"BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD"

John 1:29

  1. Intro.
    1. a scriptural title often given to Jesus Christ [the Lamb of God]
      1. to some this is offensive (they consider the lamb a dirty and dumb animal)
      2. from the early days of Christianity it was a cherished symbol (many songs)
    2. the cause of offense is in the meaning of the "lamb of God"
      1. they love sin, and refuse to humble themselves before God and repent
      2. they are trying to earn their way to heaven (save their own soul)
    3. the only cure for the ills of the soul is the "Lamb of God"
    4. the only hope of heaven is to found in the "Lamb of God"
    5. "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!" is the message of every true witness
  2. the messenger was a model servant
    1. he had a personal faith
      1. he preached Christ because he believed in Christ
      2. God hates hypocrisy; especially among professed servants
      3. a true man of God will speak honestly, and with personal conviction
    2. he was humble - John 1:27
      1. John preached with such power that all Judea came to hear him
      2. he could have used his popularity for personal gain
      3. John chose rather to put himself in the background
      4. we need more ambassadors for Christ like John
        1. these are the salt of the earth, and the light of the world
        2. in eternity they will receive a warm welcome from the Lord Jesus Christ
    3. he got his theology from the Bible
      1. many people think the Bible is old fashion and out of date
      2. many preachers today will preach the wisdom of man, rather than the wisdom that comes from God
      3. when John saw Jesus, and wanted to tell others who He was; he went straight to the Bible - Isa.53
    4. his hope was in the Lord, and not silver or gold - Matthew 3:4
    5. he refused to cater to the rich and influential
      1. he shunned Jerusalem, the religious center
      2. in the wilderness and the banks of the Jordan, he warned the people
      3. the wealth, power, and learning of his hearers never made him overlook their sins
      4. we need more servants that will denounce sin, and tell of God’s grace
  3. his message reveals the horrors of sin - "the Lamb of God"
    1. what does this reveal about sin?
      1. to understand the greatness of our sin "Behold the Lamb of God"
      2. we cannot know the greatness of God’s grace, until we know the greatness of our sin
      3. it is not a small and insignificant matter to break the Law of God
      4. ever violation of God’s will has eternal consequences (death, condemnation)
    2. John spoke against sin, not to be negative or destructive - Matthew 3:7-10
      1. to help prepare their hearts for the gospel
      2. he preached on sin to convince them of their need of a Savior
    3. in God’s sight sin has never changed
      1. sin separates us from God, and will send us to an eternal hell
      2. only in the crucified Christ can the consequences of our sin be fully seen
      3. God’s hatred of sin is so great that all the treasures of this world cannot satisfy His wrath
    4. "Behold the Lamb of God" and see the shocking debt that our sins demand
  4. his message reveals the glory of God’s grace [which taketh away the sin of the world]
    1. what our text reveals
      1. Christ as an innocent victim of man’s hatred
      2. Christ as a non-complaining suffer, and heroically silent
      3. Christ as a non-resisting martyr going meekly to His death, as a lamb led to the slaughter
    2. we find far more than this in Christ
      1. here we find Christ the redeeming Savior, who rescues us from sin
      2. we had transgressed God’s Law, but He was punished in our place
      3. we were condemned, but He took our sentence
    3. the grace "which taketh away" our sins is wondrous and glorious
      1. Jesus did not overlook our sin, nor push them aside
      2. Jesus did more than forget them, He takes them all away and wipes them out completely
      3. when our sins are forgiven, our guilt and punishment are removed forever
      4. a wonderful truth: if Christ has transferred our sins to Himself, then there is nothing left for us to do
    4. it is the height of blasphemy...
      1. to insist that man must pay for that which He offers freely
      2. to say that we must finish what He has completed
      3. to make people doubt the forgiveness of sins, when they have been removed as far as the east is from the west
    5. the blessings which are ours when Jesus "taketh away" our sins
      1. no more punishment
        1. nothing that ever happens to us can be called a penalty of divine justice
        2. Jesus endured the whole punishment to which we were condemned
        3. God’s wrath has been stilled completely and forever
      2. no more slavery to sin
      3. no more fear of death
        1. many people are fearful of the thought of death
        2. the believer can proudly say, "there is therefore now no condemnation..."
        3. the believer looks forward to heaven and life eternal
      4. no more fear of hell
      5. our sins are all gone
  5. conclusion
    1. with God’s grace so rich and free, will you take Christ as your Savior
    2. Jesus died for you, will you come to Him now
    3. if you don’t take Jesus as your Savior, what will you do with your sins?