Behold the Lamb — Harry Ironside

John the Baptist Proclaims the Lamb of God

In the first chapter of John's gospel, in the twenty-ninth verse, you'll find these words. The next day, John seeeth Jesus coming unto him and saith, Behold, the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.

It's often seen to me that there's been a great deal of misunderstanding as to the ministry of John the Baptist, the great forerunner of our Lord Jesus Christ. You'll remember how appreciatively Jesus spoke of him.

He said, Of all those born of women, there's never been a greater than John the Baptist. What was there about this man that was so great? Well, of course, the outstanding thing was this, that he proclaimed the coming of Messiah, lived to see him for himself, baptized him, saw him start out on his wonderful mission, and died for the native name's sake.

John’s Baptism as a Call to Repentance

Some people have an idea, you know, that the great business of John the Baptist was baptizing people, and that somewhere or another, by his baptism, their souls were saved. We read in the scripture, Then cometh John in the wilderness of Judea preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, and people get an idea that John was preaching baptism for the remission of sins.

That wasn't what he was preaching at all. He was preaching proclaiming a baptism of repentance with a view to the remission of sins. That is, John's baptism was expression of repentance. John was telling people that all were sinners and all deserved to die.

He said the ashes lay to the root of the tree. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. And so, he called upon the people to come down to the waters of Jordan, and there be baptized, confessing their sins.

Repentance Versus Ritual Baptism

Now, that's repentance. They came confessing their sins. They came justifying God, acknowledging that what he said about them was true, and their baptism was simply the outward expression of their penitence.

But now, that was a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. The sins weren't remitted through the baptism, but in what way were the sins remitted? Why, he tells us here in this 29th verse of John 1, Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.

Baptism doesn't take away sin, but the Lamb of God does. And how does the Lamb of God take away sin? Why, he came into the world the only begotten son of the Father, and himself absolutely sinless, went to Calvary's cross, and there upon the cross he bore our sins.

Christ’s Substitutionary Sacrifice for Sin

The word of God says he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our sins was upon him, and with his Christ we are healed. And now, because our sins were laid upon him, because he takes the penalty due to those sins, he takes away the sin of the world.

That is, if we turn to him, if we trust him, if we believe in him, we have the right to say, Thank God my sins are gone. Gone in what way? Because I was baptized? No, that wouldn't put away my sins. Because I joined some church?

No, that wouldn't put away my sins. Because I turned over a new leaf? No, that wouldn't put away my sins. Because I tried to be charitable and kind to the poor and the needy? No, very good thing to do all that, but that wouldn't put away my sins.

What then? Because I put my trust in the Savior, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. The Savior knew all that I was guilty of. That is, of course, he died long before I came into the world, but he knew all I'd ever be guilty of, and he took all my sins and bore them there in his own body in a tree, endured the judgment that those sins deserved, so that now God can be just, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus.

John the Baptist’s Gospel of the Lamb

And this is the gospel that John the Baptist preached. Some people think that John didn't know the gospel, but here it is. He couldn't get a clearer gospel than this. Behold, the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world.

That's the very tip and narrow of the gospel. The Lord Jesus Christ is God's Lamb, God's sacrificial Lamb who gave himself for us. You remember when Abraham and Isaac were going up Mount Moriah, and Isaac turned to his father and said, Father, here's the wood and here's the fire, but where's the Lamb for a burnt offering?

God Provides the Sacrificial Lamb

And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a Lamb for a burnt offering. Well, John the Baptist says, this is the Lamb. This is the one that God has provided. This is the Savior for sinners. This is the one who can offer himself without pardon to God an hour and a half, and this is the one who because upon us to receive.

Receiving Christ as the Children of God

As we read in the same first chapter of John's gospel, in verse 11, he came unto his own and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave him power to become the children of God, even as Adam and Eve on this day.