"Behold! The Lamb of God"
Month 2: The King Steps Forward · Bible Story
Today's Scripture
Read together: John 1:29-34
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is He of whom 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.” 32 Then John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove and resting on Him. 33 I myself did not know Him, but the One who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is He who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”
Memory Verse
“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”— John 1:29 (BSB)memorize this week
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Numbers 27-30
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Around Day 45 of 365 — a new generation prepares to inherit the promise.)The Heart of It
John the Baptist had spent his whole life pointing ahead to Someone greater. Then one ordinary morning, he looked up, and there He was. It was Jesus, walking toward him. And John shouted the most important sentence he ever said. "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" For hundreds of years, families had carried lambs to the temple so a spotless animal could die in their place. Every one of those lambs was like a finger pointing forward. Each one whispered, "Someone is coming who will do this once, for everyone, forever." John saw Him and announced it. This is the Lamb. Not for one family or one nation. For the whole world.
Notice what John says the Lamb does. He "takes away the sin of the world." He doesn't cover it for a while. He doesn't ignore it. He takes it away. He lifts it off our shoulders and carries it Himself. And John tells us how he knew. He saw the Spirit come down on Jesus like a dove and rest on Him (verses 32-33). The Father had told John exactly what to watch for, and it happened just as promised. So John didn't make Jesus up. He recognized Him. Our King doesn't step forward with a sword first. He comes as a Lamb. He is gentle, willing, and ready to give Himself, so that you and I could be made clean.
Around the Table
A lamb is a soft, gentle little animal. The Bible calls Jesus "the Lamb of God" because He came to take our wrong things away and make our hearts clean.
Let's do it: Say "Baa!" like a lamb, then say together, "Jesus is the gentle Lamb who loves me!"
Long ago, families brought a perfect lamb to give to God because of their sins. Jesus is the perfect Lamb who did that for everyone, once and for all.
Let's talk: What do you think it felt like for John to finally see the One he'd been waiting for?
"Takes away the sin of the world" tells us the cross was always the plan. And it was big enough for the whole world, not a select few ().
Let's go deeper: If the Lamb takes sin away, why do we sometimes act like we still have to carry it ourselves?
💬 Conversation Starter
Have you ever waited a really long time for something — and then it finally showed up? How did that feel?— That's a tiny taste of John finally seeing Jesus.
🛡️ Defending the Faith
Someone might ask, "How could one person take away everyone's sin?" Here's why. Jesus isn't just a person. He is the sinless Son of God. A Lamb that precious has more than enough worth to pay for any number of sins. The lamb sacrifices in the Old Testament were like practice runs. Jesus is the real thing they were pointing to all along.
For Dad · Go Deeper
It's worth feeling the weight of how John introduces Jesus first. Before any miracle, sermon, or throne, the King is shown to us as a Lamb headed for sacrifice. The Gospel doesn't bury the cross at the end as an afterthought. It announces it right away, on the very first day John spends with Him. As a father, you can drift into presenting Jesus mainly as a teacher of good behavior. But your children's deepest need isn't better manners. It's their sin taken away. So lead with the Lamb. And notice the freedom in those words, "the sin of the world." Christ died for all. So you never have to wonder whether the offer is for your child. It is. Your job is to keep saying, "Behold," and to keep pointing them to look.
Draws on: D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John; John R. W. Stott, The Cross of Christ.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You for sending Jesus, the Lamb of God, to take away our sin. Help our family to behold Him today. Help us look at Jesus and trust that He carries what we never could. In Jesus' name, amen."
Jesus is the Lamb of God. He doesn't just cover my sin. He takes it away.