davidgh01

John the Baptist's reference to Jesus as the Lamb of God seems to point to sacrifice because of the lamb's use throughout the Old Testament. The first sacrifice we read of is a lamb- the first of Abel's flock, which was pleasing to God. Leviticus tells repeatedly of a lamb to be slaughtered (i.e. Leviticus 4:32-35). Exodus, especially, speaks of the Passover lamb whose blood covered the doorpost, and when it was seen by the Angel, the firstborn (and the whole family, consequently) was spared. I think.

The comprehensiveness of sins of the world was a shock, especially to the Jews, because it meant that Gentiles could be saved and inherit the same promises that they believed they only were entitled to. To say that the Gentiles were allowed to "come into the fold" was to allow the "unclean" to take part in the "clean," and the "uncircumcised" to have part with the "circumcised" (explained in Acts 15).