THE LAMB OF GOD
John 1:29
Prayer
John the Baptist was preaching and baptizing.
He looked up.
He saw Jesus coming.
He said, ìBehold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.î
I want to divide this statement into three parts.
ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ 1) The sin of the world.
ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ 2) The Lamb of God.
ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ 3) The word ìbehold.î
1st---Letís look at THE SIN OF THE WORLD.
Sin is a worldwide problem.
John said, ìthe whole world lieth in wickednessî (I John 5:19).
He was called up into heaven where he saw a seven-sealed scroll.
He asked, ìWho is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?î
ìAnd no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the ÝÝ
book, neither to look thereonî (Rev. 5:2-3).
No human being in heaven or on earth, alive or dead, will be able to open the scroll.
That covers billions and billions of people.
All of us have a problem with sin.
Paul said, ìby one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death ÝÝ
passed upon all men, for that all have sinnedî (Rom. 5:12).
The reason why sin is a worldwide problem is the fact that it offers pleasure for a ÝÝ
season (Heb. 11:25).
Sin offers a temporary attraction.
But it doesnít last.
Dr. Henry Stanley traveled the world.
He toured the dark forests of Africa.
He encountered many dangers.
He said the most dangerous thing he ever encountered was a tribe of African natives ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ
called the Wambutti.
They were dwarfs;
Little people who used little weapons that looked like tiny toys.
But the Wambutti tipped their arrows, darts and spears with a poison that could kill a
person in the blink of an eye.
They drove spikes into the ground;
Put poison on the tips;
Covered them with leaves;
And anything that stepped on one of those spikes was dead before it hit the ground.
Dr. Stanley said the Wambutti knew how to trick their prey.
They mixed honey with the poison.
The honey attracted animals.
It enticed them to their death.
Thatís the way sin is.
Sin provides a temporary attraction.
Itís like honey mixed with poison.
Itís what gives sin itís worldwide appeal.
Itís why sin is so dangerous.
Another man traveled the world [as told by Dr. Charles Robinson].
He was stopped at the border of a foreign country.
The police said he couldnít cross the border until he was searched for illegal
contraband.
After they searched him, he said, ìI want to tell you what was going through my ÝÝÝÝ
mind while you searched me.î
ìWeíre all travelers.î
ìWeíre just passing through this world.î
ìWe want to go to that far country called heaven.î
ìBut we canít cross until weíre searched for illegal contraband.î
He said, ìOur hearts will be searched by God.î
ìNothing can be hid.î
ìNothing sinful can enter into heaven.î
Thatís why sin is so dangerous.
It will keep us out of heaven.
The Bible says, ìThere shall in no wise enter into it [heaven] any thing that defilethî
(Rev. 21:27).
God wonít allow sin into heaven.
If weíre going to go to heaven, we have to have our sin covered.
And the only thing that God will accept is the blood of Jesus Christ.
2nd---Letís look at THE LAMB OF GOD.
We donít know.
But many scholars believe that the first lamb that was sacrificed was offered by God ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ
during the days of Adam and Eve.
We know that Abel sacrificed a lamb.
And God accepted it.
We also know that God had Moses tell Pharaoh to, ìLet my people go.î
Pharaoh refused.
And God told Moses to have the people slay a lamb without blemish;
Catch the blood;
And sprinkle it on the lintels and door posts of their houses;
God said the death angel will pass over.
Heíll look for the blood.
Heíll go on by, if he sees the blood.
But heíll enter the house, if he doesnít see the blood.
The first born will die.
Moses led the Hebrews to Mt. Sinai where God gave them the Ten
Commandments.
He told them to slay lambs without blemish;
Two lambs for the sins of the people.
Three lambs to cleanse a leper.
These lambs pointed to the coming Messiah.
So when John the Baptist pointed to Jesus and said, ìBehold the Lamb of God, ÝÝÝÝ
which taketh away the sin of the world,î
He was saying, ìThis is the Lamb of God.î
One preacher said, ìThe Lamb of God didnít fly around the world selecting a good ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ
person here and a good person there to go to heaven.î
ìNo!î
ìThe Lamb of God stepped forward.î
ìSuffered.î
ìDied.î
ìArose.î
ìThrew His bleeding arms around the world;î
ìPulled it to His heart;î
ìAnd said, ëI died for everyone who loves me.íî
God smiled and said, ìI accept that.î
A man stood at the entrance to heaven watching a great crowd go marching in.
ìWho are these,î he asked?
An angel said, ìThese are the prophets.î
ìTheyíre going in to see God.î
ìWoe is me,î said the man.
ìIím not a prophet.î
ìAnd I canít enter heaven.î
He saw a second great crowd go marching in.
ìWho are these,î he asked?
