Thoughts for the Day

Look, the lamb of God!                      John 1:36

Reference to Jesus as the Lamb of God is of enormous significance.  From our vantage point this side of the Cross, it connects the death of Jesus to that of the Passover lamb, and thereby to the entire, elaborate system of animal sacrifices under the Levitical priesthood.  In John’s vision, recorded for us in Revelation, he sees and describes Jesus as the Lamb 31 times (always with a capital ‘L’ in the NIV) – the Lamb who was slain, the Lamb who is worthy, the blood of the Lamb, the wrath of the Lamb, the triumph of the Lamb, the apostles of the Lamb, the wedding of the Lamb, the bride of the Lamb, the Lamb’s book of life.   In his letters, Peter refers to ‘the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect’.  Writing to the Corinthians, Paul states that ‘Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed’.

But what marks out these words from John the Baptist are that they are not made this side of the Cross.  They are words of prophecy recorded when Jesus came to him to be baptised.   Although John and Jesus were related, the gospels nowhere suggest that they had met since John jumped for joy in his mother’s womb when Mary came to visit.  But whether it was this moment or a previous one, what a moment for John the Baptist! He knew he was sent to prepare the way for someone altogether more powerful, who would ‘baptise with the Holy Spirit and with fire’, whose ‘winnowing fork was in his hand’ and who would ‘burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire’.  What a surprise for him to see Jesus and find these words in his heart and on his lips ‘the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.’