Heavenly Father, we pause, and before we rush into prayer, gaze upon the living God, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. We worship you, Lord. Thank you for such a great love for us. Wonderful place. We ask you now that by the spirit that dwells within us, you would reveal to us the Word of God as it is proclaimed today. We ask it in Jesus' name and for his sake. Amen. And please turn to the Gospel of John. Gospel of John, first chapter. And I will be reading various verses in the first chapter in regard to the Lamb of God, in regard to John the Baptist, proclaiming him. And I'll call out those verses as I read. So if you would put your gaze on John, chapter one, beginning with six through eight. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to bear witness about the light that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. And then as we look at verse 15, John bore witness about him and cried out, this is he of whom I said, he who comes after me ranks before me because he was before me. And then verse 19 through 37. And this is the testimony of John. When the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, who are you? He confessed and did not deny, but confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, what then? Are you Elijah? He said, I am not. Are you the prophet? And he answered, no. For they said to him, who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself? He said, I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord, as the prophet Isaiah said. Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him then, Why are you baptizing if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet? John answered them, I baptize you with water, but among you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me, the scrap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie. These things took place in Bethany, across the Jordan, where John was baptized. The next day, he saw Jesus coming toward him and said, Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, after me comes a man who ranks before me because he was before me. I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water that he might be revealed to Israel. and John bore witness. I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and I remained on Him. I myself did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God. The next day, again, John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by, and he said, behold, the Lamb of God. The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. The 400 years had passed since Israel had a prophet, The last prophet before John the Baptist appeared was Zemelechai, who said, behold, I will send you Elijah, the prophet, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. That's Zemelechai 4-5. Jesus identified John the Baptist as the fulfillment of this prophecy when he said, for all the prophets and law prophesied until John, and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. That's Matthew 11, 13, and 14. God had not spoken to Israel through a prophet for 400 years. When they had fallen into waywardness, their Messiah was about to appear and they were not ready. They needed to turn away from sin and start living righteously to avoid the wrath of the Holy One. And so John the Baptist came as a forerunner to Christ to preach repentance, to preach repentance. And we see this as we look in our Bibles to Matthew chapter three. Matthew chapter 3, verse 1 to 12, and the scripture says, in those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea. Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, a voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Now John wore a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the River Jordan. of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism. He said to them, you brood of vipers, who warns you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. I do not presume to say to yourselves, we have Abraham as our father. For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axes lay to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire. John preached, retent, for the kingdom of God is at hand. Forgiveness of sins is absolutely necessary to be right with God. Do we know that this morning? Forgiveness of sins is absolutely necessary to be right with God. And John was preaching, get ready, get right with God. The Holy One of God will soon be in your midst and God's judgment will certainly fall on those who do not bear fruit in keeping with repentance. one who is coming will clear his threshing floor and burn the chaff with unquenchable fire. The wrath of God is coming to all those who are not forgiven for their sins. The wrath of God is coming for all those who do not know the forgiveness of their sins. And the only way to obtain forgiveness is to flee to the one who takes away the sin of the world. And John is pointing to that one. He's saying, here he is. Behold the Lamb of God. Behold the Lamb of God fleeting in. This is your only hope of salvation. John is pointing to that one. And he begins to proclaim Jesus as the Lamb of God. You see, as the text and some of the things that I read already in John 1 29. The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and said, behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. John 1, 35 through 37, the next day again, John was standing with two of his disciples and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, behold, the Lamb of God. The two disciples heard him say this and they followed Jesus. What a scene that was. I wish I was there to see that one. I mean, they've been listening to John. Right? And you know, and the Messiah is coming. You know, I know who he is. I'm going to point him out. Behold, the Lamb of God. And they didn't waste any time. They said, oh, okay. And they followed Jesus. That's a good thing. You know? And so the preacher lost his people and they went to follow Jesus. Is that right? And that's just the way he would have it, you know. We point to Christ and not to ourselves. We point to Jesus, follow Jesus. Behold, behold the Lamb of God. It's all about him. It's all about him. Now, what is the significance of John pointing out Jesus as the Lamb of God? What is it about that? the significance of John pointing out Jesus as the Lamb of God? Well, mankind had fallen in every one after Adam's sins by nature and by choice. The whole world stands guilty before a holy God. How could it be that a lamb would take