John the Baptist is often portrayed in pictures with an outstretched arm, pointing to Jesus. When Jesus approached him, he knew who Jesus was. He
announced his arrival by describing what Jesus had come to do. John pointed the people toward Jesus and moved their focus from himself to this man, the Lamb of God, the Son of God.
In this
passage, John gives us a clear and specific identification and description of who Jesus is: the “Lamb of God” and “the Son of God”. What, then, is the significance of the title John gives Jesus? Why the “Lamb of God”? A lamb is biblically symbolic of being gentle, innocent and vulnerable, without blemish. A lamb is used throughout the Old and New Testaments to demonstrate a sacrifice for sin and a peace offering.
People associate a lamb with Jesus for various reasons. Some say it is because he was born in Bethlehem, a region where lambs were raised and then brought to Jerusalem as sacrifices in the temples. Others say the shepherds were the first to visit Jesus as a baby. A
slaughtered lamb was pivotal in the Passover and the Israelites' escape from Egypt.
Perhaps John knew or had a premonition that Jesus would be led to the slaughter to become the ultimate
sacrifice and peace offering. John declares Jesus to be innocent, vulnerable and without blemish; the perfect lamb, the perfect sacrifice; “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”
I invite you today to examine the way you describe or identify God for yourself and with others, especially within today’s context.
