Lamb of God

Jesus, the Lamb of God

JOHN 1 BIBLE STUDY ◄
John 1:19-28 John the Baptist

John 1:29-34 Lamb of God

JOHN 1:29 29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

Why does John the Baptist call Jesus, “The Lamb of God” (John 1:29)?
Throughout the Old Testament, lamb “without blemish” (Exodus 12:5) was the animal God designated to be sacrificed for the sins of His people as a prophetic symbol of the “Lamb” without sin whom “God will provide for Himself” (Genesis 22:8) to pay the death penalty due for sinners, who then can be spared.

JOHN 1:30 30 “This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who ranks higher than me, because He was before me.’

Who was born first: John the Baptist or Jesus?
John the Baptist, by at least six months (see Luke 1:36 and When was Jesus born?).

Then why does John say, “He was before me” (John 1:30)?
John’s existence began at conception; Jesus has always existed and already “was” “in the beginning” (John 1:1).

Then why does John call Jesus “a Man” (John 1:30)?
Jesus remained fully God but also became fully man when He came to the earth (see Birth of Jesus).

JOHN 1:31-34 31 “I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing in water.” 32 And John testified, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. 33 I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.”

How did John the Baptist recognize Jesus as the Lamb of God?
God the Father had told him to look out for the one on whom the Holy Spirit would descend, as per John 1:32-33 above.

Does baptism wash away sins?
John 1:29 states that Jesus “takes away the sin of the world!”

Then what did John’s baptism do?
It was a sign of repentance. Those baptized were expressing that they are turning away from their sins.

But wasn’t Jesus also baptized by John the Baptist?
Yes.

Is the Bible saying that Jesus also had sins?
No, Hebrews 4:15 states, “For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all forms tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

Then why was Jesus baptized?
Matthew 3:13-17 provides additional details about Jesus' baptism: 13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. 14 And John tried to deter Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” 15 But Jesus answered and said to him, “Let it be so now, for it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness in this way.” Then he let Him. 16 When He had been baptized, Jesus immediately came up out of 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, in whom I am well pleased.” Jesus’ baptism initiated His three year ministry and was His public anointing by the Holy Spirit and God the Father, who declared His love for and pleasure in His Son to the crowd, which Matthew 3:5 describes as having come from “Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around Jordan.”

What is the meaning of baptism today?
It is an outward acknowledgment of having been saved by Jesus, who died on the cross to pay the death penalty due for our sins (see John 18 and John 19).