Dear Christian friends:

Last Wednesday we heard about the lambs of the Passover, how the blood of a lamb painted on the door frame of each Jewish house saved the Jewish people from the angel of death. Those lambs of the Passover prophesied about the future Savior.

The Jewish people waited and waited for that Savior. Finally 1500 years later He comes and appears. He was born of Mary in Bethlehem. The angels announced His birth to the shepherds. The shepherds believed the angel and went and found the Savior and worshipped Him. But few others heard about it or believed it.

The wise men came and caused some in Jerusalem to worry and wonder, but again few really believed. It was not yet time. Thirty years pass while Jesus grows up and becomes a man in Nazareth far from Bethlehem and Jerusalem. Now is the time for the Savior's appearance.

God sent John the baptizer to prepare the people for Jesus' coming and appearance as we have read in our text. (verses 19-28) Then one day Jesus comes and asks John to Baptize Him. (John knew that Jesus was the Savior God promised. His mother and Jesus' mother were cousins. His mother had told him about the angel's words to Mary. Also God's Spirit was with John.)

Now John baptizes Jesus in the Jordan River and then the heaven's open and the Spirit comes down on Jesus in a dove and God the Father speaks from heaven. "This is My beloved Son! I am much pleased with Him." John knows now that Jesus is the Savior God promised and He points to Jesus and tells the people:

"Behold The Lamb of God,
Who Takes Away The Sin of
the World." (verse 29)

And so:

The Lamb has appeared! What should we do about that? We should do two things: Believe that He is God's Lamb and believe that He takes away the sin of the world.

John is telling the Jewish people and also us that Jesus is God's Son, the real Lamb. They trusted their animal-lambs of the Passover too much. They thought and believed that blood from their animal-lamb-sacrifices took away their sins, and feel to despise Jesus the true Lamb, the Lamb of God.

John is saying to them, "Your animal lambs that you kill and offer can't really take away sin. They are only toys and shadows. The real Lamb is God's Son and Mary's Son! Your animal lambs are not pure and holy. They also are under the curse! But Jesus is "The Lamb of God, pure and holy!"

"Behold Him" Look at Him! Study Him! Love Him! Kneel down and worship Him! Behold the Lamb of God! The Lamb from God and the Lamb from Mary! The Lamb from heaven! Your animal lambs are from earth. Lambs of men.

Most Jews today continue not to believe in Jesus the Lamb of God. They continue loving their animal lambs of the Passover more. And you? How about you? Do you love earthly things more than Jesus? I think often we do! Don't trust in earthly things or animal lambs; believe in Jesus, the Lamb of God!

The Lamb of God has appeared! Believe that He is God's Lamb. That's the first thing we must do, and the second thing we must do is believe that He takes away the sin of the world.

John the Baptizer says, "Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world."

Here is a beautiful, precious sermon and gives us the true comfort for our souls. I wish I could explain it better for you. My words and signs can't fully tell you how precious these words are. In heaven we will understand and sing these precious words with full excitement and thrill.

God's Son made Himself humble and accepted the terrible burden of sin. He accepted not only my sins and your sins but also the sins of the whole world, since Adam and Eve until today and until the future when the last baby will be born on earth; for these many sins.

He willingly suffers and dies that our sins can be taken away and that we can have eternal life and true happiness now on earth and forever in heaven.

Anyone who wishes to be saved must know and believe that all his sins have been put on the Lamb! The Bible says, "All we like sheep have gone astray, and the Lord has put on Him the sins from all of us." (Isaiah 53:6) We Christians must trust this verse and let no one steal our comfort. There is no other comfort in heaven or on earth to protect us against Satan's temptations, especially when we suffer and die.

The law of God shows us our sins and condemns us. That is a terrible burden for us, more than we can stand. If we keep and bear our own sin we are condemned and doomed. We are too feeble to make ourselves righteous. By our own suffering or works we cannot take away one sin and the shame and punishment of it. But many keep on trying, but never have any real peace or hope.

But here John the Baptist gives the true comfort and hope. He says, "This(Jesus) is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." The law puts our sins on us and condemns us but God takes them, and puts them on this Lamb!

God means to say to you, "I understand how your sin burdens you. You will break-down under that heavy quilt-burden. But I now free you and take away your burden. I love you and pity you and put your sin and guilt on this Lamb, He will bear them and suffer them away."

When your sins trouble you and make you afraid remember this precious sermon of John the Baptizer! Look to the Cross! There is the Lamb of God! There is your sin! There is the sin of the world! There is your salvation! There is the Salvation of the whole world!

Today and everyday, "Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world."

The Lamb of God appears again to you this Lenten Season: Believe that He is the Son of God, the Lamb of God! Believe that He takes away the sin of the world, and therefore also your sin.

Amen.