Jesus, the Lamb of God

John 1:29 The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” What a wonderful truth we have here from which to take great comfort. If we look at it from our own perspective, we have our own personal sin-bearer. He removes our sins from us so we can be made right with God. He’s the Lamb of God, pointing to His sacrificial ministry on our behalf. Behold Him! Look at Him! Be amazed at Him! Thank Him. If we look at it collectively, the statement is even more stunning. He has taken away all of the sins of everyone in His body with whom He’s related. Therefore, we have a basis for total forgiveness for those who sin against us. Indeed, we can pray, “Forgive us our sins, debts, and trespasses as we forgive those who sin, trespass, and are indebted to us.” We may share the blessing of the Lamb of God with others. If we look at this statement for insight into Jesus and His character, we can be encouraged that His sin-bearing wasn’t thrust upon Him; He actively took up our sins. He went after it with the full intention of removing it and setting us free from sin’s penalty. His life wasn’t taken from Him, He gave it up willingly. The apostle John rightly defined God’s love in this statement and echoed it in his first epistle. 3:26. “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” And, 4:10. “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” So what should our response be to this verse and the ones in 1 John? John tells us. “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 Jo. 4:11). Living to love with Jesus means we willingly take up the sins of others who sin against us and lay down our lives that they might live before us. We don’t call them toxic and cast them into the outer darkness of our lives. Whoever does that does not know God. No, for the glory of God through Jesus Christ, we intentionally, willingly, knowingly, repeatedly take up their sins and recognize Jesus has already taken away their sins to bring that person to God, just like He has with us. I invite you to become a partner in our ministry. Would you pray about becoming a regular supporter of Elijah Ministries and the Live to Love with Jesus ministry? I hope you will receive the joy and benefit of “giving it forward,” so others may receive encouragement to turn their hearts to God and to live to love with Jesus. You may give online or send a check to the address listed at www.spiritofelijah.com/donate.