John 1:24-29 And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? 20 And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. 21 And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophetc? And he answered, No. 22 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? 23 He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias. 24 And they which were sent were of the Pharisees. 25 And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet? 26 John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; 27 He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose. 28 These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.
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. 30 This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. 31 And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. 32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. 33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. 34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. 35 Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; 36 And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!
I. Behold John the Baptist.
- The voice of one.
- Bro. Mark Johnston spoke of the loneliness of being one voice. John never heard the confirmation of how important his one voice was.
- Much of our Christianity is in a silo arena.
FindArticles > Dispute Resolution Journal > Aug-Oct 2006 > Article > Print friendly
A Leadership Fable Offers a Model for Addressing Departmental Conflicts
Fazzi, Cindy
A Leadership Fable Offers a Model for Addressing Departmental Conflicts Silos, Politics, and Turf Wars. By Patrick Lencioni. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, a Wiley imprint (www.josseybass.com), 2006. Hardcover. $22.95. 204 pages.
The “silo” referred to in this book has nothing to do with the cylindrical wooden structure we often see on farms that store livestock fodder. The structure discussed here is the type that pervades the corporate landscape. Silos in “corporate-speak” refer to departmental politics, which plagues most organizations. Most people who work outside the home have experienced silos in one office meeting or another.
“Silos-and the turf wars they enable-devastate organizations,” writes Patrick Lencioni, president of The Table Group, a management consulting firm. “They waste resources, kill productivity, and jeopardize the achievement of goals.” They also cause enormous amounts of pain and stress to all parties involved, Lencioni says.
Why do we feel emboldened when we are together and timid when we are alone?
Jacob’s experience: Genesis 32:24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breakinge of the day. 25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. 26 And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. 27 And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. 28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israelf: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. 29 And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there. 30 And Jacob called the name of the place Penielg: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. 31 And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh. 32 Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day: because he touched the hollow of Jacob’s thigh in the sinew that shrank.
- You will never know the power of God for yourself until you know God in the “alone place.” Few people backslide in church, in the safe surroundings of God’s people. Your true strength is tested when there is no one to encourage or instruct you.
- David encouraged himself in the Lord.
John ministered in the wilderness.
- Wilderness signifies the chaotic, directionless state when nothing makes sense. You can travel for miles in the wilderness and it will seem like you have made no progress at all.
- Walking with Jesus is a function of the relationship, not of the distance.
II. Behold the Lamb
Though the Bible was written over a period of 1,500 years in 66 installments by over 40 authors in three languages, it all meshes together perfectly, every part and parcel of it revolving around one theme and one person: Jesus Christ. Notice John’s dramatic way of identifying the Messiah. He doesn’t say, “Behold the King of kings or Lord of lords.” He says, “Behold “The Lamb”. Even Genesis—the first book of the Bible, gives lessons about Jesus Christ. It is there that begins the “crimson cord” of truth that stretches all the way to the final chapters of Revelation, telling us of the virtues of the Lamb of God who alone can take away the sin of the world.
A. The Lamb must be provided for all of mankind
1. The only sacrifice for sin
When God first placed Adam and Eve in the Garden they were innocent and pure that clothing was unnecessary. They were naked and not ashamed. When they sinned against God, they became self-conscious. Their thoughts filled with guilt and shame. When Adam shifted his desire from pleasing God onto pleasing himself, his eyes were open to the realm of sin and death that originated with the fall of Lucifer. When Adam disobeyed, the dominion that God gave him to rule over was seized and captured by Satan, making it a curse and the dominion of evil. When they heard God calling for them, shame flooded their hearts because of what they did so they hid themselves. They tried to cover up their shame by making for themselves garments of fig leaves. But by their own efforts, they could never cover up or wash away the guilt and shame they felt. The Lord did something before them that they never saw. God killed an innocent animal and made garments for them from the skin of that animal. This is the first gospel sermon. It was preached by God, not in words but in symbol and action. “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.” (Genesis 3:21, KJV)
From this verse we learn that God alone could pay for our salvation.
