Sermon: Behold the Lamb of God

Rev. Brian L. Kachelmeier

John 1:29-42a

 

In the name of Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Amen.

 

Back in the season of Advent, we heard about John the Baptizer preparing the way for the Lord. Now in the season of Epiphany, John reveals to us Jesus the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. In our Gospel text we hear John tell us, “I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” (John 1:31 ESV)  John’s purpose was to reveal Jesus to the people of Israel.   God had given John the sign that the Spirit would descend upon Jesus as a dove. The dove would visibly mark Jesus as the long awaited Messiah. John was an eye witness of this event. He prepares the way and then he reveals Jesus as the only way to the Father. John reveals that Jesus not only takes away the sin of Israel, He takes away the sin of the world. Thus, the Lord sent the church out into the world to make this promise known.

 

In this season of the church year, we focus our attention on what God reveals, makes known, manifests, and brings to light about Jesus. It is revealed that Jesus was born for the Jews and the Gentiles. It is made manifest that He is the Son of God. It was made known that He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. The Holy Spirit enlightens us, opening our eyes to rightly see Jesus. It is not a secret that we are to keep from others. No, the Gospel is meant to be shared and made known with others. We are not supposed to hide the Gospel light under a bushel. No, we are to let it shine. The Gospel is a revealed message, not one we should conceal and keep to ourselves. As God has revealed our Savior to us, we then reveal Jesus to others. First we make known the need for a Savior, because of our sin. Then we make known the Savior who takes our sin away.

 

In our text, we hear John speaking to us from the office that God gave him. He was the key figure whom God used to prepare the way and then to make known the Way. John pointed out sin, in order to point out the Savior. John was a Law/Gospel preacher. He comes down hard with the Law in order to bring the full comfort of the Gospel. The Law reveals sin. It is as if John were to preach, “Behold, your sin.” He brings it to light and puts it in front of the peoples’ eyes. But his purpose is not to leave them dead in their sins. Rather, like all Law/Gospel preachers, his purpose is to restore the hearers to life in Jesus. After delivering the bad news, he follows up with the Good News. He reveals the Savior of the World. He says, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29) He sets Jesus before the eyes of the people. 

 

The image of the lamb should bring to mind the sacrificial lamb of the Old Testament. Specifically, we should recall the Passover Lamb. When God brought the Israelites out of Egypt, they ate the paschal lamb the night of the Passover. On that night, they took the blood from the lamb and put it on their doorposts and lintels to mark them as believers and they took and ate the lamb. Then the LORD passed over them and their first born sons were spared. After leaving Egypt, they continued to celebrate the Passover meal to remind them of the deliverance that the LORD had brought that night. Then later in the days of the Tabernacle and then the Temple, a lamb was offered on the altar in the morning and a lamb was offered in the evening. Thus, the people of God would begin the day with the morning sacrifice and close the day with the evening sacrifice. The death and blood of these lambs pointed to the True Lamb whose blood would be shed to make us people of God. 

 

Jesus is the True Lamb. He gave up His life as an atoning sacrifice to appease God’s wrath over our sin. Jesus was not just any lamb. Rather, He is the Lamb of God. In particular, He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He takes upon Himself all the sin of the entire world. Only He could bear this much weight.

 

Isaiah 53:6 words it this way, “The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” (ESV) The second letter to the saints in Corinth puts it this way, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV) In His body, Jesus took upon our sin, so that in our bodies we would be covered by his purity. Jesus is the one who bears the weight of all sin. It is as if sin was piled and piled and piled and piled upon the shoulders of Jesus. Sometimes you’ll see this depicted in a picture or statue in which Jesus hangs on a cross that bows down. It’s as if the weight of the world’s sin bears down upon Him bowing the wood of the cross.

 

Thus in life here on earth, there are only two possible places that your sins can be located. Either you carry the weight of your own sins or Jesus bears the weight for you. Either you try to make up for all your wrong by doing good things as if to tip the scale in your favor or you trust in the work of Jesus who alone appeases the Father’s wrath in your place on the cross. Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He takes the weight away. So the question we must ask ourselves once again is this, “Where are your sins?” The promise of the Gospel is that your sins are on Jesus. He is the sin bearer. He bears the sin of the world, meaning that all the sins of all people of all time. Faith clings to this promise. Unbelief rejects this promise and retains the sin and the punishment for sin which is death and separation from God.

 

We gather again today to be reminded that our sins are located on Jesus. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. We come to have our need revealed to us once again and also to have our Savior made known to us once again. Because of our depraved hearts we continue to pile the weight of our sins upon us and forget that our sin is on Him. The Gospel promise locates your sin on Jesus.

 

I don’t know about you, but in our house we continue to have a problem locating the phone. I pick up the phone, talk to someone, then set it down. Then later I can’t recall where that phone got placed. Is it in the living room, in the kitchen, or somewhere else? This was never a problem back in the days before the cordless phone. The phone was always connected to the cord. I must not be the only one who misplaces the phone. The reason I say this is that on the base of the phone there is a location button with the word “Find” imprinted on it. With one simple touch, I can page my own phone. Once it starts beeping, I can track that phone down in no time. That beeper, sends out a message into my ears, declaring, “Behold, your phone! Behold, your phone is over there!”

 

In like manner, today, as your pastor, I sound off the beeper and help you realize where your sins are located. I stand before this altar to declare to you, “Behold, your sin.” And then I point to you to Jesus and say, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29 ESV)   “Behold, your sin is on Jesus. It’s over there.”

 

We continuously need to be reminded of this precious Gospel message. Thus, in the liturgy we declare the praise of the Lamb of God in two places. We first reveal our sin to God acknowledging that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed. Then I declare to you, “Behold, God has had mercy on you and has given His only Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all of your sin.” I reveal to you that your sin has been concealed in Christ. We approach God knowing this and we sing “This is the Feast” in which we rejoiced by saying, “Worthy is Christ the Lamb who was slain”  

 

Then after the words of Institution, we sing, the Agnus Dei which is Latin for Lamb of God. We sing, “O Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us.” Then from this altar I give to you bread and declare, “Behold, the body of Christ given for you.” Then from this altar I give to you wine and declare, “Behold, the blood of Christ shed for you for the forgiveness of your sin.”

 

This message is the chief article of the Christian Faith. Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Jesus takes the sin of the world away. He bears the sin of the world. Your sin belongs to Jesus. In the place of sin, He gives you His own righteousness. He covers you in His holiness. “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29 ESV) Imprint these words upon your hearts and feast on them. Amen.