29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
who takes away
Old Testament sacrifices did not permanently take away sin. They were merely types of the One who would put away sin permanently. Jesus was the Antitype or that which is against the type. The sacrifice of a lamb was very familiar to Jewish people because it was their habit to offer lambs for sacrifice.
“Takes away” signifies removal of sin. The Hebrew equivalent means to wipe away. This Lamb is a “takes away the sin of the world” kind of lamb. “Takes away” is similar to the idea of the scapegoat (Lev 16). The action of payment for our sins occurred at the sacrifice of the Lamb. After the satisfaction was completed, our continuing forgiveness goes on forever.
PRINCIPLE:
Jesus took our hell that we might have His heaven.
APPLICATION:
By dying as a Lamb, Jesus removed the penalty of the sins of the world. Jesus bore the punishment for our sin and took it away. He was a penal substitute. He bore the penalty of others. He took our hell that we might have His heaven.
1 Pe 2: 24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.
