"Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."–John 1:29
The "record" (testimony) that John the Baptist gives concerning the Lord Jesus Christ is that He is the Son of God (verse 34); who is the Lamb of God (verse 29.) I would like for us to consider Him as the Lamb of God that "beareth (marginal reading) the sin of the world." John preached primarily to Jews and they should have been familiar from the Old Testament Scriptures of the truth concerning the "bearing of sins." The bearing or the taking up and the carrying away of sin by a substitute was pictured and promised in the law. We read in Hebrews 10:1:" For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things."
Look back with me in your bibles to the book of Leviticus. In the first several chapters of this book we have five offerings or sacrifices given. Each one is typical of a particular aspect of the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. It was not possible that one type could tell all about our Lord and His work of redemption.
I call our attention to the same act "the laying on of hands" in regard to two of these offerings, the burnt offering and the sin offering. This act was common to both, the act of laying hands upon the head of the animal to be offered. We see this in relation to the "burnt offering" in Leviticus 1:3-4, and in relation to the "sin offering" in Leviticus 4:3-4. In both offerings the man was to lay his hand upon the head of the animal, but the wonderful truth to be conveyed in each type is different.
When a man laid his hand upon the head of a burnt offering then it ceased to be a question as to what he was or what he deserved. The question now became what the offering was in the judgement of God. Was the offering without blemish? Then was the man who laid his hands upon it. Was the offering accepted? So was the man. " And it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him." They were perfectly identified in the sight of God by the laying on of the hands.
When a man laid his hand upon the head of a sin offering, then it became a question of what the man was, and what he deserved. The offering was treated according to the deserts of the man. They were identified and in the judgement of God they were one.
The sin of the man was dealt with in the sin offering and the person of the man was accepted in the burnt offering.
The Lord Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God that beareth away the sin of the world. One reason that we know that salvation is only in the Lord Jesus Christ is that no one else could bear sin away. That is the reason that we read "the sin of the world." That does not mean that He beareth away the sin of every person in the world. If it did then every person shall be saved. It means that in the entire world, from the beginning to the end, there is One Savior and One Way of salvation. "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12.)" There is One sin bearer, the Lamb of God.
Consider these five questions.1. How did He come to bear our sin? Let us look at Isaiah 53. In verses 11, 12 we read that: "he shall bear their iniquities," " he bare the sin of many," but it is in verse 6 that we read: " the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." The Lord laid them, caused to meet on him sins of those that He came to save. This is God's way of salvation, His purpose is to glorify Himself in saving His people "to the glory of His grace." 2 Cor. 5:21 " For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." It is in this verse that we see the truth of the types that we looked at in Leviticus. The sin offering, Our sin was charged on Him and he was treated, as our sins deserve. The burnt offering, His righteousness is charged to us and we are treated, as He deserves.
2. When did He bear our sin? 1 Peter 2:24. " Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree." It was when he was on the cross that sin was upon Him charged to Him. There never was any sin in him! 1 John 3:5 " And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin." If there had been sin in Him then He could not have been an acceptable sacrifice. It was when He was upon the cross that His soul was made an offering for sin.
3. How many of our sins did He bear? He bore them all; past, present and future. If there is one sin that He did not bear than there is no salvation for that person. "Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men (Matthew 12:31.)" It was John Owen that said that one of the following 3 statements must be true. (1) He bore all the sins of all the people. (2) He bore some of the sins of all the people. (3) He bore all the sins of some of the people. If the first statement is true (this is what you hear so many who call themselves preachers say) then everyone will be saved. Those that believe in universal atonement should be consistent and believe in universal salvation. We know that this is not true, for some will experience the wrath of God for their sins in hell. If the second statement is true then no one will be saved. It is the third statement that is the teaching of the Word of God. He bore all the sins of His people.
4. Why did He bear our sins? 1 Peter 3:18 " For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit." Notice that it was not to try to bring us to God but to actually bring us to God. "He shall save His people from their sins Matthew 1:21."
5. Where did He bear our sins? He bore them to the tomb. This was pictured by the scapegoat being turned loose in an uninhabited land. The high priest would confess upon the head of the live goat all the sins, iniquities, and transgressions of the nation of Israel and the goat would be led away never to seen again.
Have you laid your hand on Him? The hand of faith!*