"Behold the Lamb of God!"

Scripture: John 1:29-34
John calls Jesus the Lamb of God and thus signifies Jesus' mission as the One who redeems us from our sins. The blood of the Passover Lamb (Exodus 12) delivered the Israelites in Egypt from slavery and death. The blood of Jesus, the true Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7) who sacrificed his life on the cross, washes away our sin and delivers us from everlasting death and destruction. It is significant that John was the son of a priest named Zachariah, who participated in the daily sacrifice of a lamb in the temple for the sins of the people (Exodus 29). In Jesus he saw the true and only sacrifice which can wash away our sins and free us from condemnation. John, a true prophet, saw firsthand what the ancient prophets fortold:When John says he did not know Jesus he was referring to the hidden reality of Jesus' divinity – the only begotten Son of the Father in heaven. The Holy Spirit in that hour revealed to John Jesus' true nature, such that John bore witness that this is the Son of God (John 1:34). We can only know who Jesus truly is through the Holy Spirit who reveals him to us.