JOHN 1:29-31 PODCAST
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him. John said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the One I was talking about when I said, ‘A man will come after me, but he is greater than I am, because he was living before me.’ 31 Even I did not know who he was, although I came baptizing with water so that the people of Israel would know who he is.” (John 1:29-31)
In the Old Testament God defined the nation of Israel. One of the biggest ways that He defined them was through the sacrificial system. It was was designed by God to solve their sin problem (separation from Him) and to point us to the One who would ultimately deal with our separation problem: the Lord Jesus Christ. God taught Israel to sacrifice animals and offer their blood and meat of those animals unto God. A stream of blood runs all through the Old Testament. In Leviticus 17:11, we read, "the life of the flesh is in the blood." In Hebrews 9:22, we are told, "There is no remission of sins without the shedding of blood." But nowhere is it explained why God demands blood.
Now, in Genesis 22, as Abraham was taking Isaac up the mountain to offer him, Isaac asked, "Father, where is the lamb?" Abraham answered, "God will provide a lamb." Centuries later, John the Baptist sees Jesus coming toward him, knowing who he was, having baptized him six weeks earlier, says to the crowd, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" Here is the one who will fulfill all the promise of the sacrifices of the Old Testament.
When John says, "I did not know who he was" he means, "I did not know him as the Messiah, as the Lamb of God." John was Jesus' older cousin; they knew each other as boys. Even Jesus' own brothers did not understand who he was, though they grew up with him. John says, "I didn't know who he was." John the Baptist didn't know who Jesus was until he baptized Him with water.
Now, not just anyone could be “the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.” It had to someone who is perfect, therefore only God could do it. The Son of God, Jesus Christ was and is the only one able to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world because he was and is the God-man. His perfect life and His powerful resurrection underscores this truth.
As a foreshadowing of what the Lord Jesus would do, God instituted the sin offering in the Old Testament. According to Leviticus 22:17-25, "17 The Lord said to Moses, 18 “Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites and say to them: ‘If any of you—whether an Israelite or a foreigner residing in Israel—presents a gift for a burnt offering to the Lord, either to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering, 19 you must present a male without defect from the cattle, sheep or goats in order that it may be accepted on your behalf. 20 Do not bring anything with a defect, because it will not be accepted on your behalf. 21 When anyone brings from the herd or flock a fellowship offering to the Lord to fulfill a special vow or as a freewill offering, it must be without defect or blemish to be acceptable. 22 Do not offer to the Lord the blind, the injured or the maimed, or anything with warts or festering or running sores. Do not place any of these on the altar as a food offering presented to the Lord. 23 You may, however, present as a freewill offering an ox[b] or a sheep that is deformed or stunted, but it will not be accepted in fulfillment of a vow. 24 You must not offer to the Lord an animal whose testicles are bruised, crushed, torn or cut. You must not do this in your own land, 25 and you must not accept such animals from the hand of a foreigner and offer them as the food of your God. They will not be accepted on your behalf, because they are deformed and have defects.’”"
The Apostle Peter, wrote, “You were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Peter 1:18–20). Jesus Christ was not born of two humans. He was the God-man. In Luke 1:30-35 His birth is described his way:
"And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.”
Jesus was with no original sin. And He never committed one sin. In fact, the loudest display of His sinlessness is found in John 8 when Jesus asked the religious leaders, "Who among you finds me guilty of sin?" The silence of the religious leaders was deafening. “He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth” (1 Peter 2:22; Hebrews 4:15; Romans 8:3).
The reason Jesus Christ was and is without sin is that He was and is God. "In the beginning was the Word and the word was with God and the Word was God . . . and the Word became flesh (John 1:1,14). Everything about Jesus shows how He was the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
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