Why Does John Call Jesus A "Lamb"?

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John 1:29-34

29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”

 
 

Each Israelite family sacrificed a lamb during the Passover holiday, as a way of formally remembering the way the Lord rescued the Hebrews from Egypt. During the Exodus, the Lord commanded each family to take the blood from the sacrifice and mark the doorway into their houses so the terrible tenth plague—the death of the firstborn—would “pass over” each house that was marked with the blood of the lamb.

By calling Jesus “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” John the Baptist is saying that Jesus is the true sacrifice who will once and for all take away sin.

We’ll have to wait nineteen chapters in John’s Gospel to see this idea finally pay off in the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross.

QUESTION FOR THE DAY

How was the death of Jesus on the cross like that of a Passover lamb?

P.S. Note the language of “witness” in today’s passage. John the author wants us to understand that John the Baptist was a trustworthy witness to Jesus.

 

Lion or Lamb? YES

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REVELATION 5:6-10

6 And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. 8 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation,
10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.”

 
 

This is a great place to point out an important part of John’s vision, namely the contrast between what he hears and what he sees.

In 5:5 he has heard
“Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”

But in 5:6 what he sees is
“a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain.”

The one who is worthy to open the scroll, the one by whom the Kingdom will come on earth as it is in heaven, is a Lion who looks like a Lamb, and a Lamb who is in actuality a Lion.

That’s a paradox worth pondering today.

P.S. The only one worthy to open the scroll—the one by whom the Kingdom will come on earth as it is in heaven, is the Lamb. In simple language, the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus enables him to bring heaven to earth.

 

lamb or lion? Yes

in
 

REVELATION 5:6-10

And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. 8 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, 10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

 
 

This is a great place to point out an important part of John’s vision, namely the contrast between what he hears and what he sees.

In 5:5 he has heard
“Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”

But in 5:6 what he sees is
“a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain.”

The one who is worthy to open the scroll, the one by whom the Kingdom will come on earth as it is in heaven, is a Lion who looks like a Lamb, and a Lamb who is in actuality a Lion.

That’s a paradox worth pondering today.

P.S. The only one worthy to open the scroll—the one by whom the Kingdom will come on earth as it is in heaven, is the Lamb. In simple language, the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus enables him to bring heaven to earth.