The Lamb of God

The Lamb of God
John 1:19-34

INTRO: Good morning church. Open your Bibles to the Gospel of John, and we will be picking up today in John 1:19. In our look at John’s gospel so far we saw the first 18 verses describing Jesus as the Eternal Word. The Word became flesh, made His dwelling, His tabernacle among us, and we have seen His glory and from that fullness we have all received grace upon grace.

Also in chapter 1:6-8 we were told about a man named John. We know him as John the Baptizer, but this Gospel calls him John the Witness. He is the one who has come to give witness of who Jesus is, that Jesus is the light, that John himself is not that light.

Now we will consider John 1:19-34 in two sections. The first section is going to be John's testimony of himself and then the second section is going to be John's testimony of Jesus.

I. John's testimony of himself. (1:19-28) - We will begin with John 1:19-28 – “19 And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said. 24 (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) 25 They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, 27 even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 28 These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.”

A. Verse 19 sets up the scenario for us. Jews have come from Jerusalem to ask John some questions. They want clarification about who John is. Verse 24 gives us additional insight saying they had been sent from the Pharisees.

1. The word "Jews," by the end of the first century and the time John wrote this Gospel, had acquired a sinister meaning in Christian society, resulting from “official” Israel's rejection of the Savior.
2. Coffman wrote that; “John's use of this word (Jews) throughout the Gospel was to designate the avowed enemies of Christ; and it should never be understood as including the whole race of Israel, despite the fact that the vast majority of Israel had followed their evil leaders in rejecting Christ.”

B. I wondered why they bothered to come out to question John in the first place. We are told they are priests and Levites. Most of the high priestly class was Sadducees but verse 24 indicates some Pharisees were seeking answers too. I suspect then that the Sanhedrin was the body that initiated this inquiry. Why? The popular report of John's success had reached Jerusalem; and, unthinkably, he was even teaching that "Jews" needed repentance and baptism! Were they not the chosen people? What brand of teaching was this, then, that demanded repentance of Jews?
C. These Jews are trying to dig a little deeper. They come to John and they are asking; “who are you, John?” They are not asking; where did you come from, who are your parents and what's your occupation. They are asking where John fits in a theological sense, a messianic sense, brought about no doubt by his activities. There must have been whispers that this man might be the Messiah; and were not the lords of the Sanhedrin God's chosen instruments for running down and foiling any false Messiah?

1. In short then, they are asking; are you the one that has been sent by God that we've been looking for, the messiah? Verse 20, “He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”” That does not satisfy them and the questioning continues, “Are you Elijah?” “No”. “Are you the Prophet?” “No”. That leads me to pause because I have some more questions.
2. John the Baptist was called Elijah by Jesus (Matthew 17:12), and this raises the question of why John denied it here. This is another example of the kind of "contradiction" which so delights some of the critics. Literally, John the Baptist was NOT Elijah, and John's literal answer WAS literally true. Typically and spiritually, John the Baptist was THAT Elijah foretold in Malachi 4:5. However, the popular notion was that the original Elijah would rise from the dead; and, if John the Baptist had given an affirmative answer to their question, it would have been, in that context, a falsehood. This literalization of the promised return of Elijah in the popular mind would have made it impossible for him to have answered affirmatively to their question.

D. The second question gives me pause because what prophet they are referring to. Most likely, “Are you the Prophet” refers to Deuteronomy 18:15-18 when Moses in his final word says, there is a prophet that is going to be raised up like me. We know this is talking about the Messiah. This question covers the same ground which had already been answered.

1. Here's John saying, no, I am not him. That is not me at all.
2. John’s answers; no, I'm not the Christ, no, I'm not Elijah, no, I am not the prophet does not satisfy them. So then verse 22, “well, then who are you? We need to tell the people who've sent us.” [para] What's your point of view? Where do you belong in all of this?

E. John answers in verse 23 when he says, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” In John 1:6-8 he is called the witness. Now he calls himself the voice of the one crying out in the wilderness. John, as a witness, reaches back to the prophecy of Isaiah to a reference point to describe who he is.
F. The Isaiah prophecy is an excellent summary of the work of John. The message of Isaiah is a challenge to the nation, “Make straight the way of the Lord.” Prepare your hearts for the coming of the Messiah. Remove the obstacles and barriers in preparation for the coming king. This is the message of John: you need to get your hearts ready because the Lord is coming. John pictures himself as merely a laborer preparing the road in advance of the arrival of the King.

1. Let’s take a look carefully at the prophecy of Isaiah. Isaiah 40:3-5 – “3. A voice cries in the wilderness: “prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. 5. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.''”[ESV]
2. There is a literal historical concept here. When a king was going to come into a village the people got everything prepared. They got the roadways cleared. All the obstacles were removed. Perhaps you recall what happens when a city is going to host the Olympics; everything gets built up and fixed.
3. The king is coming. Make ready, get yourself prepared. Isaiah is making the calling, get your heart prepared; you need to be ready and watching for the king. John's message about who he is, is very important. The Lord is coming.

