BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD
John 1:29-34
Intro-Church, we have arrived at one of the greatest TEXT in all the Bible. Now, All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable…but we stand at a text that is one of the Richest. Verse 29 is the Corner Stone of Christian Theology! Contained in this verse is a Citadel of Holy Truth. My prayer, Is that GOD would allow us to seeWhat John Saw! That GOD would allow us to understandWHAT John Said, when he said Behold--- The LAMB of GOD---which Taketh Away --- the SIN of the WORLD!
Ill-Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the great Baptist Preacher, was to preach at theCrystalPalace in London. He went beforehand to test the acoustics out.He was to stand in that great pulpit & his friend was to stand at various places and listen. Those were the days when they had no loud speakers. Charles Spurgeon mounted the pulpit and cried out Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. This was repeated several times, so that his voice could be tested in various parts of the palace. Then they left realizing that Spurgeon’s voice could be heard all over the tabernacle. But what they had not noticed was that while Spurgeon was quoting that verse a workman was putting some finishing touches to a roof on that building. And while the workman was working he heard Spurgeons voice quoting over & over again that verse…And he fell under conviction of sin. He came under the working of God’s Holy Spirit and later that night he came to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Charles Haddon Spurgeon was a voice. He was a Channel through which God’s Word could go forth. John the Baptist did just that. John Pointed men to Christ. Never was there a greater testimony given to Christ than that given by John the Baptist.
I’d like to think that as John was announcing the arrival of The Lamb of God, there was heards of little lambs traveling toward Jerusalem. Bound for the Passover. John the Baptist had already Burst on the scene announcing the Lord was coming! The Long awaited Messiah was soon to arrive! The Jews were Looking for a Messiah! But John announced a Saviour! The Jews were looking for a Mighty- Ruler to deliver them from the Romans! But John said here is the Lamb that will deliver from the Dominance of Sin! The Jews were looking for a Conquering King! Instead they saw a Quiet Lamb!
And so John draws the people’s attention away from Man’s Lambs to God’s Lamb. These words, Behold the Lamb! They are so familiar to us!Can you imagine these words first spoken to ears that had never heard them? Oh what JOY and what WONDER must have filled their heart…
I want us to look at 3 things that flow from our text. First of all, The WORTH Ascribed to The Lamb, The WORK Accomplished by The Lamb, & The WAY Attained by The Lamb.
I. THE WORTH ASCRIBED TO THE LAMB-
A. The Name He Bares- “A Lamb”
By John giving this Great Title he was going straight to Israel’s problem. He was going straight to the Heart of the matter. The Lamb had arrived to deal with man’s SIN problem. But WHY A LAMB?...
1-A LAMB WAS PICTURED IN SCRIPTURE-
In Genesis 4-You remember the story of Cain & Abel. How that these 2 boys went to worship the Lord with their offering. One brought some Fruit- the other brought a Lamb. One came bringing the Best he had. Abel came bringing the best he had. One came with a Beautiful Substitute- the other with a Bloody Sacrifice! 1 was REJECTED- 1 was ACCEPTED!
Remember,Abel’s Lamb was 1 Lamb for 1 man.
Passover’s Lamb was 1 Lamb for 1 Family.
The Day of Atonement’s Lamb was 1 Lamb for a Whole Nation! But here we see GOD’S LAMB- 1 Lamb for a WHOLE WORLD.
GOD had respect unto Abel’s Offering for it was the offering of a Lamb!
A Lamb was Pictured!
2-A LAMB WAS PROMISED IN SCRIPTURE-
In Genesis 22:2-And (God) said, Take now thy son, thine onlyson Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.
(Abraham was broken… yet walking up…by faith. As he looked up that Mtn. Faith was saying come on & trust me. But what he couldn’t see was God was standing @ the top with both hands motioning! One is motioning Abraham! The other motioning a Ram…!) God was directing traffic!
Genesis 22:4– 8-Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.5And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.6And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laidit upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.7And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Heream I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood:but whereis the lamb for a burnt offering?8And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
I here to tell you, That Day when John announced Behold… The promise was fulfilled!
a. the Lamb was Pictured. B. the Lamb was promised.