The Blood of the Lamb goes throughout the Bible.
We read in Exodus 12 that God used the blood of the lamb as sign for the Israelites, so that no destructive plague would harm them. You may read Exodus 12:1-13. Notice especially verse 7 & 13, “Some of the blood must be put on the two doorposts and above the door of each house where the animals are to be eaten.” “The blood on the houses will show me where you live, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. Then you won’t be bothered by the terrible disasters I will bring on Egypt“ (The Contemporary English version).
We also read in Hebrews 9:13-14, “For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling them that have been defiled, sanctify unto the cleanness of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish unto God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (ASV.)
And in saving the elect from God’s anger, Jesus Christ did it willingly and submissively.
The prophet Isaiah wrote: “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and Jehovah hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, yet when he was afflicted he opened not his mouth; as a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth” (Isaiah 53:4-7, ASV).
Behold, the Lamb of God!
Hebrews 12:2 states, “Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end. He did not give up because of the cross! On the contrary, because of the joy that was waiting for him, he thought nothing of the disgrace of dying on the cross, and he is now seated at the right side of God’s throne” (The Good News Translation).
Paul wrote:
“You Gentiles by birth—called ‘the uncircumcised’ by the Jews, who call themselves the circumcised (which refers to what men do to their bodies)—remember what you were in the past. At that time you were apart from Christ. You were foreigners and did not belong to God’s chosen people. You had no part in the covenants, which were based on God’s promises to his people, and you lived in this world without hope and without God. But now, in union with Christ Jesus you, who used to be far away, have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:11-13, TGN).
And in Ephesians 3:5-6, “No one knew about this mystery until God’s Spirit told it to his holy apostles and prophets. And the mystery is this: Because of Christ Jesus, the good news has given the Gentiles a share in the promises that God gave to the Jews. God has also let the Gentiles be part of the same body” (TCE).
And if we are one of the elect, or as 1 John 1:7 states: “but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from ALL sin” (ASV). The Good News Translation translates it: “But if we live in the light—just as he is in the light—then we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from EVERY SIN.”
The precious, sufficient and effective blood of the Lamb is enough to purify all the sin of every person on earth, but it is only applied to those who believe. We read in John 3:36, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever disobeys the Son will not have life, but will remain under God’s punishment” (TGN).
We read in Hebrews 9:13-15 (last part), “The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a burnt calf are sprinkled on the people who are ritually unclean, and this purifies them by taking away their ritual impurity. Since this is true, how much more is accomplished by the blood of Christ! Through the eternal Spirit he offered himself as a perfect sacrifice to God. His blood will purify our consciences from useless rituals, so that we may serve the living God. For this reason Christ is the one who arranges a new covenant, so that those who have been called by God may receive the eternal blessings that God has promised…” (TGN.)
Just as His first coming was met with opposition, so with His second coming. But this time, He would not just be a helpless baby. We read in Revelation 17:14, “They will fight against the Lamb; but the Lamb, together with his called, chosen, and faithful followers, will defeat them, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings” (TGN).
Behold, the Lamb of God – He is Lord of lords and King of kings!
Hebrews 12:2-4 states, “Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end. He did not give up because of the cross! On the contrary, because of the joy that was waiting for him, he thought nothing of the disgrace of dying on the cross, and he is now seated at the right side of God’s throne. Think of what he went through; how he put up with so much hatred from sinners! So do not let yourselves become discouraged and give up. For in your struggle against sin you have not yet had to resist to the point of being killed” (TGN).
Finally, we also read in Colossians 3:1-4: “You have been raised to life with Christ, so set your hearts on the things that are in heaven, where Christ sits on his throne at the right side of God. Keep your minds fixed on things there, not on things here on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Your real life is Christ and when he appears, then you too will appear with him and share his glory!” (TGN.)
