“Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

— John 1:29

Several texts in the Bible speak of a lamb that was sufficient to be a substitute.

In Genesis 22, God tests the faith of Abraham by calling him to give up his only son, Isaac. And when Isaac said, “The fire and wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And God provided a young ram as a substitute for Isaac.

In Exodus 12, the Passover lamb, with its blood painted on the doorframes of Israelite houses, was a sufficient substitute for sparing Israel from the plague of death on the firstborn sons in Egypt.

In Isaiah 52-53, the willing sacrifice of God’s faithful, suffering servant, “led like a lamb to the slaughter,” would be sufficient to pay for the sins of God’s people from “many nations.” He would bear “the iniquity of us all.”

All of these texts point forward to Jesus, and in John 1:29 we read that Jesus, the Lamb of God, is sufficient to take away the sin of the world.

The Lamb of God is sufficiently powerful to save the whole world. Jesus, God’s one and only Son, died to purchase with his blood “persons from every tribe and language and people and nation” (Revelation 5:9).

Loving Father, the blood of Jesus is sufficient to set me free from sin and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. I praise and glorify you for your great love for me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.