29-31 The next day John saw Jesus coming towards him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32-34 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.” John 1:29-34 English Standard Version

Having made it clear that he was not the long awaited Messiah, the man named John who was baptizing people in the region of the Jordan river pointed to someone he had baptized, probably the previous day, and said: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” That was an amazing testimony which would have touched the hearts of devout Jews deeply.

Some would've thought of the patriarch Abraham's words when God tested him by asking him to sacrifice his beloved son, Isaac. As they approached the place for the offering Isaac said: “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” And Abraham replied, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” (Genesis 22:7-8) They would also have remembered the event called 'The Passover', when the Jews had applied the blood of a sacrificed lamb on the doorposts and lintels of their homes. God said “The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 12:13) Lambs became a central part of the sacrifices that were made for forgiveness of sin in the laws God gave to Moses. But this Lamb would be the One to take away the sins of the world! How did John know that Jesus was the one who deserved such a profound title? (vs 32-34)

God told John He would identify His beloved Son in the way John describes in those verses. All four gospels tell of this incident so it must’ve been significant to Jesus' disciples. As this followed Jesus' baptism, and a revelation was given that He would baptize people with the Holy Spirit, it brought to my mind a promise God made through Ezekiel. God said to Israel “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.” (Ezekiel 36:25-28) That surely has it’s spiritual fulfilment through Jesus Christ.

This wasn’t the last time the apostle John would speak of the Lamb of God. Many years later, when exiled on the island of Patmos, he was granted remarkable visions of the Lamb. He writes: “Between the throne and the four living creatures . . . I saw a Lamb, standing, as though it had been slain . . and He went and took the scroll from the right hand of Him who was seated on the throne . . . then I looked, and I heard around the throne . . . the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, 'Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honour and glory and blessing!' And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth, and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, 'To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honour and glory and might for ever and ever!'” (Revelation 5:6-13)

It wasn't just John the baptiser who calls us to 'Behold the Lamb'. God the Father and the Holy Spirit would draw our attention and our affections to the Lamb as well. He is the one who takes away the sins of people all over the world! Behold the Lamb of God.