What does it mean that Jesus is the Lamb of God?

Answer

When Jesus is referred to as the Lamb of God in John 1:29 and John 1:36, it signifies Him as the perfect and ultimate sacrifice for sin. To comprehend Christ’s identity and actions, we must start with the Old Testament, which includes prophecies about Christ coming as a “guilt offering” «Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. », (Isaiah 53:10). Indeed, the sacrificial system established by God in the Old Testament prepared the way for Jesus Christ’s arrival, who is the flawless sacrifice God would offer for the sins of His people (Romans 8:3;Hebrews 10).

The significance of lambs in the Jewish religious practices and sacrificial system was profound. When John the Baptist called Jesus the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” «The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. », (John 1:29), the Jewish audience might have immediately associated this with various important sacrifices. Given the proximity of the Passover feast, their initial thought could have been the sacrifice of the Passover lamb. The Passover feast was a significant Jewish holiday commemorating God’s deliverance of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. The slaughtering of the Passover lamb and the application of its blood to the doorposts of the houses (Exodus

12:11-13) portrays Christ’s atoning work on the cross beautifully. Those for whom He died are shielded by His blood, safeguarding us from the angel of (spiritual) death.

Another significant sacrifice involving lambs was the daily offering at the temple in Jerusalem. Each morning and evening, a lamb was sacrificed in the temple for the sins of the people (Exodus 29:38-42). These daily offerings, like all others, served to direct people towards the flawless sacrifice of Christ on the cross. Interestingly, Jesus’ crucifixion coincided with the time of the evening sacrifice at the temple. The Jews of that era would have been familiar with the Old Testament prophets Jeremiah and Isaiah, who prophesied the arrival of One who would be led “like a lamb to the slaughter” (Jeremiah 11:19;Isaiah 53:7), whose suffering and sacrifice would bring redemption to Israel. Undoubtedly, that individual was none other than Jesus Christ, known as “the Lamb of God.”

Although the notion of a sacrificial system may appear peculiar to us today, the idea of payment or restitution is one we can easily grasp. We understand that the consequence of sin is death «For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.», (Romans 6:23) and that our sins create a separation from God. The Bible also teaches that we are all sinners and none of us are righteous before God «for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; », (Romans 3:23). Due to our sins, we are alienated from God and stand guilty before Him. Therefore, our only hope lies in His provision of a way for us to be reconciled to Him, andThat is what He did by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross. Christ died to provide atonement for sin and to settle the penalty of the sins of all who believe in Him.

It is through His death on the cross as God’s perfect sacrifice for sin and His resurrection three days later that we can now attain eternal life if we have faith in Him. The reality that God Himself has presented the offering that reconciles our sin is a crucial part of the wonderful news of the gospel, as clearly stated in 1 Peter 1:18-21: “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.”