3-A LAMB WAS PROPHESIED IN SCRIPTURE-
Isaiah 53:7-He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheepbefore her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
(Isaiah, in a time of darkness, picked up the Telescope of faith, looked beyond the dark clouds of Today’s Disappointments! Look beyond Tomorrow’s Turmoil’s and SAW A LAMB…)
I want to ask you to come with me to the foot of the Cross and Behold The Lamb. Let us see the Red Drops of Bloodthat fall from his brow. Let us Behold the Red drops of Blood that fall from his hands and feet. Let us look upon the Lamb that was beaten for you and I. The Lamb Isaiah said was marred more than any other.Look at him this morning. Can you see him this morning? Do you know that he came to die for Your sin & for mine? I want you to see He’s Worthy! Because of the Name He bares!
B. He’s Worthy Because of the Nature He Brings!
All of those lambs that were brought to the sacrifice had to be perfect! They had to be Without spot or blemish. One Spot would disqualify them. One Blemish would eliminate them from sacrifice status.
May I remind you what the Bible says of CHRIST?
Peter tells us that we were redeemed w/19 the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:(1 Peter 1:18– 19)
Heaven tells us Jesus is the One- 17And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.(Matthew 3:17)
Hell tells us Jesus is the One- in Mark 5:7 demons recognized him
Man tells us Jesus is the One-Pilate said: I find in him NO FAULT at all. (Mt. 18:38)
There’s Never been Another good enough to pay the price! Only Christ was worthy to come and pay the Price for which man had sinned!
(1) The Worth Ascribed to Christ!(I say He’s Worthy……………..!!!)
II. THE WORK ACCOMPLISHED BY CHRIST-
What was the Work Jesus came to do? Did he come just to bless us with Great Preaching? Oh No! HE came to take away the SINof the world.
A. John said I want to Introduce you to the Sin BEARER- “Taketh”
In the Old Testament the Blood of Bulls and goats were offered as atonement for sin. But they could never completely take away sin. That’s why they had to keep coming year after year! Those sacrifices were not good enough to pay the price in full.
That’s why John said Behold, LOOK- He taketh away the sin of the World.
1- The Meaning of Sin
He taketh away the SIN…Do you know exactly what SIN is?
Sin is Missing the Mark. It’s falling Short of God’s Law!
SIN is the most powerful 3 letter word. Sin is the reason why our world is in a mess today! Sin is the reason why our Jails are full. And our churchesare empty!...our Homes are in danger!... our marriages r under..
I’m going to tell you Sin is the reason Men rejects Christ! They would rather roll in their sinful pleasures than come to Christ and be forgiven!
Sin in a Nutshell is rebellion against God! It’s going against God’s Word! Sin is saying No to God’s Way! And yes to your own way! Sin is falling short of God’s Glory!Sin is over stepping the Boundaries!
Have youStepped Over the Boundary?
This is what Sin is!
It’s what has marred our Families!It’s what has Messed up our lives!
It’s what has made a wreck of this world! SIN
2- The Mountain of Sin– “He taketh away the Sin of the WORLD”
Is there not a mountain of sin?Have you ever thought about the mountain of sin? Have you ever considered the first sin that was laid on Christ that of Eve, when she took the forbidden fruit? Then add to that their sins commited in one week! Then add to that Sins commited in One Month! Then add to that the sins of their chidren. And then their children…All the way to You & I! My What a Mountain of Sin! Look at your own Mountain of sin!
The Sins of your Mouth! The sins of your Eyes! The sins of your Heart! The sins of your Hands! The sins of baby hood! The sins of Boyhood! The Sins of manhood! The sins of this generation! Of Legalizing Abortion! Of Legalizing Same Sex marriage! The sins of allowing Pornography to fill our land! My what a Mountain of Sin!
I wonder are you beginning to see the Mountain of sin? The Enormity of Sin that Christ died for? The Sin of the World!
Not only is Jesus the Sin Bearer!
