Tabor Baptist Church

Introduction

• The story of Corrie Ten Boom
• Christianity is not about rules and regulations but about a person - Jesus Christ
• Let us not miss the point of the Bible
• Key text - John 1:29
• "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"
• Our response: we should follow Him
• Have you ever been somewhere really beautiful and you want to tell others about it
• So it is with John pointing to Jesus
• "Behold" Jesus

The Truth that God Speaks

• Behold!
• Look at this person
• The Lamb of God - one of many titles
• It has been revealed to John that this is the Lamb of God
• The Lamb of God

The Lamb that comes from God

• God is sending Jesus into the world
• Anything that comes from God must be Holy, clean and pure
• This title reminds us of the sinlessness of Jesus
• Heb 7:26
• Jesus mixed with sinners yet was without sin
• The Lamb of Sacrifice in the Old Testament had to be perfect
• Jesus was perfect
• Jesus was baptised because He is identifying with sinners
• It reminds us of the Old Testament

The Lamb that is provided by God

• Remember the story of Abraham and Isaac and his testing
• God provides the Lamb
• Jehovah Jireh - The Lord Will Provide
• "God did not spare His only Son but delivered Him up for us all" - Romans 8:32
• Hebrews - Jesus is just the sacrifice we need

The Work of the Lamb

• "Who takes away the sin of the world" - John 1:29
• John summarises the gospel in a few words
• Jesus does not come to take away our problems or give us what we want
• Jesus comes to take away sin
• The sin - singular, not plural
• All sin in one
• Sin is not about mistakes (that can be rubbed out)
• Sin is an offence to God
• Sin is about 'I' - me
• We are obsessed with ourselves
• Selfishness
• Sin is the missing of the mark
• "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" - Rom 3:23
• Jesus takes away sin by taking it upon Himself
• The Lamb and the scape goat
• Our sin was laid on Jesus
• Martin Luther - "Your sins are either on you or Christ. Take which one you prefer."
• Not everyone in the world will be saved
• Jesus came for all people - not just particular groups
• Jews and Gentiles
• He saved Saul on the road to Damascus
• Bartemus the blinder beggar
• Zacchieus the tax collector
• The woman at the well

The Effect it has upon John

It humbled John

• "Whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose" - John 1:27
• What effect does it have upon us?
• Does the gospel humble us?
• If we are proud and arrogant God resists us
• Disciples of Jewish masters would run errands but they would not loose their master's sandals
• John says he is not worthy to do even this task for Jesus Christ
• We are nobody telling everybody about somebody [Jesus]

A tremendous desire to tell others

• He keeps saying the words "Behold the Lamb of God"
• John 1:29
• John 1:35-36
• John's desire was that people would follow Christ
• Is our desire that others would come to Christ?
• Jesus is our Captain who saves us from our sins

Peace in his life

• How did John's respond towards the end of his life? - Matt 11:1-15
• The Jews expected a great deliverance
• John was in prison
• John sent messengers to Jesus
• Jesus performs miracles and encourages John with a word - "blessed is the man who does not stumble because of me" - Matt 11:6
• Thomas Charles - "I have a refuge"
• Do we have a refuge?
• Have we believed upon Christ?

"Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"