The angel replied, ìThese are the Apostles.î
ìTheyíre going in to see God.î
ìWoe is me,î said the man.
ìIím not an Apostle.î
ìAnd I canít enter heaven.î
He saw a third great crowd go marching in.
ìWho are these,î he asked?
The angel replied, ìThese are the martyrs.î
ìTheyíre going in to see God.î
ìWoe is me,î said the man.
ìIím not a martyr.î
ìAnd I canít enter heaven.î
He saw a fourth great crowd go marching in.
This crowd was greater than all the others.
ìWho are these,î he asked?
The angel replied, ìThese are sinners saved by grace.î
ìThereís the demon possessed man from Gadara.î
ìThe leper who returned to thank Jesus.î
ìThe prodigal son who squandered his inheritance.î
ìThe thief who died on the cross beside Jesus.î
ìThe woman who was caught in adultery.î
ìThe woman who was married five times.î
ìZacchaeus who cheated people on their taxes.î
And the man replied, ìPraise God.î
ìI can enter heaven with this group.î
Weíre all sinners.
We canít enter heaven with the prophets, Apostles or martyrs.
But we can enter heaven with the sinners saved by grace.
Another man traveled the world [as told by Rev. Louis Banks].
He went to Norway.
He visited a Church.
He noticed a lamb carved into the steeple near the top.
ìWhy did you carve that lamb into the steeple,î he asked?
The pastor replied, ìA man who helped build this church fell from that spot.î
ìOthers saw him fall.î
ìThey were sure he was dead.î
ìThey scampered down to pick up his body.î
ìBut he wasnít hurt.î
ìA sheepherder was passing with a flock of sheep at the exact moment the man ÝÝÝÝÝ
fell.î
ìThe man fell on top of one of his lambs.î
ìIt killed the lamb.î
ìBut it saved the man.î
ìThat lamb carved into the steeple marks the spot from which the man fell.î
ìItís there to remind us that a lamb died in his place.î
Thatís what happened to Jesus.
He was arrested;
Beaten;
Cursed;
Falsely accused;
Spit upon:
And nailed to a cross.
So sinners can be saved by grace.
He bowed His head on the cross and cried, ìIt is finished,î when He died for the ÝÝ
sins of the world.
And absolutely nothing except a personís failure to accept Him stands in the way of ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ
that person entering into heaven.
How can anyone deny Him?
ìForasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ
and gold . . . .î
ìBut with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without ÝÝ
spotî (I Pet. 1:18-19).
3rd---Letís look at the word, ìBEHOLD.î
Several years ago, Rachel and I lived inside the city limits of Dyer.
I was sitting in the family room of our house.
Our son Jeff was on the front porch.
He started yelling.
ìCome here! Come here!î
ìHurry! Hurry!î
I got to the front porch in time to see a large deer run across our front yard.
We see lots of deer around Dyer now.
But several years ago, a deer inside the city limits of Dyer was very unusual.
Anyway, Jeffís excited yells were his way of saying, ìYouíve got to see this.î
Thatís what John was doing when he said, ìBehold.î
ìYouíve got to see this.î
ìYouíve got to see Jesus.î
ìYouíve got to see who He is:
ìWhat He went through;î
ìWhat He was doing on the cross.î
It was Christmas.
A store manager displayed some of his Christmas toys in the window of his store.
Three little girls were standing in front of the store window.
One was blind.
And the other two girls were trying to describe the toys to the little blind girl.
They struggled for words.
One little girl said, ìI wish you could see the toys for yourself.î
Thatís the way it is with Jesus.
Most of us have heard the great truths about Jesus.
But it would be great, if we could see Him for ourselves.
Some soldiers saw Him.
They went to arrest Him.
But they returned without Him.
When they were asked why they didnít arrest Him, they replied, ìNever a man ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ
spake like this man.î
Pontius Pilate saw Him.
He questioned Him.
He said, ìI find no fault in this manî (Luke 23:4).
The Roman centurion saw Him.
He watched Him die.
He said, ìTruly this man was the Son of Godî (Mark 15:39).
Peter watched Him for three years.
He said, ìGod hath made that same Jesus both Lord and Christî (Acts 2:36).
Paul saw Him.
He was on the road to Damascus.
He said, ìThis man offered one sacrifice for sins foreverî (Heb. 10:12).
One day we will see Him.
Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess to Him (Rom. 14:11).
Are you prepared for that?
Jesus said, ìExcept ye repent, ye shall all likewise perishî (Luke 13:3-5).
ìExcept your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ
Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heavenî (Matt. 5:20).
Heís able to save you.
He longs to save you.
He will save you.
Your eternal destiny hangs on what you do about Jesus.
Will you accept Him as your Saviour?
Will you do it right now?