Jesus: The Lamb of God

I. John the Baptist was the waymaker for Jesus (John 1:19-28).

A. The religious leaders sent priests and Levites to figure out who John was (John 1:19-21).

1. They were wondering if John was the Messiah.

2. They then wondered if John the Baptist was Elijah.

— Elijah never died but was taken to heaven in a whirlwind after a chariot of fire separated him from Elisha (2 Kings 2:11).

— Elijah was prophesied to return in association with the Messiah (Malachi 4:5).

— John the Baptist was not Elijah, but he was like Elijah in the way he dressed (Matthew 3:4; 2 Kings 1:8).

— It is thought that Elijah might be one of the two witnesses prophesied in Revelation.

3. They finally wondered if John the Baptist was “that prophet.”

— This specific prophet was prophesied by Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15).

— John the Baptist denies being this prophet.

B. John the Baptist tells them that he is the one prophesied by Isaiah (John 1:22-23).

— Isaiah prophesied of one who would cry “prepare ye the way of the LORD” (Isaiah 40:3).

— John the Baptist’s purpose was to prepare the way of Jehovah Himself—Jesus is Israel’s Jehovah God (LORD) of the Old Testament.

C. The Pharisees question why John the Baptist was baptizing people (John 1:24-28).

— They were questioning why he was doing this since he had no official title such as Messiah or Elijah or “that prophet.”

— The Pharisees were a strict religious sect of Judaism that numbered about 6,000 men, and they were extremely influential. They not only held to a strict interpretation of the Law, but they also held oral traditions as well. These oral traditions are called the Talmud, and they are still written down today. They eventually held the oral traditions higher than God’s Law, and Jesus will point that out throughout His ministry.

— John was baptizing in preparation for the One who was coming—the Messiah who was Jesus.

— Jesus was greater than John, and John did not even consider himself worthy to untie His sandals.

II. Jesus is the Lamb of God (John 1:29-34).

A. Jesus would take away the sins of the world (John 1:29).

— Some groups say that Jesus only died for those who are saved; however, Scripture is clear that Jesus’ sacrifice was for the whole world, meaning everyone.

B. John spake of Jesus’ coming and being more important than he was (John 1:30).

— Jesus was more important than John because He always existed. John was born before Jesus as a man, yet John says that Jesus existed before Him, because Jesus always existed, even before He was born as the God-Man.

C. John recognized Jesus when God’s Spirit descended on Jesus (John 1:31-34).

— John baptized in preparation of His coming.

— The Spirit of God coming on the Messiah was foretold (Isaiah 11:2; 61:1).

— John baptized with water, but Jesus would baptize with the Holy Ghost.

— This confirmed to John the Baptist that Jesus was the Son of God.