John 1:30

"This is the Man I mentioned to you preciously when I said, 'There is someone coming in my wake next to whom I pale in comparison.  In fact, although He is arriving after me, He antecedes me as well.'" John 1:30

“Behold the Lamb!” is such an awesome statement.  I mentioned yesterday that this seminal statement of John is the Good News wrapped up in one sentence.  There is no truth greater than this to a miserably lost sinner.  These words inject hope into the bleak outlook of God’s wayward creation that groans for deliverance (Romans 8:22).

The two Johns are on the same page when it comes to how they see the superiority of the person and mission of Jesus compared to themselves and everything else!  John, the apostle, describes Jesus as the Word, the Light, Creator, Life, and One with God.  John, the baptizer speaks of Jesus as the One greater than he, the Most Worthy, the One greater than Elijah, the Lamb of God, and even the One before and after him.  Please note that John is not referring to his birthdate, since he is about six months older than his cousin Jesus.

It is in their unequivocal unanimity regarding the pre-existence of Jesus that we find the bedrock of their united proclamation.  This is not just another prophet; this is not just another teacher sharing his light; this is not just another good man.  This is God-Man—the Truth, The Light, The Life, and ultimately the Lamb of God that has come to wipe the slate clean for all of creation.  The two “John rivers” have merged as one in their admiration and adoration of the “Lamb slain before the foundation of the world.” Revelation 13:8.  I wonder at times if maybe I’ve heard this so many times that it doesn’t register any longer.  How sad.  I need to stop for a moment daily and let it sink in again…for the first time. “Behold the Lamb!”