John 1:29–34 - 29 The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 “This is He on behalf of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’ 31 “I did not recognize Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water.” 32 John testified saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. 33 “I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ 34 “I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.”
What does today’s passage say?
In today's passage, John the Baptist sees Jesus approaching. He tells everyone that Jesus is the Lamb of God whose sacrifice will take away men’s sins (v. 29) He says that even he is not worthy of Jesus and, that even as he grew up with his cousin, he did not know he would be, and has always been, the One. He says that his baptisms and message of repentance were to prepare the way for the ‘Real Thing’ (vv. 30-31). John also says that after he had baptized Jesus, he saw the Holy Spirit descend from heaven like a dove and come to rest on Jesus and that this miraculous sign was confirmation from God that Jesus is the Son of God (vv. 32-34).
How can I apply John 1:29-34 to my life?
John’s profound declaration about Jesus captures the very essence of who He is and why He came—to be the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world. Unlike the Passover lambs or ceremonial temple offerings which could never fully deal with the root problem of sin before a holy God, Jesus actually could take away sins as the perfect sacrifice to satisfy God's wrath. As John testifies, Jesus has been confirmed as the Son of God based on the promised sign of the Holy Spirit descending and remaining on Him. He came to satisfy God’s wrath at our sin and give the gift of the Holy Spirit to those who place their faith in Him. Our praise, devotion, and desire to share such amazing redemption should overflow as we draw near to the Savior. Here are some basic principles from this passage that we should apply to our lives:
1. Recognize Jesus as God's Perfect Sacrifice for Sin (v. 29): The declaration from John the Baptist of Jesus as "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" brings rich meaning. At its core, this signifies Christ's supreme purpose and special designation from the Father as the ultimate, once-for-all atoning sacrifice for humanity's sin. Unlike the continual sacrifices of lambs in the Passover and temple rituals which could never fully cleanse sin or remove its guilt before God, Jesus came to permanently deal with the problem of sin at its root by taking the full wrath owed. As the perfect, spotless Lamb who fulfilled the entire sacrificial system, Jesus alone could serve as the acceptable sacrifice to reconcile estranged people with their Creator. To receive forgiveness and cleansing, we must entrust our souls personally to what Christ accomplished, not trusting in any works or goodness of our own but wholly in Jesus' finished work as the Lamb sacrificed on our behalf at Calvary's cross. This requires both the mental recognition of Christ's exclusive sufficiency to atone for sins as well as heartfelt daily devotion to the Savior for enduring God's judgment which we deserved (Hebrews 10:11-14, Romans 6:23, Ephesians 1:7).
Food for Thought: Why was God's wrath towards sin required along with His mercy to make possible our redemption? In what areas might your gratitude and worship towards Christ as the sacrifice Lamb be lacking?
2. Obey the Lord Even If You Do Not Understand Why, Trusting that His Purposes Will Be Revealed (vv. 30-31): John the Baptist did not actually know Jesus was the Messiah at first, but was simply told by God that the one on whom he saw the Spirit descend would be the Chosen One. Though John likely had many questions, he chose to obey what the Lord commanded him anyway. In the same manner, there are many times when God calls believers to take steps without fully revealing what He is orchestrating behind the scenes. Yet like John, we must deny self and submit in faith to God's directives if we want to walk in His blessings and share in His greater plans. As Christ said, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed" (John 20:29). The Lord often uses a journey of small acts of obedience based on partial understanding to gradually strengthen trust in Him as well as prepare us for revelation of His full purposes in His perfect timing. But if we insist on understanding everything up front before obeying, we demonstrate that our faith is weak and conditional. Unlike Christ who prayed "Not My will but Yours be done", such reluctance erects a barrier between our hearts and the Lord that hinders experiencing the joy of partaking in His works. If the Word of God or His still small voice urges you towards a specific step of service, relationship, giving, moral purity, or other unknown area, fix your eyes on Jesus and follow Him based on who He is, not what you can presently grasp. One day, His intended aim will gloriously dawn upon you, stirring worship of His unmatched sovereignty and wisdom (Joshua 6:1-5, Daniel 3:8-18, Proverbs 3:5-6).
Food for thought: Why is trusting God's character and obeying Him regardless of circumstances crucial for spiritual growth? What might the Lord be calling you to surrender to Him without yet understanding where it may lead?
Place Your Faith in Jesus as the Son of God Who Takes Away Sin and Gives the Holy Spirit (vv. 32-34): John's testimony declares Jesus as the confirmed Son of God by virtue of the divine Holy Spirit descending and remaining upon Him. This significant visible sign coming from heaven both validated Christ's identity and inaugurated His earthly ministry as the Anointed Messiah who baptizes all who believe not just with water but with the regenerating Spirit. As the unique God-Man, Jesus alone has both the sinlessness and divine authority to impart new spiritual life through the indwelling Holy Spirit to all who repent and receive Him by faith as Lord. The life-giving Spirit then produces His fruit of love, joy, and peace within every born-again follower of Christ. This personal presence of God working within believers provides assurance that they have passed from spiritual death and judgment into new life in Christ. Have you confessed your sins and placed your complete trust in Jesus to take away that sin and condemnation before God? Ask Him to fill you continually so that you may bear good fruit for God's glory. As an act of faith, make it your daily objective to walk in the power of the Spirit instead of your own wisdom or strength. He will guide your steps to experience exponential increase of spiritual life blessings (John 20:31, Romans 10:9, Acts 3:19).
Food for Thought: Why must a person first acknowledge their sin and need for salvation before believing that Jesus alone provides redemption and the gift of the Holy Spirit? What areas of your life might quenching or grieving the Holy Spirit currently be hindering?
John the Baptist's declaration of Jesus as "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" signifies Christ's supreme purpose to serve as the ultimate atoning sacrifice for humanity's sin problem. Unlike the repetitive Passover lambs which could never fully deal with sin's guilt before a holy God, Jesus' sacrifice permanently reconciles estranged people with their Creator. To receive redemption, we must entrust our lives wholly to what Christ accomplished for us, not relying on any goodness of our own. We must also follow the Lord's leading even when we don't grasp His full purpose, trusting that obedience based on faith pleases Him. As the confirmed divine Son of God, Jesus alone has the authority to give the gift of the Holy Spirit to regenerate all who believe. The indwelling Spirit produces love, joy and other blessed fruit in yielded believers. Have you placed your complete faith in Jesus to take away your sin, receive new spiritual life and be filled continually with His Spirit? Determine to walk in the Spirit’s power each day to experience the Lord’s manifold blessings.
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
I pray that You would increase my gratitude for sending Jesus to be the Lamb who would fully atone for my sins. I pray that You would help me entrust my entire life to His finished work, not relying on my own goodness. I ask that You give me grace to obey Your leading even when I don't understand the reason, so that my faith and intimacy with You will deepen. I pray that Your Holy Spirit will fill me continually, producing love, joy, and other blessed fruit that overflows to others. Teach me to walk each day under the Spirit's control instead of my own wisdom so that I may experience Your abundant spiritual life within me. I pray that this would help me to lead others into new life through faith in Jesus.
I pray these things in the most precious name of Jesus, Amen.
John 1:29 - The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
With His Blessings,
Pastor Corby
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