit to preach.

He was obliged to stick to his text, for the simple reason that he had nothing else to say. The text was, ‘Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth’ [Isa 45:22].

He did not even pronounce the words rightly, but that did not matter.

There was, I thought, a glimpse of hope for me in the text.

He began thus:

‘My dear friends, this is a very simple text indeed. It says, “Look.”

Now that does not take a deal of effort. It ain’t lifting your foot or your finger; it is just “look.” Well, a man need not go to college to learn to look. You may be the biggest fool, and yet you can look. A man need not be worth a thousand a year to look. Anyone can look; a child can look. But this is what the text says.

Then it says, “Look unto Me.”

‘Ay,’ said he, in broad Essex, ‘many of ye are looking to yourselves. No use looking there. You’ll never find comfort in yourselves.’

Then the good man followed up his text in this way:

‘Look unto Me: I am sweating great drops of blood.

Look unto Me; I am hanging on the Cross.

Look: I am dead and buried.

Look unto Me; I rise again.

Look unto Me; I ascend; I am sitting at the Father’s right hand.

O, look to Me! Look to Me!’

When he had got about that length, and managed to spin out ten minutes, he was at the length of his tether.

Then he looked at me under the gallery, and I daresay, with so few present, he knew me to be a stranger.

He then said, ‘Young man, you look very miserable.’

Well, I did; but I had not been accustomed to have remarks made on my personal appearance from the pulpit before. However, it was a good blow struck.

He continued: ‘And you will always be miserable—miserable in life and miserable in death—if you do not obey my text. But if you obey now, this moment, you will be saved.’

Then he shouted, as only a Primitive Methodist can, ‘Young man, look to Jesus Christ.’

There and then the cloud was gone, the darkness had rolled away, and that moment I saw the sun; and I could have risen that moment and sung with the most enthusiastic of them of the Precious Blood of Christ.”

Today’s text implores us to “BEHOLD” LOOK NOW! DON’T DELAY! DO NOT PROCRATINATE!

We are called to look at this Lamb because of its WORTH.

"Behold " is a word of wonder intended to excite admiration. Wherever you see it in Scripture, it is like an ancient signboard, signifying that there are rich wares within. Behold is like a divine highlighter, illuminating the importance of a text. It says, in effect, "Listen up, all you who would be wise in the ways of God!

Only when something of great worth appears do we call for people’s attention with such force.

John’s command to BEHOLD speaks to the value of the object being pointed out.

LOOK in my world has significant worth because it usually means my grandson is doing something for the first time.

We are called to look at this Lamb because of its WORK.

IT’S A UNIQUE WORK.

“THE” is the singular article tipping us off to the uniqueness of this Lamb. Why do we need to be tipped off that this lamb was unique?

For centuries, Israel sacrificed two lambs daily, one in the morning and a second in the evening, first in the Tabernacle and then in the Temple. John would have been very familiar with this practice, as his father served as a priest and would have taught him about the sacrificial system and how the blood of the slain animals provided atonement for sins. But now, John sees Jesus and recognizes Him as the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of the world.

This Lamb is unique because it was not taken from the fold but given by the FATHER.

John 1:14 ESV

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

This Lamb in which we are called to BEHOLD transports us back to Abraham and Isaac on Mount Moriah. Abraham, who had waited a century for the promised son, is slowly trekking up Moriah to offer His one and only son as a sacrifice in obedience to God’s command.

See Abraham stacking the wood under the altar. See him placing Isaac on the altar. See him raising the knife. Hear the Lord say “Do not lay a hand on the boy”. See Abraham lift up his eyes and BEHOLD a ram caught in the thicket. See Abraham sacrifice the ram in his son’s sted. Hear Abraham call that place “The Lord will provide.”

God the Father provides Father Abraham a sacrifice for His one and only Son as a foreshadowing of the sacrifice of His Son, “The Lamb of God,” in which Heaven will remain silent. Christ's cry goes unanswered. There is no stay of execution for “The Lamb of God.”

IT’S A UNILATERAL WORK.

performed by or affecting only one person, group, or country involved in a particular situation without the agreement of others.

The Lamb of God is for God.

Isaiah 53:7 ESV

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.

Isaiah 53:10 ESV

Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

1 John 2:2 ESV

He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

IT’S A UBIQUITOUS WORK.

He has come to take away the sins of the world. His work is ubiquitous because sin is everywhere and in everybody.

Romans 3:23 ESV

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Psalm 51:5 ESV

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.

People don’t become sinners. They are born sinners.

People aren’t taught how to sin. They come tainted with sin.

How does he take away sin? By taking on sin in His body.

1 Peter 2:24 ESV

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

Takes away is in the present tense "signifying the ongoing sufficiency of Jesus’ sacrifice and the fact that it is available at all times for every sinner who will trust in Him."

IT’S A UNIVERSAL WORK.

Note that John does not say Jesus came to take away the sin of the Jews, but of the world.

John is not teaching "universalism" or that all the souls ever born into this world will be saved

John is saying that Jesus' sacrifice is sufficient for any person who receives His atoning sacrifice by grace through faith.

John does not say Behold me. "John doesn’t say, “Look at me! I’m a great prophet!” He doesn’t say, “Look at your good works; they will save you.” He doesn’t say, “Look at your religious rituals; they will put you in good stead on judgment day.” He doesn’t say, “Look at your religious heritage or your church attendance.” He says, “Look to the Lamb of God!” Jesus saves sinners who look in faith to Him."

We are called to look at this Lamb and Live.