Behold The Lamb Of God

Text: READ John 1:29

Introduction:

To behold means to look upon intently and steadfastly, or to ponder and carefully consider a thing. May we behold the Lamb of God tonight. May we consider Him carefully, and ponder upon Him this evening.

Lambs are humble and gentle, meek and lowly creatures by nature, and they are servants of both man and of God. The Lamb in our text is not just any lamb, however, but He is The Lamb.

He is the Lamb of God:

He is not Abel’s lamb, which in Heb. 11:4 was a more excellent sacrifice than that of Cain, and was well pleasing to God. He is not Abraham’s lamb that he offered upon Mt. Moriah in Genesis 22, which also was a commendable sacrifice, that so wonderfully typified Jesus Christ. He is not Moses’ Passover Lamb of Exodus 12, which also pictured Jesus, Who is our passover that God sacrificed for us (1 Corinthians 5:7). He is not the priests and the Levites or the children of Israel’s lambs that were sacrificed in the tabernacle and temple as sin offerings for God’s people.

But He is God’s Lamb, that God sacrificed to take away the sins of His people. All these other lambs were merely types and shadows of the true Lamb; Who is the One and only Holy Lamb of God that took away our sins.

He is God’s Lamb. He is the Lamb that God chose from before the foundation of the world to be the sacrifice and substitute for our sins (1 Peter 1:20). He is the Lamb that God sent into the world (John 10:36).

He is the Lamb of God, “which taketh away the sin of the world.” That is, Jesus was the sacrifice, Who suffered, bled, and died to pay the penalty of all the sins of all His chosen people, was buried in the tomb, and rose again the third day for our justification and eternal life. Believe on the Lamb of God tonight and thou shalt be saved.

This evening we want to extract three points from our text in John 1:29, which are as follows.

1) First, Behold the Lamb in His earthly nature.

2) Secondly, Behold the Lamb of God in His divine Person.

3) Thirdly, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world through His Work of redemption.

1. First, behold His earthly nature.

Jesus had a real human body that we could behold.

He was the seed of the woman promised in Genesis 3:15. He was the virgin born Emmanuel of Isaiah 7:14 and Matthew 1:23. Yes, He is God with us. He was the child born and the Son given in Isaiah 9:6. The child meaning His humanity, and the Son meaning His divinity.

He had a body of flesh and bones like we have, we are taught in Luke 24:39. He had a body that could be touched and handled, we are taught in 1 John 1:1. He had a body that could feel pain, and suffer affliction and death, we learn in Hebrews 2:9. He took upon a body so that He could suffer, bleed, and die for His people we are told in Hebrews 10:5-7.

Jesus was like a Lamb in His nature.

Like a Lamb He was humble. He was born into this world poor. For our sakes He became poor, that through His poverty we might be made rich, we are taught in 2 Corinthians 8:9. He had not where to lay His Head, we are taught in Matthew 8:20. He took upon Himself the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men, and humbled Himself, we learn in Philippians 2:6-8. He not only left His Heavenly glory with His Father, but He also denied Himself of all earthly glory, and wealth, and possessions, and honor, and positions and titles. Yes, Jesus was more humble than all men of His creation, though He was above all men in all of His perfections.

Like a Lamb, Jesus was meek and lowly. He was meek and lowly in heart, Matthew 11:29. He was compassionate to sinners, Mark 8:2. He was the friend of sinners, we are told in Matthew 11:19. He was gentle and harmless, Hebrews 7:26. He only went about doing people good, we read in Acts 10:38.

Like a Lamb, Jesus was obedient and submissive. When came time for Him to die, He was led away as a Lamb for the slaughter, we are taught in Isaiah 53:7. He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, we read in Philippians 2:8.

Jesus was a pure and spotless Lamb. He was a Holy child, Acts 4:27. He was undefiled with sin, Hebrews 7:26. He knew no sins of His own, 2 Corinthians 5:21. There was no spot or blemish found in Him, 1 Peter 1:19.

Yes, beloved, in His human nature Jesus was humble, and Holy, and harmless, and compassionate to sinners, and obedient unto death for our sins, even the death of the cross!

2. Secondly, we want to behold His divine Person.

Jesus was God Almighty in the flesh. Jesus is God incarnate, 1 Tim. 3:16. He is “Emmanuel”, or God with us, Matthew 1:23. He is equal with the Father, Philippians 2:6. He is One with the Father, John 10:30. He is the wisdom of God, Proverbs 8. He is the eternal Word of God made flesh, John 1:14. He is the second Person of the Holy Trinity, Matthew 3:16-17; 28:19. He has power over all flesh, John 17:2. He has all power and authority of Heaven and earth, Matthew 28:18.

Therefore, Jesus is the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, sovereign Lord over all the universe, and the sovereign Savior of His people.

When we combine the teachings of the humanity of Christ with the divine nature of Christ, we understand that Jesus is literally the God-man. He is the Son of God and the Son of man. He is the very likeness of God, Colossians 1:13 and Hebrews 1:3. And He is the example of a perfect man. Jesus is everything that God is, and everything that man needs to be.

Therefore, because Jesus is very God and the perfect man, He is the only One suitable and able to be our Savior.

3. Thirdly and finally, we want to behold His work of redemption.

“Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world.”

How did Jesus taketh away our sins? (Read Isaiah 53).

He bore our griefs, and carried our sorrows, verse 4 (comment). He was wounded for our transgressions, verse 5 (comment). He was bruised for our iniquities, verse 5 (comment). The chastisement of our peace was upon Him, verse 5 (comment). With His stripes we are healed, verse 5 (comment). The Lord (that is God the Father), laid on Him the iniquity of us all (all the elect), verse 6 (comment). He was oppressed and afflicted, verse 7 (comment). He was brought as a Lamb to the slaughter, verse 7 (comment). He was cut off out of the land of the living, verse 8 (comment). It pleased the Lord to bruise Him, verse 10 (comment). His soul was made an offering for sin, verse 10 (comment). God the Father saw the travail of His soul and was satisfied, verse 10 (comment). And therefore, because of all this, Jesus, God’s righteous servant shall justify many, because He bore their iniquities, and poured out His soul unto death, and bore the sins of many, and thereby made intersession for the transgressors verse 11-12 (comment).

Oh yes my friends, that was how Jesus took away our sins, by His substitutionary suffering and sacrifice on the cross for the sins of His people, and by His burial and resurrection for us.

Conclusion:

This evening, can you behold the Lamb of God? Can you behold the humanity of Jesus? Can you behold His divine nature, how that Jesus is truly God with us? And can you behold His work of redemption on the cross for your sins? Can you by faith, behold His death, burial and resurrection for the forgiveness of your sins, and for your eternal life?