[Pastor Ralph]

Q1. How do you know that John the Baptist's statement about the Lamb of God refers to sacrifice? (John 1:29). How was the comprehensiveness of "sins of the world" so radical a concept?

[Julie]

How do you know that John the Baptist's statement about the Lamb of God refers to sacrifice?
The key words I see is "Lamb and "takes away"- a lamb was in the OT used as a sacrifice, and the blood made atonement, Lamb of God- (Jesus) who takes away-(makes atonement for us).

How was the comprehensiveness of "sins of the world" so radiacal a concept?
Bare with me on the second part of the question don't know if I am understanding what is meant. The sins of the world meant everyone not just a certain sect. Sin separates us from God, without the blood of the Lamb we could not get close to God, in the OT the blood of animal sacrifices were shed but could not take sin away, through Jesus, "sins of the world" were taken away, this made it complete.

[Darleen Nelson]

[COLOR=purple][B] So good to be starting another Bible Study with you all. I am ready to go on with these lessons.

Isaiah prophesied in 53:7 that the Messiah would be led to the slaughter like a lamb. A life was required to pay the penatlty for sin. The sins of the world were removed when Jesus laid down His life. Jesus gave His life for all the world which includes a vast number of people and even more sins. In order to receive the benefits of this sacrifice a sinner must confess their sins and accept Jesus as the sacrifice for them.

[Pat Beckner]

How do you know that John the baptist's statement about the Lamb of God refers to sacrafice? John was raised a jew, his father was a priest. He knew the traditions and rituals of his day. He also had lived in the wilderness......alone with God and he knew what his purpose in life was...to prepare the way of the Lord. John knew who Christ was when he saw him by divine understanding. #2 Before Christ, every sin required some kind of sacrafice.....confession, giving up something valuable, seeing that sin has awful consiquences....transfering of guilt to the lamb. When Christ died on the cross, he took all the sins of the world upon himself. Not just for that day but all the sins of all ages. Oh, what a saviour.

[Mike Dickinson]

Q1. How do you know that John the Baptist's statement about the Lamb of God refers to sacrifice? (John 1:29). I feel we trust, perhaps a little too much, that John’s declaration about Jesus was simply a deduction he made from the Jewish ritual concerning the Passover Lamb (Exodus 12:3-51) The only OT writing that I feel is directly related to a human sacrifice for sin must be that of Isaiah 53:7. Wow, if ever there was an awesome passage of scripture to bring me to my knees it’s this wonderful prophecy of Isaiah’s. And yet somehow, I don’t see this prophecy as the main influencing force for John’s announcement about Jesus. I wonder if we can just distance ourselves for a moment from the bigger picture that we now have, that neither John or the Jewish people of that period had the benefit of. To slaughter a Lamb as an atoning sacrifice for sin was one thing, and there are many references in the Old Testament of this tradition first instituted by God through Moses, however, to slaughter a human being instead is perhaps something we take forgranted they would immediately relate to. Indeed, it’s clear that John wasn’t entirely clear on exactly who Jesus was until God told him (John 1:33-34) I do however suspect that the start of John’s relationship with Jesus began when his mother, Elizabeth, and Jesus’ mother, Mary, met up whilst they were pregnant (Luke 1:41) John does quote Isaiah when describing his own mission and so he would most likely be acquainted with the ‘Suffering servant’ writings also.

How was the comprehensiveness of "sins of the world" so radical a concept?
I would hazard a guess that the sacrificial offerings made as atonement for sin in those days was seen as only applying to the Hebrew people. God’s chosen race. Here was a proposed sin sacrifice that would include atonement for the Gentiles or, the heathen, as they were seen in the eyes of the Israelites.

[luminosa]

We can know that John spoke of Jesus as a sacrificial lamb because this is the method that Jews employed to deal with their sins; they typically sacrificed animals.

The statement that Jesus comes to take away the sins of the world can be thought of as radical. After all, the Jews thought of themselves as the special possesion of God (which they are) and that everyone else were foreigners and heathens. Jesus came to make it possible for people of all races and nationalities to become joint heirs. Hallelujah to the Lamb of God!

[revtkeane]

How do you know that John the Baptist's statement about the Lamb of God refers to sacrifice?
We know, or at least can assume from the preceding lines, that John was already teaching that one greater then himself was coming, and upon the arrival of Jesus, John already knew Jesus to be “the lamb of God”.

How was the comprehensiveness of "sins of the world" so radical a concept?
Each sin before “The Lamb of God” had it’s own sacrifice. For every sin a sacrifice had to be made. The concept of one sacrifice not only for all sin, but for all occurrences of sin and for all people, that would have been a mind-blowing concept. In fact it still is.

[Vila]

Did I understand you correctly in saying the sinner provides and slays the Lamb? Therefore when John saw Jesus, he reconized Him as the Sacrafice God provided for the sins of the world. John knew the qualifications for the sin sacrafice and it was revealed to him that Jesus was the one and only Lamb without blemish. The scriptures tells us we are all like sheep and we have all sined, except Jesus.

