55:10 "We Have Found the Messiah!

We have found the Messiah!

35The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"
37When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you want?"
They said, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?"

39"Come," he replied, "and you will see."
So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour.

40Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ). 42And he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which, when translated, is Peter.

Prior to this passage, on the previous day, John the Baptist had his first encounter with the Messiah, the one he had been preaching about and preparing people to receive as the Messaih! On this day, he saw the Messiah again and said "Behold the Lamb of God" Of course "Lamb of God" refers to the fact that Jesus would become a sacrifice for our sins! Under the old Testament law, lambs were sacrificed in order for us to be forgiven for our sins. Jesus would now become the once and for all sacrifice for our sins. We first see the concept of the sacrificial lamb when the Children of Israel were delivered from the oppression of Egypt: Here's a great description:

"God told Moses to ask Pharaoh to release the slaves, which Pharaoh was reluctant to do. So God sent seven plagues upon Egypt, each one more devastating than the previous. The last of the plagues was the death of the firstborn of all of the children and animals in Egypt. But God spared the Israelites from the plagues. In order for them to be spared the final plague, the children of Israel were commanded by God to take a one year old male lamb without any defect and sacrifice it. The blood of the lamb was to be spread over the doorframes of the house where they then ate the lamb. That night the Lord passed over Egypt and killed the firstborn of every household except those homes that had blood over their doorframes. An innocent lamb was sacrificed and its blood was shed to spare them from death" ( from http://www.allaboutjesuschrist.org/behold-the-lamb-of-god-faq.htm)

Fast forward to Revelation 5 and see the scene that John sees as the 24 elders worship Jesus as the The Lamb of God: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open it's seals because you were slain, and with your blood, you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation."

Let's pray:
Lord , I thank you that you sent Jesus, The Lamb of God to be slain as a sacrifice for our sins! Thank you Lord for dying for me that I might be saved from the wrath of God. Thank you that I do not have to face the penalty of my sins because you have already taken my punishment!
Help me Lord to let others know that I have found the Messiah so that they too can follow you!
In Jesus Name! Amen.

54:10 ":Behold the Lamb of God: Who Takes Away the Sin of the World" John 1:29-34

This powerful passage records a pivitol moment in history when John the Baptist first recognizes Jesus as the Messiah!

29The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel."
32Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' 34 I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God."

"Behold the Lamb of God: Who Takes Away the Sin of the World"

John the Baptist was a forerunner of Jesus! He was a prophet. His whole ministry and purpose in life was to preach to the Jewish people of his day, to tell them that they should " repent of their sins and turn to God to be forgiven." He did this to prepare the way for Jesus, the Messiah.

Imagine for a minute the pure joy and enthusiasm that must have come upon John the Baptist when he recognized Jesus as the Messiah! He exclaimed "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!

This was John, a serious and strict prophet after the Old Testament order, who spoke for God and who had the attention of the whole Jewish community and it's religions leaders. This John had baptized hundreds, maybe thousands of Jews as they responded to his fiery message! This John, who had told people to "repent of their sins and be baptized had just seen the object of all his preaching! He had just seen the Messiah! He cried out:

"Behold he Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!

Among all the prophets who had gone before him, John was in an enviable position. He had a front row seat to witness God's plan of salvation unfolding right before his eyes! He had seen the Messiah who was to take away the sins of the world!

As Christians today, we are so privileged to live in the age of Grace. We have the privilege of having our having our sins taken away by the lamb of God himself! HALLLELUAH!

Let's Pray: Lord, you are the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!
Thank you for taking away my sins as I confessed you as my Lord and Savior. Help me to lead others to you so that they too can repent and have their sins forgiven.
In the Name of Jesus, The Lamb of God, Amen!