G. This is a call of repentance to the nation to get their hearts right before God. Look at Isaiah 40:5 again, “…the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” Remember what John 1:14 said? “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

1. John the apostle is arguing, we have seen the glory of God, we have seen the Lord. He tabernacled among us. He lived here. By seeing Jesus, we have seen God. I notice that's exactly what John the witness, John the voice, is declaring as well. Make straight the paths because the glory of the Lord is coming and all flesh is going to see His arrival.
2. Would you not expect the messengers to go, wow, you're the voice that Isaiah was speaking of, and that means the King is about to arrive, and we need to get our lives right, and we need to turn to God and clear out the darkness and the obstacles in our hearts so that when the King, the Messiah arrives, we are prepared for His coming. But John 1:25 shows this just flew right over their heads.

H. In verse 25 “They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” From our vantage point I can almost imagine John giving a big sigh. He says, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.”

1. John once again dismisses himself as nothing. John is baptizing with water, but the one coming after him is far greater.
2. We have to appreciate how John continues to depreciate himself and say, I'm not anybody in all of this. Which of course is fascinating when you read Jesus' words in Matthew where He says, “… among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist;…” Yet here is John saying, I'm nothing, somebody greater is coming. This is John's testimony about himself. He is doing the job that we saw set out for him in John 1:6-8, that he would bear witness, give his testimony about who Jesus is, and this is exactly what John is doing.

II. John’s testimony of Jesus (1:29-34) - John is fulfilling his purpose and pointing to the light, pointing to the Christ and saying, “this is the one”. This comes to fruition in verses 29 through 34 where we read John's testimony of Jesus. John 1:29-34 – “29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.””

A. John sees Jesus coming to him and John says, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” It is the day after the questioning by the “Jews” and here comes Jesus approaching John. John was in exactly the right frame of mind to identify the Savior, and his disciples had been fully prepared, emotionally and intellectually, to transfer their love and loyalty to Jesus Christ. To me this is far more than merely accidental circumstances.

1. John is fulfilling his purpose, pointing out Jesus and describing Him as the one who is going to fulfill the prophecies of God. What is really interesting about this, is his calling Jesus the Lamb of God.
2. When we consider this we realize that there is nothing ferocious about a lamb. There is nothing about a lamb that is a picture of strength or leadership. No one uses a lamb as a symbol of power. The Lamb is led to the slaughter (Isaiah 53:7). It brings to mind that in the Old Testament, lambs, goats, and bulls were the primary animals used in sacrifices to God. The lamb has its strongest meaning in the Passover. A lamb without blemish was offered (Exodus 12:3-11). The apostle John takes the imagery of the Passover lamb (a picture of God’s deliverance) and combines it with the picture of the sin sacrifice (taking away the sins of the world).

B. The witness of John is staggering. By calling Jesus the lamb, John is declaring His sacrificial death. This is the primary image of the lamb. Lambs are for slaughter, but His death would be with purpose. He is the lamb who takes away the sins of the world. Notice that this lamb is not sin-substituting, but sin removing. Notice the other key message of John’s testimony. Jesus is the lamb that not only has come to remove the sins of Israel by His sacrificial death, but the sins of the whole world. Everyone can access this sacrifice for sins when the Lamb of God is slain. Jesus is the world’s Messiah, not just Israel’s Messiah.
C. John continues in John 1:30 - “This is He of whom I said, `After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.'” We saw that very message before in John 1:15 “John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, `He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.' ''” John is saying this again. The reason why He is so great is because even though He comes after me, He was actually before me. Here is this eternal nature described about the Lamb. Jesus is the eternal God. He is the Word that we read about in chapter 1. He is now described not only as the Word, but the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world. He is the eternal God coming to die for our sins.
D. Then John continues in verse 31. “"I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.''” We know that John the witness was a cousin of Jesus and well acquainted with Him from the purely human standpoint. The meaning here has to be that John did not know that Jesus was the Messiah. He did know, however, that the Messiah was soon to appear, that He would shortly be revealed to Israel, and that John’s own heavenly commission was connected with the appearance and identification of the Messiah. The words here are the equivalent of saying, "I did not know who Jesus really is, any more than you did." This and the following verses reveal the means by which John himself was enabled to identify Jesus Christ as the Messiah with certainty.

1. In John 1:32-34 John gives his testimony showing how he knew Jesus was the Son of God. “32. And John bore witness, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. 33. "I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, `Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' 34. "And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.''”
2. John the witness says “…He who sent me to baptize with water…” Who is it talking about? It is God, as John the apostle says back in verse 6. In order for John to be able to see the Holy Spirit, it was necessary for the Spirit to assume a physical form; and, appropriately, it was that of a dove, long the symbol of peace and goodness. This was not merely a case of a bird alighting on Jesus for a moment, a phenomenon which, while rare, is occasionally experienced.
3. The dove visibly descended from on high, an action different from the typical flight pattern of a dove. Then this Spirit-dove remained visibly upon the Lord identifying Jesus absolutely as the one who would baptize in the Holy Spirit, with the necessary deduction that the same was the Messiah. Now I ask you, what did this dove do? It witnessed that the one on who the Spirit descended and remained is the Son of God.

