THE LAMB OF GOD

KEY VERSE:

“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

(John 1:29b)

Full Verse:

“The next day he [John the Baptist] saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’”

(John 1:29)

YHWH* God is love!   He loves us perfectly!  But do we love God?  Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”  (John 14:15)

Nobody except God obeys God perfectly all the time.  Nobody except God loves perfectly all the time.  Nobody except God is sinless.  But  YHWH knew before He ever made people that we would sin and “fall short” of His perfection.  (Romans 3:23) But God always had a plan to “take away” our sin!   His plan was always Jesus Christ!

Even in Genesis, the first book of the Bible, God speaks of this plan to “take away” man’s sins.   Throughout the whole Bible, God talks about this plan!   John the Baptist knew the Scriptures about God’s plan: God would send a Savior, a Messiah, to be the Lamb who would “take away the sins of the world”.

What does a Lamb have to do with taking away sin?   A Lamb is a symbol of sacrifice.  A sacrifice is something you give up out of love so that you can help or please someone else.   If you give up the money you have to buy cookies and instead give that money to help a charity buy food for hungry children, you are making a sacrifice.  When you give up your time to pray for people, instead of playing, you are making a sacrifice.

Parents who love their children make a lot of sacrifices.  Stop and think a minute about the sacrifices your parents make for you so you can have a better life.  That’s why God wants children to honor and be thankful to their parents.

We should also honor and be thankful to Jesus because He suffered so that we could have the best life in heaven!

“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

(John 1:29b)

Jesus Christ died on the cross to take away your sins so that you could live someday with Him forever in heaven.   Because Jesus took away your sins, God doesn’t see your sin.  It is washed away.  Through Jesus, God looks at you and sees His  beloved child!

This is a time of the year that the Church traditionally calls Lent.  It is a time when we remember how much it cost God to “take away” our sin.  We can thank Jesus for His sacrifice by loving Him and loving others.  You may pray and see if there is something you could give up in order to bless someone else.   When we bless others, God is happy, too!

PSALM 51:2   “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!”   

 *Notes: YHWH= God’s name.  For further explanation see this LESSON.