The Lamb of God

I believe that John (the Baptist) was probably the greatest asset to Jesus’ earthly ministry. He was completely faithful to his commission right up to the last moment of his life. And what an extraordinary life it was.

1. He was a miracle baby; his parents were beyond their years to conceive when they received a special birth announcement.

2. He was chosen to be a Nazarite from birth; the decision was made for him (like Samson and Samuel before him) and he was totally faithful to that vow.

3. He did not enjoy the niceties of life; instead he lived simply off the land and expended all of his energy to fulfill God’s mission for his life.

4. His message of future hope drew thousands from their preoccupied lives and inspired them to make the hard choices needed to get back in line with God.

5. He stood steadfastly for God’s Word and ways preaching a difficult and, to some, an unwelcome message of truth.

6. He was eventually executed for taking a hardline stance against the immoral practices of the governing leaders of his day.

But the greatest benefit John brought to Jesus’ ministry was his training and mentoring those who would take Jesus’ message of salvation to the whole known world of their time. You see, John’s disciples became Jesus’ disciples; his audiences became Jesus’ followers.  He did such a good job preparing disciples and people that Jesus had an army of evangelists prepped and ready for action in just a few years’ time. What a remarkable feat of leadership. Jesus was obviously grateful and impressed with his work; He gave John the greatest compliment a human could receive (see Matthew 11:11).

You can easily see John’s tremendous dedication to his commission in the first chapter of the Apostle John’s Gospel (verses 29-37). As soon as the Baptist recognized Jesus as God’s Messiah (the definitive sign was the descending dove at Jesus’ baptism), he began pointing Him out to people. When it was proven to him that Jesus was the One who would bring God’s promised salvation to the world, he pointed Jesus out as the Lamb of God and started sending his followers over to Him. He knew that Jesus was the fulfillment of what all the sacrifices foreshadowed (Abraham’s God-provided lamb, the Passover lamb, the sin offering lambs, Isaiah’s suffering servant lamb, etc.). He was everything the tabernacle and temple symbolized. John, the son of a priest, recognized this about Jesus. So what else could he do but to send people to Jesus? 

But isn’t this our mission as well? Aren’t we commissioned by Jesus Himself to go into the world and make disciples for Him (Matthew 28:19-20)?  Our job then is the same as John’s. And we will be just as successful in our mission when we mature our faith to know Jesus as the fulfillment of all of God’s promises (2 Corinthians 1:19-20). Then our lives will reflect His life and teachings to those who are searching for their savior. And then it will be an automatic reaction for us to begin bringing family, friends, co-workers, neighbors to the only One who can provide what their souls need most: Jesus the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

Doug