John
1:29-34 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward 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 is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ I did not
know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing
with water.” And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from
heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who
sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit
descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’
And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.” NKJV
The Bible in some ways and to some people is a book
that cannot be understood and it tells of a violent, vindictive, and vicious
God that orders the killing of many people and orders the killing of many
animals. Many people find much of the Old Testament full of cruelty to animals
especially. In our American society today we have hundreds of State and Federal
Laws that prohibit the killing of many animals and if they are violated the
offender will meet with action swiftly from law enforcement. Today in America
there are turtles, spotted owls, and many other animals who are protected from
death at the hands of human beings, but a baby in a Mother’s womb can be
legally murdered and the person that goes to have her baby murdered by these “Doctors”
have to pay them to murder their unborn baby. This is what constitutes true
violence, vindictive, and vicious behavior.
God early on in man’s earthly existence warned him
that his rebellion/sin would result in his immediate death (Genesis 2:17) and so it did separate man
from God immediately spiritually and his physical death came later. However,
God being rich in mercy came down and killed an animal and made tunics of skin
for the man and woman to be clothed in to hide their nakedness (picture of
Christ death and bloodshed for all humanities sin). This was the beginning of a
long period of animal sacrifices that man in every generation would be required
to practice as a sacrifice for their sins. The reality is that God told the man
that his sin would result in his death, so when man sinned after being thrown
out of the Garden of Eden he needed to kill or sacrifice an animal as a
substitute or payment for his sin against a holy God. This is why it was truly
a non-stop cycle of animal sacrifices for the people’s sins and it had to be
done or else the judgment of death would fall back upon the man. Why man was
required to kill and sacrifice the blood of lambs, goats, bulls, and doves for
so many thousands of years before the Once and For All Sacrifice came is all
according to the perfect timing of an all knowing Sovereign Creator God that
sees the end from the beginning and works all things out according to His
perfect will.
Well, here in this first Chapter of the Apostle John’s
gospel we are introduced to John the Baptist who was the first Prophet God
spoke through for over 400 years. The Nation Israel had spent the last 400 plus
years with not a single word from God at all and suddenly this seemingly wild
wilderness man appears upon the scene calling for people everywhere to repent
and be baptized in water by him for the forgiveness of their sins. John the
Baptist was sent from God the Father to bear witness to His final Lamb that
would be sacrificed/killed for the world’s sin. John the Baptist told of how
holy, pure, and righteous this Lamb of God’s was and how he found himself so
unworthy to even bend over to fasten His sandal strap. This pictures how every
sinful man or woman should approach our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ.
This man John the Baptist was personally chosen by the Father and yet he never
saw himself as somebody or some important instrument of God that people should
treat him special or hold him up on some pedestal as many of these popular so
called preachers we see today living lavish and luxurious lifestyles as if they
were some great men God is glad to have in His camp. Our Lord did not toot His
own horn nor was He seeking the approval of men but as the Apostle Matthew
wrote quoting the Prophet Isaiah, Matthew
12:18-21 & Isaiah 42:1-4 “Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen,
My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased! I will put My
Spirit upon Him, And He will declare justice to the Gentiles.
He will not quarrel nor cry out, Nor will anyone hear His
voice in the streets. A bruised reed He will not break, And
smoking flax He will not quench, Till He sends forth justice to
victory; And in His name Gentiles will trust.” NKJV John the Baptist wanted
nothing to be known or said of himself but only that the people might see God’s
human sacrifice for their personal sin.
Now after John the Baptist had finished describing
our Lord Jesus as the True Light of this sin darkened world and rejecting the
questions that he was The Christ, he looks up and sees our Lord coming toward
him and shouts, John 1:29 “Behold!
The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” This word or phrase “who takes away” the Apostle John uses when
testifying of what John the Baptist said on this occasion that our Lord
approached him is translated from the Greek word airo, this is a primary verb that means to lift or take up or away;
to expiate (make amends for) sin; to carry, to loose, or to remove sin. The continuous
sacrificial killing of animals could never do (Hebrews 10:4) what this Greek word airo describes has been done by our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus
Christ through His shedding His Holy, Pure, Sinless, and Divine Blood at
Calvary.
God sent the angel of death into Rome to kill the
firstborn child of every human being and animal in that land as the final
judgment on wicked Pharaoh (a picture of the devil) who enslaved the Israelite
people (a picture of every person enslaved by sin) so that Pharaoh would be
defeated and the people of Israel freed from slavery. But before the angel of
death was released by God the Father, He informed Moses to have the Israelite
people to kill an innocent lamb and take its blood and smear it on the door
post of each of their homes and when the angel of death saw the blood he passed
over that home and all in it was saved or safe from death. However, wicked Pharaoh
and all the romans were oblivious to this blood of the lamb (pictures all
people not born again) and so the angel of death entered every dwelling place
without lamb’s blood over the doorpost and killed every single firstborn child
and animal. The political, economic, or military power were useless against the
angel of death for he was not moved by any of that only if he saw the lamb’s
blood he would Passover.
Likewise today it does not matter any person’s status
in society, there political clout, there financial portfolio, their social
status or popularity in the world, or any other such thing we human beings tend
to lift up as great accomplishments. Death is certain for all human beings and
the only thing that will matter is whether or not your soul is under the Blood
of the Lamb Jesus Christ through regeneration and new birth (1 Peter 1:19). If not your soul will incur
the wrath of God against sin and His punishment is eternal death in hell and
then the Lake of Fire forever. This is not hate speech but the words of warning
from the heart of God the Father who loves you and sent His Son Jesus Christ as
the Only Sacrifice for your sin, I repeat the Only Sacrifice for your sin. Please
listen because Oprah and all the other popular spokespersons who tell you there
are other paths to God and other roads that lead to the light will end up under
the eternal judgment of God no matter how plausible they sound and no matter
how likeable the person is speaking it to you. God has given humanity One and
Only One Sacrifice for their sin and it is my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He
is the True God and the only way to escape the wrath to come (John 1:33-34) (1 Thessalonians 1:10).
Hebrews
9:24-28 For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which
are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence
of God for us; not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest
enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another ---He then would
have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at
the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of
Himself. And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the
judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who
eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for
salvation. NKJV
“How divinely full of glory and pleasure shall that
hour be when all the millions
of mankind that have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb of God shall meet together and stand around Him, with every tongue and every heart full
of joy and praise! How astonishing will be the glory and the joy
of that day when all the saints
shall join together in one
common song of gratitude and love, and of everlasting thankfulness to this
Redeemer! With that unknown delight, and inexpressible satisfaction, shall all
that are saved from the ruins
of sin and hell address the Lamb that was slain, and rejoice
in His presence!” Isaac Watts 1674-1748
If
you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this
from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear
Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I
believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from
the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn
from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control
of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...
Sincerely in Christ,
Clifford D. Tate, Sr.
Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you
Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus
Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and
Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple
I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reader,
Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…
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