B. Jesus is the SIN REMOVER- ‘taketh AWAY”
When the Ceremonial Act of the scapegoat took place, the sins of the whole nation were Symbolically Laid on the head of the goat. It was then carried, by the hand of a fit man, (I wondered why? And the Holy Ghost said: he was carried by a fit man So He Couldn’t get away) but that goat was led by a fit man to the edge of the wilderness and made to wander alone! Far away from Man! Far Away from God!
I want you to know, JESUS, didn’t just carry our sin to the tree of the Cross!
JESUS didn’t just carry our sin to the Tomb of His Grave!
JESUS didn’t just carry our sin to the Heart of the Earth!
But He took our Sins as far as the east is from the west!
He Carried them to the Bottom of the DeepestOcean! NEVER to be Brought up again! NEVER to be Remembered no more!
Thank God, Jesus didn’t just carry my sin to the Cross! But He CARRIED it FAR FAR AWAY!
Like the song- “Amazing Love” How can it be- that you my king would Die for me?
Who else could take away sin today my friend? Can man take away sin? Have you ever heard of a man that could take away your sin! No Man could ever do this! Never! No Angel could ever do this? Never! No Priest could take away sin? Never!No Pastor could Ever take away Sin!
Is there deed you could do to take away Sin? NEVER!
Galatians 4:4 - 5 4But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,5To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
I’m Telling You GOD SENT HIM! JESUS Satisfied HIM- And if you ask God to Save you- THAT”LL SETTLE IT!
This my friend is something money cannot buy! Millions cannot satisfy! And Maybe want get it!
Song: What can make me white as snow? What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the Blood of Jesus!
Behold The Lamb---page 5
III. THE WAY ATTAINED THROUGH CHRIST- or “OPENED”
When Jesus died on the cross, the bible says that the veil of the Temple was rent from Top to bottom! In essence the way to God Was Opened! Man had a way to GOD and it was through Christ! “From the dark paths of Sin there’s a door opened where you can go in! And it at the Cross the door is opened! Will you come in?
- A Saving Benefit-
- You say how can I come to Christ? Just simply Listen to the Word of God! John said BEHOLD the Lamb! LOOK to Christ! Look Have you done that?
Maybe you’ve been looking at other people! Maybe you’ve been looking to others!
January 6 1850. A day when young Charles Spurgeon was wresting with sin. The Young Spurgeon made his way into that PrimitiveChurch. It was a snowy morning that morning and the preacher didn’t show up! And as the congregation began to rumble about what to do. A Shoe salesman ascended to the platform and his text was:
Isaiah 45:22 22Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for Iam God, andthere is none else.
10 minutes the preacher got to the end of his message and he saw young Spurgeon sitting under a pillar. And he looked at spurgeon and said Young man you look very miserable. And you’ll always be miserable, if you do not obey the words of my text!Then he shouted Look to Jesus! Look to Jesus! Look To Jesus! And Spurgeon said I Looked! And I Looked and saw Him! And he said I’m Still Looking! And he said One day I shall Look upon his face! Look To Christ! Have you done that? And then Live through Christ!
Conclusion-
John said: BEHOLD--- The LAMB of GOD--- have You Beheld Him this day?
When the children of Israel had sinned, and God sent snakes among them! And Moses prayed to God and He said Put a Serpent upon a Pole and raise it up! AND Tell them to Look and Live! Surely some one said Moses that’s ridciculous! Moses that’s sounds crazy! Moses said Just Look and Live! Don’t argue with me Just LOOK To JESUS.
Ill- A Tourist visited a church in Germany. And he was surprised to see a Picture of a lamb inscribed upon the outside wall of the church. And he asked why was this picture of the lamb here? They told him of a workman that was up on a scaffold and as he was working he lost his balance and fell from the scaffold. And as he was falling there came a flock of sheep. And when the other workers ran to him knowing he would be certain for death. They found him alive and okay! For when he fell, he fell upon a lamb. The Lamb broke his fall! And because of this Lmb that gave his life. He inscribed a picture of this little lamb!