John 1:29 – “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
The Israelites were familiar with the concept of sacrifice. They also understood the significance of a blood sacrifice that would save them from death. It was the blood of the Passover lamb that saved their firstborns during the tenth plague in Egypt. And yet, they didn’t realize that Jesus had come to earth as the final Passover Lamb to redeem mankind from eternal death.
Soon after Jesus’ birth, we see Mary and Joseph going to the temple with two birds for the ritual sacrifice. But did they realize that the Lamb of God, the ultimate sacrifice, was cradled in their arms? Not many people realized who Jesus was. But John the Baptist knew, as evidenced by his words in the verse above.
While we do understand the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf, do we take His forgiveness for granted? He saved us from our sin, cleaned up our mess, and redeemed us from a life of eternal damnation. Let us live in light of the forgiveness, freedom and victory that Christ purchased for us on the cross with His own blood.
