John 1:29-34
Seeing Jesus coming towards him, John said, ‘Look,
there is the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. This is the one
I spoke of when I said: A man is coming after me who ranks before me because he
existed before me. I did not know him myself, and yet it was to reveal him to
Israel that I came baptising with water.’ John also declared, ‘I saw the Spirit
coming down on him from heaven like a dove and resting on him. I did not know
him myself, but he who sent me to baptise with water had said to me, “The man
on whom you see the Spirit come down and rest is the one who is going to
baptise with the Holy Spirit.” Yes, I have seen and I am the witness that he is
the Chosen One of God.’
Food for thought!
Jesus, as John himself had rightly observed, is the
lamb of God that takes away our sins.
Jesus, and only Jesus, can free us from our guilt
and from our guilty conscience. This is really good news for us who believe in
Jesus. We know that Jesus' profession is getting rid of sin; his business is
deleting our sins. That's why He is the lamb of God that takes away our sins.
This "Jesus - Sin" connection may be
disturbing to some people. But if you remember these words below you would
understand easily why Jesus' business is our sins:
1 John 1:8
If we claim that we’re free of sin, we’re only
fooling ourselves. A claim like that is errant nonsense. On the other hand, if
we admit our sins—make a clean breast of them—he won’t let us down; he’ll be
true to himself. He’ll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing. If we
claim that we’ve never sinned, we out-and-out contradict God—make a liar out of
him. A claim like that only shows off our ignorance of God.
In other words, because all of us are sinners,
Jesus has all of us to deal with. Nobody, in their right senses, can say that
they don't need Jesus.
If we don't deal with our guilt, our guilt will
deal with us. It is a powerful thing that easts us from inside out. It will eat
you alive. You can’t run from it. You can’t hide from it. You can’t escape its
words. It shows up when you are alone. Guilt comes calling in the dead of
night. It gnaws at the soul and eats away at the mind.
The only solution for guilt over past sins is to
bring those sins to Jesus. When they are brought to Him, Jesus forgives the sin
and removes the guilt. He can set us free from the monster of guilt! Jesus is
the lamb of God that takes away our sins, John the Baptist told us.
Another good thing to know is NO ONE WHO LIVES
DEEPLY IN CHRIST SINS. It means that without Jesus, there's nothing that is
holy, that is good. It inversely means that all that is done in Jesus and with
Jesus is holy and good. Jesus does not only take away sins committed, he also
takes us away from committing sin. He is our Saviour!
Do you remember the words of that old hymn:
Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing pow’r?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Refrain:
Are you washed in the blood,
In the soul-cleansing blood of the Lamb?
Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Are you walking daily by the Saviour’s side?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Do you rest each moment in the Crucified?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
When the Bridegroom cometh will your robes be
white?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Will your soul be ready for the mansions bright,
And be washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Lay aside the garments that are stained with sin,
And be washed in the blood of the Lamb;
There’s a fountain flowing for the soul unclean,
Oh, be washed in the blood of the Lamb!
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