away The sin of the world. Well, let's trace it out in scripture. Let's trace it out in scripture. We see that after Adam and Eve sinned, they hid themselves because of their shame. We see that in Genesis 3, 8. In Genesis 3, 9 and 10, the scripture says, but the Lord God called to the man and said to him, where are you? And he said, I heard the sound of you in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked and I hid myself. God makes his pronouncements of judgment on mankind and creation because of the sin of man. The world falls under the curse of God. Decay and death enter in, and man is separated from God. But even then, in the very beginning, God made provision to cover the sin of man. Genesis 3.21 says, And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them. God used the skins of a dead animal to cover the shame of Adam and Eve. And then we see in Genesis 4 that Abel was a keeper of She. Abel brought the firstborn of his flock to the Lord as an offering, which God regarded and accepted. This was a type of the Lamb of God. And in Genesis 22, Abraham was bringing his son to make a burnt offering. Isaac asked, Where is the lamb for a burnt offering? Abraham says, God will provide for himself the lamb. We see God doing just that, providing a lamb for Abraham to sacrifice instead of his son, Isaac. He provided the lamb, he provided the sacrifice. And then if we trace this further, we look at scripture. Where does this land of God come from? Why is John proclaiming the land of God? Well, it goes all the way throughout the scripture. We go to Exodus chapter 12 and verse one through 13, Exodus 12, verse one through 13. The scripture says, the Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, this month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you. Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month, every man shall take a lamb according to their father's houses, a lamb for a household. And if the household is too small for a lamb, that he and his nearest neighbor shall take according to the number of persons, according to that each can eat, you shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male, a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, and you shall keep it until the 14th day of this month, when the whole assembly of a congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight. Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat. They shall eat The flesh that night roasted on the fire with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roast its head with its legs and its inner parts. And you shall let none of it remain until the morning. Anything that remains until the morning shall be burned. In this manner you shall eat it, with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand, and you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord's Passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast, and on all the gods of Egypt, I will execute judgments. I am the Lord. The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. What we see in the scripture, this is the establishment the establishment of the Passover feast, which commemorates the deliverance of Israel's bondage to Egypt. And as I was reading there, you put us in verse five, that the lamb must be without blemish. The blood was to be put on the doorpost. You see that in verse seven. And when I see the blood, says the Lord, when I see the blood, I will pass over you. You see that in verse 13. It was the blood of the Passover lamb that kept death from entering into the house. It was the blood of the lamb. So we were talking about sacrificing, and we learned that there is a sacrifice, the lamb of God, and we're tracing it through Scripture. But then we come to Isaiah chapter 53, verses 1 through 7, Isaiah 53, 1 through 7. Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been renewed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and as one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities. Upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. all we like sheep have gone astray we have turned everyone to his own way and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all he was oppressed and he was afflicted yet he opened not his mouth like a lamb like a lamb that is led to the slaughter and like a sheep that before its shearers in silence, he opened not his mouth. As Scripture unfolds, and we search out, where does this come from, the Lamb of God? As Scripture unfolds, we learn for the first time in the Bible that the Lamb will be a man. How about that? And it's just unfolding, and we're seeing how it's all developing. And the sacrificial system and the shadows and the types and the copies are all pointing to a person, Jesus Christ, the first time we see in the scripture in Isaiah 53. that the Lamb will be a man. The sacrificial system of the Old Covenant required the shedding of blood for the forgiveness of sins. Hebrews 9.22 says, Indeed, under the law, almost everything is purified with blood. Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins. The blood of goats and calves would put a shadow that could never finally secure eternal redemption for those who knew of forgiveness. Then we look at the book of Hebrews, chapter 9, verse 23-24. And the Bible says, thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites. but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf." The old system was a copy pointing to Christ, is pointing to Christ. And then we continue and go back in Hebrews chapter 9 verse 11 through 14. The scripture says, but when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent, not made with things, that is, not of this creation, he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves, but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more would the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Christ secured eternal life for us with his blood. Do not say it to us, brothers and sisters. Our Lord secured everlasting life for us with his blood. And never be disputed. It's done. It is finished. We are purchased by the blood of the Lamb. Do you belong to yourself? No. Do you want to belong to yourself? No more. We've already been down there. We want to belong. We've tasted. We've seen. We know that he's good. Praise his name. We belong to him. We've been purchased by his blood. He owns us. Thank you, Lord. I don't want to be owned by myself. I don't want to be owned by anything else. The Lord is good. And He