E. Thinking about this look at 1^st John 5:8 – “there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.” The point that's being made is that these are the three things that testify that Jesus is the Son of God, that He was sent from God and He came into this world.

1. First of all, let's take the Spirit. How does the Spirit testify? We just saw this in John 1:32.
2. Second, Mark 1:9f – “It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.” Also Matthew 3:16f – “Then Jesus, when He had been baptized, came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.''” (and Luke 3:21f) In that baptism which Jesus submitted to, we see again the witness.
3. Third, Matthew 27:50f – “50. Jesus, when He had cried out again with a loud voice, yielded up His spirit. 51. And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, 52. and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53. and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many. 54. Now when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, "Truly this was the Son of God!''”

F. We should consider also, what does it mean for John to say that he was sent by God to baptize with water, but the one who came after him would baptize with the Holy Spirit?

1. When we read the Old Testament, we see the Glory of God leaving the temple in Ezekiel 10. We read of God removing Himself from the people because of their sins. God is saying, “We can't be in fellowship. We can't have a relationship.” His glory would no longer dwell with them. This imagery is used of God leaving and separating, but the prophets come along and prophesy, the Holy Spirit is going to be poured out one day. When we read all the surrounding context of that wording, it is a picture of God's returning. Recall Haggai said “The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former”.
2. John, the witness, is making the distinction between his baptism and Jesus' baptism. Don't underestimate John's baptism. People sometimes say, well, John's baptism was only for repentance. Be careful with that, because Mark 1:4 says John was “preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.” So does Luke 3:3 and Matthew.

G. What set John's baptism apart from Jesus' baptism? It's not the fact of water baptism. John's baptism brought repentance and brought about forgiveness of sins. Jesus' baptism does the same, but what makes Jesus’ greater, as John is arguing, is that it is Jesus' baptism that brings the restoration of God's blessings. It is Jesus' baptism that brings us into the covenant kingdom of God. That's what makes what Jesus would do greater.

1. When John baptized people, sins were forgiven. People are looking forward to the Messiah. They're turning their hearts and repenting.
2. When Jesus comes along, there's not only forgiveness of sins and repentance. There's something way better. It is entrance into the kingdom of God. It is entering into a covenant relationship with God. It is receiving the blessings of God. That's what makes Jesus' baptism greater.

H. Read with me from the letter to the church in Ephesus starting in Ephesians 1:3f – “3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4. just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5. having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6. to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved.”

1. Paul describes, that before the world was ever created… the divine plan for the Son of God's visitation to humanity existed. That body that Christ would gather from the populations of earth is destined to receive eternal life; because what God purposes is certain of fulfillment. Yet, we have free will so every person may decide if they will or will not become a part of it and receive the intended blessing.
2. The word “adoption” is used here to describe the acceptance of sinners into the family of God. It is only one of many words that describe the relationship Christians receive when they are converted. Thus, they are "the temple of God, the family of God, the bride of Christ, the vineyard of the Lord, the church of the firstborn, and (as here) the adoption." Each of these different terms describes some special and significant feature of the "new creation."
3. The word adoption seems to tell us the Christian's privileges in God's family. Just as an abandoned and forsaken child may be taken into a family by adoption, such a legal action bestowing upon the child all of the rights and privileges of that family without any regard whatever to any merit of the child.

I. Continue in “ 7. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8. which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9. having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10. that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth in Him, 11. in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12. that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.”

1. The blessings enumerated here in the Ephesian epistle belong exclusively to those who have been "baptized into Christ," there being absolutely no other way mentioned in the New Testament through which any person may fancy that they are "in Christ."
2. We are united with God "in Christ" through faith, repentance and submission to God's ordinance of baptism (1^st Corinthians 12:13; Romans 6:3-5; Galatians 3:27).

CONCLUSION: I submit to you, that is exactly what the Apostle Peter is arguing when he preaches that first sermon in Acts 2:38f. “And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, (Folks, there's not a period here. There is more.) and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” 40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” 41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. [ESV]

In the Old Testament the prophet Ezekiel told of the forgiveness of sins; regeneration; and the reception of the Holy Spirit. (Ezekiel 36:25-31) This inspired prophet writes of the cleansing through the new covenant as in Jeremiah 31:31-38. With that covenant your sins are going to be washed away and you get to be part of this glorious kingdom, and you get to receive the blessings of God. You will be in a covenant relationship with Him. That was all stripped away in the days of Israel and the days of Judah when they broke the Old Covenant. That relationship is destroyed.

Now restoration has occurred. That's the message that's being given. Your sins are taken away and the blessings of God are being poured out. The covenant now has been brought back. You can be in a covenant relationship with Him and you can be part of that glorious kingdom.

That's what John is arguing. I'm baptizing with water. The baptism that Jesus brings is what you're looking for—restoration with God. Reconciliation can occur and all the hope of Israel and all the hope of the world will now be established through the baptism of Jesus Christ. Repent of those sins. Be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins in the name of Jesus Christ. It's through His authority, through His power that we have entrance into this kingdom and that we have this glorious hope.

The message is yours.