What is the meaning of John 1:29? The next day - “The next day” (John 1:29) links directly to the events of John 1:19-28, where John the Baptist had testified before the priests and Levites. Scripture is unfolding in real time; God’s plan is progressing day by day (John 1:35, 43). - God is purposeful with timing. Galatians 4:4 reminds us, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent His Son…”. Here we see that fullness advancing. John saw Jesus coming toward him - John’s eyes are fixed on Jesus, fulfilling his role as forerunner (Malachi 3:1; John 1:6-8). - He recognizes Jesus by prior divine confirmation: “The One who sent me… told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit descend…’” (John 1:33). - From the outset, Jesus moves intentionally toward people—picture of incarnation and pursuit (Luke 19:10). Look - A call to immediate attention and personal response. It is more than noticing; it is beholding with faith. • Numbers 21:8-9—those bitten had to “look” at the bronze serpent and live. • Isaiah 45:22—“Turn to Me and be saved, all you ends of the earth”. - John invites every hearer to shift focus from self to the Savior. the Lamb of God - Rooted in the sacrificial system: • Passover lamb spared Israel from judgment (Exodus 12:3-13). • Isaiah 53:7 foretold a suffering Servant “like a lamb to the slaughter”. - Jesus is God’s own Lamb—chosen, perfect, final. Paul echoes this: “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7). - Peter affirms His sinlessness: “a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Peter 1:19). who takes away the sin - Purpose statement: Jesus lifts, carries off, and removes sin once for all. • Matthew 1:21—“He will save His people from their sins”. • 1 John 3:5—“He appeared to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin”. • Hebrews 9:26—He came “to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself”. - At the cross, He declared, “It is finished” (John 19:30), confirming complete atonement. of the world - Scope is global: the offer of salvation extends beyond Israel to every nation. • John 3:16—God loved “the world.” • 1 Timothy 2:5-6—He “gave Himself as a ransom for all”. • Revelation 5:9—His blood purchased people “from every tribe and tongue and people and nation”. • 1 John 2:2—He is the atoning sacrifice “for the sins of the whole world”. - The statement invites all to believe, while still requiring personal faith (John 1:12). summary John 1:29 captures the gospel in one sentence. On a specific day, John points to a specific Person—Jesus—commanding all to behold Him as God’s own sacrificial Lamb. This Lamb’s once-for-all offering removes sin’s guilt and power, and the invitation reaches every corner of the globe. To “look” is to trust, and to trust is to receive the life the Lamb secured. |
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