The sins of the world encompasses Jews and Gentiles. Not just one particular sin but ALL sins of EVERYONE. Even so as Gentiles we have not practiced the sacrifical laws of Moses we are covered by the Blood of Jesus.

[Omie]

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How do you know that John the Baptist's statement about the Lamb of God refers to sacrifice? (John 1:29). How was the comprehensiveness of "sins of the world" so radical a concept? Exposition

+ John the Baptist said "he was not the Christ". John knew from Isaiah that a blood sacrifice would be needed. He says he did not know Him, but God had revealed, (in verse 33) that he would see the Spirit on the Savior when he came. When Jesus walked toward him, he must have seen The Savior; who one day would be the sacrifice for the sins of all, Gentile and Jew.

+ The "sins of the world" was radical to the Jewish people, in that they felt that only they had God's blessing as His chosen people and that lambs and doves were used for sin. For someone now to come and preach redemption for all was a lot to swallow for these proud people. It would take a long time even for those closest to Jesus during his ministry to understand that Jesus was the One to be sacrificed (killed) for sinful man.

[Jim Mc]

When John point out Jesus to the crowd that surrounded him, he indicated that Jesus was a Lamb that would take away the world's sin. The Jewish people of that time would have related this to their current old testament instructions in sacrificing the lambs to have their sin forgivien. Lambs or doves/pigoens were sacrificed ritually in order to cleanse the people of their sin in God's sight.

The "sins of the world" was radical because it included everyone. This sacrifice would not be just for Isreal but also for the gentiles. Everyone would get the opportunity to receive this offer of God to be cleansed of their sin once and for all.

[Lucretia Lake]

Because John says Jesus was the one here to “take away the sin of the world." He knew Jesus was going to pay the penalty for mankind. It was radical because it wasn’t about any ‘single’ person….but about the WHOLE WORLD!!

[Sunshine Miller]

Comprehensiveness? Even today it is mindboggling to try and comprehend the wisdom of God; to have thought in His infinite wisdom the Blood of the (flesh without sin); an ultimate sacrifice... to which would take away the Sins of the World. It took Perfection of Blood to which could not be found in anyone of us or animal sacrifice. Praise God!!

[nelda huffman]

Jesus died to take away our sins as John had stated "Jesus was here to take away our sins" not just for one person but for all. He mad himself a sacrificial lamb to die upon the cross so our hearts could be pure and in John 1:29
John states " he said "Jesus coming toward him and said, : Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." Then he repeats it again in John 1:36

[wayfarer58]

Here's my $0.02:

a. The context in which he was living makes it clear that John was refering to Jesus as a lamb in a sacrificial sense. The sacrificial system was a part of daily life. Everyone knew what type of sacrifice was to be given for what reason. No, John was making a very specific statement.
If John had simply been refering to someone sent by God, he could have used other teminology (e.g., prophet, teacher). Because Jesus was at this time a full grown man, the reference couldn't have been to Him as a child. I'm sure John knew the import and inference of what he was saying, to have said it twice emphasizes the fact that he said what he meant and meant what he said.

b. At this time, Israel considered themselves a people set apart, which they were, but not to the extent that they thought. Jehovah was their God, not the world's. What He did, He did for them, not the world. To indicate that God had sent a sacrificial lamb to atone for the "sins of the world", and not just Israel, was not what they expected, and, likely, not what they wanted. To put the entire world 'in their boat', gentiles and Israel receiving forgiveness through the same sacrifice, was probably an affront in their minds.

Blessings!

Dave

[Kris Ann]

The next day John [the Baptist] saw Jesus coming toward him and said, 'Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!' (John 1:29)

Q1. How do you know that John the Baptist's statement about the Lamb of God refers to sacrifice? (John 1:29). How was the comprehensiveness of "sins of the world" so radical a concept?

John refered to the Lamb and the fact that this Lamb would make atonement for our sins. John knew that Jesus would be the one to take away our sins. But did he know that Jesus would ultimately be sacrificed? Since lambs where commonly used for sacrificial atonement, John was prophetic in describing Jesus as the Lamb.

It is hard for me to forgive, so it is also hard to imagine that Jesus forgives me, let alone the entire world.
And in order to atone for my sins, Jesus becomes the bearer of my sins. That is even more difficult to imagine.
But not only my sins, but the sins of the world! Even the sins of my enemy?! WoW. The sins of my decendents and the sins of my future family? So that anyone can be forgiven, atoned for their sins!!!
It is incredible to imagine! It is still incomprehensable today. I simply put my trust in God and the Lamb of God.

I can only imagine how they responded when John described the Lamb of God taking the sins of the World! That God was willing to forgive all, and not just those who humanity considers to be the most worthy- I imagine that was a very tough new concept.

