The true Lamb of sacrifice is revealed!
John 1:29 The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (EHV)
Do you grasp the importance of the lamb for sacrifice? We live in a world that does not require animal sacrifice. There are still some cultures that have animal sacrifices, but we rarely hear about it. Perhaps this is the reason why we do not quite appreciate these words spoken by John the Baptist. But the people to whom John was sent, sacrifice mattered. They had a system of sacrifice that they had to follow. The greatest of the sacrifice was the lamb for the Passover. The Jews had to celebrate this sacrifice yearly as a reminder that through the blood of the lamb, death passed over and they were liberated from their slavery in Egypt.
When John pointed to Jesus and said, “Look the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” they people would have understood the meaningful impact of these words. It meant that Jesus blood had to be shed like all the other lambs of sacrifice. Jesus was destined to die in a way that his blood would not just cover the Jews’ sin, but the sin of every human in the world.
Does Jesus’ sacrifice matter to you? If you are part of the world, then the only answer is YES! Jesus is revealed to be the sacrifice for your sin and the only way for you to escape death and slavery. Not slavery to Egypt, but slavery to sin which only leads to death. All the other sacrifices only pointed to the true sacrifice that mattered, the Lamb of God. This is the reason why we no longer need any animal sacrifices. Jesus is the one and only true sacrifice for sin. Through his sacrifice, death has passed over, and you are set free. Cherish his sacrifice, the only thing that matters in your life.
Dear Savior, thank you for sending John the Baptist to reveal you as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, our sin. We are grateful that you came as foretold and fulfilled the role of the Lamb of God. Continue to keep us looking to you as the only sacrifice that matters. In your name we pray. Amen.