John 1:29

John 1:29. The next day he seeth Jesus coming unto him. The ‘day' is that immediately following the day of the first testimony, and the climactic arrangement of the narrative is already perceptible. Already Jesus is in a different position. On the previous day He was spoken of as ‘coming after' John; now He is ‘coming unto' him. Then He stood unknown, unrecognised, amidst the throng; now He is expressly pointed out by His forerunner. Then it was His elevation above John that was expressed; now it is the greatness of His work in itself.

And saith, Behold, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. The translation of this clause has been disputed (see the margin of the Authorised Version), but without good reason. The idea of ‘ taking ' or ‘bearing' sin is indeed of very common occurrence in the Old Testament; but it is not expressed by the word here used, which denotes taking away, removal. In meaning, however, the two renderings would almost coincide, since the metaphor of the verse is sacrificial: in the thought of bearing sin as an atoning sacrifice is involved the removal of the punishment deserved and of the sin itself. There is only one other passage of the New Testament in which this expression is found, 1 John 3:5, and there the meaning is very clear. A much more difficult question remains: What is the Baptist's meaning when he speaks of ‘ the Lamb of Goa'? The answer which perhaps now finds most favour with commentators is, that this particular image was directly suggested to his mind by the memorable prophecy of Isaiah 53, in one verse of which (John 1:7) there is an allusion to ‘a lamb.' But there are serious difficulties in the way of this explanation. A reference to the chapter will show that in that verse the prophet speaks of the ‘lamb' as an example of uncomplaining patience, and not in connection with taking away sin. ‘He was oppressed, although he submitted himself, and opened not his mouth; as a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep dumb before her shearers; and he opened not his mouth.' Again, had the prophecy of this chapter been definitely the source of the Baptist's words, we might surely have looked for some close resemblances of language. But such coincidences are not to be found in any part of the chapter: the ideas of taking and bearing sin are prominent, but they are expressed by words altogether different from that here used. If we are thus obliged to look away from Isaiah's great prophecy of Messiah, we naturally turn to the Mosaic ritual of sacrifice. Again we are met by difficulties. It would seem impossible to bring in here the thought of any other than the sin-offering, and yet it was only occasionally, and almost as an exception, that a sin-offering consisted of a lamb (Leviticus 4:32). The lamb of the morning and evening sacrifices was a burnt-offering. There remain only two other explanations of the phrase. It is just possible that ‘the lamb' merely indicates a sacrificial victim, the gentleness and harmlessness of this animal making it especially suitable as a type. It is, however, much more probable that the Baptist spoke of the paschal lamb. The peculiar definiteness of the expression (‘the Lamb of God') will in this case need no explanation: no thought was more familiar to the Israelite than that of the lamb for the Passover; and, we may add, few thoughts are brought out in this Gospel with greater distinctness than the relation of the Lord Jesus to the paschal sacrifice and feast (see notes on chaps, 6 and 19). As the institution of the Passover preceded the general Mosaic legislation, its laws and arrangements lie without the circle of the ordinary ritual of sacrifices, and combine ideas which were otherwise kept distinct. The paschal supper resembles the peace-offerings, the characteristic of which was the sacred feast that succeeded the presentation of the victim (Leviticus 5:15), an emblem of the fellowship between the accepted worshipper and his God. But the sin-offering also is included, as a reference to the original institution of the Passover will at once show. The careful sprinkling of the blood upon the door-posts was intended to be more than a sign to the destroying angel whom to spare. The lamb was slain and the blood sprinkled that atonement might be made for sin: when Israel is consecrated anew to God, the sin and the deserved punishment removed, the sacred feast is celebrated. It has been suggested that the nearness of the Passover (see chap. John 2:13) may have presented these thoughts to the Baptist's mind. It is still more likely that one who was enabled so clearly to discern the meaning of the Old Testament as to recognise the removal of ‘the sin of the world' as the object of Messiah's coming, would see from the first how fitly that ordinance, in which Israel's redemption began, associated itself with the approaching redemption of the world. It is the world's Passover, both the sacrifice and the feast, that John sees to be at hand. With this verse compare especially 1 Peter 1:18-19; Revelation 5:6; Revelation 5:9. The marginal references will show to what an extent this Gospel is pervaded by the thought of ‘the world' as the object of Christ's saving work.