[Patricia A. Conti]

The lamb has been an animal of sacrifice thoughout the old and new testament. It was the sacrifice which preceeded the exodus from Egypt. It was a sacrifice that had meaning beyond the mere killing of an animal. This sacrifice allowed God to save his people from sure death and destruction. It would be a general way in which to think about a lamb when used in conjucntion with the Lord.

The Jewish poeple had presecribed laws and traditions that guided all of their lives. The Scribes and the Pharisees judged the others when it came to their sin and imposing punishment. The scribes and the pharisees, a lot of the time were very self-righteous and considered themselves above the law (or sin). People were judged on their personal sin and sin was used to explain all sorts of things like blindness and deafness, etc...

When Jesus came, he was not coming just to atone for your sin or my sin. Neither was he coming just to atone for the sins of the pharisees or the scribes. Again he did not come just to atone for those who went before, or the dead as they were then. He came to atone for the sins of the world - that would be the whole concept of sin. Sin exists in the world and we are all tempted by it. God knew that sin would affect every person born before, now
or in the future. Jesus came to atone for all sin.

Sin exists in the world and affects not just our persons but the very world we live in. Jesus came to atone for all sin. It would be a very foreign concept to those whose lives revolved around the rules that guided their lives. It was all in black and white. Everything was prescribed in the here and now. But sin isn't something that can be legislated against or wiped out . Sin exists and we turn toward or turn away from sin everyday.

That is why Jesus is the Messiah, the Savior of all. He is my Saviour and your Saviour. He was the Saviour to those who came before me and is the Saviour of those yet to come. It is a hard concept that I cannot completely comprehend. But I believe it because God said it. That is faith.

[Diane]

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How do you know that John the Baptist's statement about the Lamb of God refers to sacrifice? (John 1:29). How was the comprehensiveness of "sins of the world" so radical a concept

When John mentioned 'Lamb' in the statement, typically, lambs were sacrificed. Not only did this imply sacrifice but also that the sacrifice was perfect and without blemish (as the sacrificial lambs had to be).

Sin of the world was a radical concept because it spoke directly to the sin that Adam incurred in the Garden of Eden and through this sin (separation from God) all other sins were derived. To take away the sin of the world was to completely remove (not cover) the sin from the world bringing us back to connection with God. Jesus was the final sacrifice ending this once and for all.

[leo]

Jesus did not just atone for the sins of the Israelites during the time when he was alive. Jesus' sacrifice atoned for the sins of the whole world and encompassed every single person who lived from the beginning when the world was created until the end of time. In so doing, every single person who loved and feared the Lord and believed that they were saved through Jesus' sacrifice were saved. And the fact that it was the Lord and not the Israelites who chose Jesus to be the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of the world (he was even rejected in his hometown) truly makes him the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world.

[J. Zinn]

How was the comprehensiveness of "sins of the world" so radical a concept?

In a time/culture/faith where each sacrifice was for atonement between one man and God, the idea of one sacrifice for ALL men is radical in itself.

It's very challenging for the Jewish to accept this since sin and sacrifice worked so much on an "each-man-for-himself" basis. It was to Israel alone that God demonstrated His mercy, first through substitutionary sacrifice , and priestly mediation. Only the Jews had real access and understanding for atonement , but Christ (and the apostles) through the Gospels etc opened it up to include the whole world. This, in the Jew's eyes, went completely against the grains of being "Chosen".

John understood, however, that Israel was the means, not the end: through Israel, atonement would be spelled out (how to accomplish it, what kind of horror it was necessary to conceal, etc) and in the end, the world would be saved.

Being the pathway for righteousness to flow and not the sole beneficiary is not always an easy concept for Chrsitians (though we have the Bible as a thurough illustration of this concept). Few are content with being a stepping-stone, only . Imagine how much more difficult it was for the Chosen People to accept that "chosen" meant "chosen as the first stepping stone". Hardly complimentary with the "We are chosen" pride that came with being chosen.


Please read this thuroughly; I dont' mean to get sticky on words and brackets (), but i think there's a huge lesson in this very good question.

[Chilimoma]

How do you know that John the Baptist's statement about the Lamb of God refers to sacrifice?

From the time of the first sin, in the Garden of Eden, the shedding of the blood of an innocent lamb was used to atone for sin. Therefore, since John states that Jesus was the "Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world," it follows logically that the "sin of the world" would be paid for by the sacrifice of that indicated "Lamb of God."

How was the comprehensiveness of "sins of the world" so radical a concept?

First, until the coming of the true "Lamb of God," sacrifice in atonement for one's sins was an individual, rather than global, activity. Each person was required to take full personal responsibility for his particular sin. Therefore the concept of one, perfect Lamb of God taking away ALL the sins of ALL the world was revolutionary. Second, also until the coming of the true "Lamb of God," with a few exceptions, God had dealt primarily with His chosen people. (and those exceptions were through dealings with or related to someone of His chosen people) The concept of the Lamb of God atoning for the sins of all the world, was a shocking concept.