Which taketh away the sin of the world (ὁ αἰρων την ἁμαρτιαν του κοσμου. The future work of the Lamb of God here described in present tense as in I John 1:7 about the blood of Christ. He is the Lamb of God for the world, not just for Jews.
NT:142 airw airo (ah’-ee-ro); a primary root; to lift up; by implication, to take up or away; figuratively, to raise (the voice), keep in suspense (the mind), specially, to sail away (i.e. weigh anchor); by Hebraism [compare OT:5375] to expiate sin:
KJV - away with, bear (up), carry, lift up, loose, make to doubt, put away, remove, take (away, up). (Biblesoft’s New Exhaustive Strong’s Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
So, the sense of the phrase “taketh away” is that Christ takes ownership of, control of, responsibility for our sins.
We do not fully appreciate the radical nature of the Lamb’s sacrifice for our sins. We have permitted it to become a mental reckoning rather than an actual act experienced.
I talked with a man in the hospital the other day who described the experience of going blind. He had a condition similar to macular degeneration where the center of the retina loses its ability to register images. Yet, he experienced phantom images. He saw things that weren’t there. Where did these images come from? The brain reconstructed them from the memories of the past.
People who have had amputations feel phantom pain or phantom sensations. The impact of these phantom feelings are just as real as though they were actually happening.
We allow Satan to continue his manipulation and control over us through phantom feelings. The old sins have been amputated, however, and we must learn to function according to our new freedom.
III. Behold: The World
Cosmos: the present state of things; the world in a figurative sense.
- The world of the Old Testament was geographical. Numbers, population, countries.
- The world of the Early Church was ethnical. (Gentiles, Acts 1:8)
- The world of the present is sociological. (Kinds of people, behaviors, backgrounds)
You must strive to make Jesus Christ bigger in your life.
Ironically, people who see no farther than themselves will feel that God is never big enough.
My health.
My peace of mind.
My happiness.
My prosperity.
My interests.
My finances.
My household.
My feelings. (My, my, my.)
We have a society of dysfunctional persons who are obsessed with themselves.
Deny yourself, take up your cross, follow Jesus.
Pastor, what am I going to do about…?
· Why don’t you try denying yourself?
· Why don’t you try putting yourself on the altar of sacrifice?
· Why don’t you try suffering some more?
What has happened to your world vision? Without a global vision, your local vision will always be inadequate.
Why? Because I don’t believe it is possible to serve God FOR yourself alone! You can serve Him BY yourself; you can serve Him FOR Him; you can serve him IN SPITE of others; you can serve him ACCORDING to your own convictions; but you cannot serve Him for selfish reasons only.
I believe that a spirit of SELFISHNESS has overtaken the church. Everything is geared to meet a selfish need, or want, or desire, or whim, or personal opinion.
God always chooses FAMILY over the individual.
A. His ultimate purpose TRANSCENDS any one person.
B. II Chron 7:14 “…if my people…” (Collective body, generation)
C. Psalm 78:1-8 Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:
3 Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
4 We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.
5 For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:
6 That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:
7 That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:
8 And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.
D. God loves individuals, but His interest is in proportion to their love for the whole body.
1. Joseph was important because he became a preserver of the nation.
2. Noah was important because he constructed the ark and became the bridge of salvation across the flood of destruction.
3. Patriarchs, prophets, kings: They were blessed if they had a vision of the nation.
A Lamb for a Man – Abel
A Lamb for a Family – Passover Lamb
A Lamb for a Nation – Israel’s Atonement
A Lamb for the World – John 1:29
Ex 12:3-4
3 Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: 4 And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.
(Play 2003 Ethiopia Holy Ghost Crusade YouTube file)
c that prophet: or, a prophet?
d taketh away: or, beareth
[1]The Holy Bible : King James Version. 1995 (electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version.) (Jn 1:19). Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
e breaking…: Heb. ascending of the morning
f Israel: that is, A prince of God
g Peniel: that is, The face of God
[2]The Holy Bible : King James Version. 1995 (electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version.) (Ge 32:24). Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.