made sure and He made certain that you would have everlasting life because He went and He paid the price and the cost. The Lamb of God shed His blood for us. What a glorious God we serve, amen? Glorious. Verse 14 in this text says, how much more with the blood of Christ. who through the eternal spirit offer himself without blemish to God, purifying our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. The blood of Jesus, the lamb of God, is better and superior than the sacrifices under the old covenant. Jesus said, this cup is the new covenant in my blood. And you see the table before us, we're gonna be celebrating the Lord's table. How wonderful that is to remember what he has done for us. Matthew 26, 27 and 28 says that he took a cup and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them saying, drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for men with the forgiveness of sins. 1 John 1.7 says, the blood of Jesus, God's son, cleanses us from all sin. Ephesians 1.7 says, in him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins in accordance with the riches of his grace. What a wonderful man he was. There may be some here this morning who don't know this grace, that is, who don't know that their sins have been forgiven by believing in Jesus Christ. The only way to get right with God is to repent of your sins and trust that Jesus died on the cross for your sins. Now Acts 4.12 says, and there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which he must be saved. 1 Timothy 2.5 says, for there is one God. And there is one medium between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. Jesus said, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me, John 14 6. And when I ask you this one, are you wrestling burden and the weight of your sin and your sins hanging over your head as you think about standing before God someday. Jesus invites you to find rest. Find rest for your soul. Watson for all that. It can be done and always make it right with God. I plead with you today, if you don't know Christ, come to Him. Behold, the Lamb of God is your only hope. Christ is your only hope. Come to me, Jesus says, come, come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. It's Matthew 11, 28, 29. So come to Christ. Come to Christ, believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved. It's Acts 16, 31. John 3, 36 says, whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life. But the wrath of God remains on you. Behold the Lamb of God. Fix your eyes on Jesus. Take a good look. Don't turn your eyes away from him. Don't turn your eyes away from him. He is your only hope to be delivered from the wrath of God. Believe in him. Believe that it was your sin that he bore on the cross as your substitute so that you might be forgiven and have everlasting life, have eternal life. Those of us who know the Lord have tasted and seen that the Lord is good. Is that right? And, you know, we will never regret following the Lamb of God. You ever heard of Him? The longer we serve Him, the more He reveals to us the magnificence of His name, or the name of Jesus. I just say, Jesus, I just love that name. How about you? You know, the magnificence of His name in R.C. Sproul has expressed this a little bit. I refer to his book here and there, R.C. Sproul. I thought this would be a blessing for us to hear about Jesus' name this morning. And R.C. says, this is very interesting. As I read this, I believe the most idle person in all of human history is Jesus of Nazareth. I remember attending an academic convocation at a theological seminary where the guest speaker was a distinguished New Testament scholar. These convocations are usually the occasion for the presentation of any academic papers, but on this occasion, the New Testament scholar He went to the lectern and began a 30-minute talk in which, without comment, he recited the titles of Christ that are found in the New Testament. He mentioned such titles as the Christ, the Son of God, the Son of Man, Lua, the Consolation of Israel, the Lion of Judah, the Alpha and Omega, and many, many more. Then he sat down and there were enough scriptural titles that God the Father had been pleased to inscribe to his son to fill a half hour lecture period. So professor, what do you got for us today? How about a weighty convocation of deep theological truths? Well, and you know, he just read for a half an hour. the sweet name of Jesus and what it means and all that the scripture says. You know, in the first chapter alone of John's gospel, he is the word, the creator, the life, the light, the son of God, Messiah, the Christ, the king of Israel, the son of man and the lamb of God. And just within the book of John, he is the bread of life. the light of the world, the door, the good shepherd, the resurrection and the life, the way and the truth and the life, the true mind. Jesus said before Abraham was born, I am. That's John 8, 58. He was claiming to be God. The God who said to Moses, I am who I am. Tell the people of Israel, I am sent you. That's Exodus 2, 14. Jesus is the great I am. God, a very God. Isaiah 9.6 says, For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his children, and his name shall be called Wonderful. counseled, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. He shall be called mighty, mighty God. He is the mighty God, and yet He is the Lamb slain for those written in the Book of Life of the Lamb before the foundation of the world. The mighty God is a Lamb. Who is this? Who is this? We read in Genesis 49, eight through 10, that a lion that rules shall come forth from the tribe of Judah. We see in the scripture that the Messiah will come from the descendants of David. His progeny is from the tribe of Judah and from the line of David. He is the lion of Judah. A lion is powerful, majestic, and kingly in nature, often regarded as the king of the beast. We see the line, we go to Revelation chapter five. The scripture says, from a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty agent proclaim it with a loud voice, who is worthy to open the scroll and to break its seals? And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it. And I began to read loudly because no one was found worthy or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me, meet no more. Meet no more. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah. The Root of David has conquered so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals. The scroll symbolizes God's will for humanity and God's righteous judgment. Who is worthy and has conquered so that he can open the scroll? We see the Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, step forward to open the scroll. Who is this lion, strong and mighty, who has conquered and is worthy to open the scroll? Who is he? Continuing reading Revelation 5, verse 6 and 7. And between the throne and the four living creatures, and among the elders, I saw a lamb standing. as though it had been slain with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. Who is this lion? The Lamb of God is this lion. And how has he conquered? Now he is described as a lamb standing as though it had been slain. Now that's interesting. A slain animal is standing. A slain lamb is standing. Revelation 1.18 says that he is the living one who died and is alive forevermore. That's why. The land that was slain before the foundation of the river, the land of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Then we continue reading in Revelation chapter five, verse eight through 10. Verse eight through 10. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp and golden bows full of incense. I mean, worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and crucible to our God, and they shall reign on the earth. You are worthy to take the spoils and oath of its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God, of every tribe and language and people and nation. The Lion of Judah, the Root of David, conquered sin and death and triumphed over evil, not by the mighty roar of a lion, But through the humble sacrifice of a lamb led to slaughter, you were slain. And by your blood, you ransomed people. As a lion, we see Jesus as a powerful, conquering king. As the lamb, we see Jesus as a merciful, gracious savior. Isn't that right? says, and we were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh. God made a lie together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses by canceling the record of death that stood against us with its leading domains. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open chain by triumphing over them in it. The Revelation 12 of 11 says, and they conquered him by the blood of the lamb and the word of their testament. And this is a great paradox, is it not? This is a great paradox. God the Son, the Lord Jesus, the mighty King of Kings, conquered Satan and is exalted by humbling himself, humbling himself, and going to the cross. We see that in Philippians chapter two, verse five through eight, the scripture says that Jesus Christ, the God of very God, God the Son, humbled himself, and although he was in the form of God, took the form of a servant, and was born in the likeness of men, to go to the cross. blood to defeat Satan and atone for our sins. Hallelujah. Praise God. You don't mind me saying that, do you? You know, hallelujah, praise God. The glory to his name. How could we not worship a God like this? How can we not? How can we, you know? Anyway, you've been staying in my shoes for a while. We continue, you know, we read in Philippians chapter two, verse nine through 11, therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow in heaven and on earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. And the Lamb is certainly worshipped in heaven. Are you worshipping the Lamb of God this morning, brothers and sisters? Well, I'll tell you what, the Lamb is certainly being worshipped in heaven, as we continue in Revelation chapter 5, verses 11 through 14. And then I looked, and I heard around the throne, and the living creatures, and the elders, the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads of thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, worthy is the lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing. And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea and all that is in them say to him who sits on the throne and to the lamb, the blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever. And the four living creatures said, amen, and the elders fell down and worshiped. And we fall down and worship. Worthy is the Lamb. Worthy is the Lamb. We see a picture of the Lamb being worshiped in heaven. As we continue to look at that revelation, I'm going into a revelation, there's some things in chapter seven. The verse 9 through 11, after this I looked and behold a great multitude that no one could number from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages standing before the throne and before the lamb clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands and crying out with a loud voice, salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the lamb. And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, Amen. Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to all God forever and ever. Amen. And the worship is coming from the tribulation saints. who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. We see that in verse 14 of the 7th chapter. Notice that those worshiping are standing before the throne and before the Lamb, in verse 9. Before the throne and before the Lamb. And notice that those are doing that, verse 9. We see God sitting 15. God is sitting on this throne in verse 15. And the Lamb in the midst of the throne in verse 17. We shall worship before the throne of God and of the Lamb. We shall. Remember that this morning? what price Jesus is going to make sure that it is finished. We shall worship before the throne of God and of the Lamb. Just to close, Revelation 22, verse 1-3. Then the angel showed me the river of the water of love, white as crystal, flowing from the throne of God, the head of the Lamb, through the middle of the street of this city, also on either side of the river, the tree of life, with its 12 kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each day. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything that occurs, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His servants will worship Him." Heavenly Father, we thank you that such suffering, beloved Lamb of God, come to this earth to rescue us, save us, to grant us repentance of the Lord. We will forever be grateful in your presence. Oh, and we will sing, and we will worship. And should I say it this morning, we will continue to worship. that we worship you now and bow before you. You are the King of Kings. You are the Lion of Judah. And yet, you are the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Bless you, Holy Name. In Jesus' name, amen.