The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! John1:29
JohnB clearly identifies Jesus: "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world..."
JohnB has been preaching repentance and has been baptising those willing to repent. The scholars tell us that his baptism was very similar to Proselyte Baptism. (When Gentiles embraced the Jewish faith - they went through Proselyte Baptism symbolising the washing away of their old lives and the beginning of a new life. When they came out of the waters they were given a new Jewish name, a new set of clothes and they were regarded as a one-day-old-Jew - this was their new birthday.)
Now John explains how the sin of the world is going to be dealt with. The Lamb of God will take it away.
For Jewish listeners there were powerful connections:
1. They remembered that the Passover Lamb's blood kept the Angel of Death from their door.
2. They remembered that the blood of the sacrifices brought atonement for their sins.
3. They remembered that the sacrificial lamb had to be perfect and without blemish.
JohnB will baptise this Lamb of God - the best analogy I can use is that the perfect Lamb of God climbs into our dirty bathwater to take on the sin of the world.
He wants to take our sins far away....
As far as the East is from the West...
So that they are remembered no more...
This is what Easter is all about!!!
Let's worship Him especially this Sunday!
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Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
