John 1:29 kjv
The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
John 1:29 nkjv
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
John 1:29 niv
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
John 1:29 esv
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 1:29 nlt
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
John 1 29 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 22:7-8 | "My son, God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering." | God provides the perfect sacrifice. |
| Exod 12:5-7 | "Your lamb shall be without blemish... sacrificed for Passover." | Passover Lamb; blood brings deliverance. |
| Lev 16:21-22 | "Aaron shall lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess... bear all their iniquities." | Scapegoat bearing away sins. |
| Isa 53:6 | "All we like sheep have gone astray... the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all." | Suffering Servant bears sin. |
| Isa 53:7 | "He was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb led to the slaughter." | Suffering Servant like a silent lamb. |
| Jer 11:19 | "I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter." | Prophet identifying with a sacrificial lamb. |
| Psa 103:12 | "As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." | God's removal of sin. |
| Matt 1:21 | "He will save his people from their sins." | Jesus' purpose: salvation from sin. |
| John 3:16-17 | "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son... the world might be saved through him." | God's love, universal salvation. |
| John 4:42 | "Indeed, this is the Savior of the world." | Jesus as world's savior. |
| Acts 8:32-35 | "The passage... was this: 'Like a sheep led to the slaughter...'" | Philip interprets Isa 53 concerning Jesus. |
| Rom 3:23-25 | "For all have sinned... through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation." | Christ's propitiatory sacrifice for sin. |
| 2 Cor 5:21 | "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." | Jesus bearing sin for us. |
| Col 2:13-14 | "He made you alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt." | Blotting out debt of sin. |
| Heb 9:14 | "How much more will the blood of Christ... purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God." | Christ's blood purifies completely. |
| Heb 9:28 | "So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many..." | Christ bore sins once for all. |
| 1 Pet 1:18-19 | "You were ransomed... with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot." | Christ as the blameless sacrificial lamb. |
| 1 John 2:2 | "He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world." | Atonement is worldwide in scope. |
| 1 John 3:5 | "You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin." | Jesus' purpose is to take away sin. |
| Rev 5:6 | "I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain..." | The Lamb who was sacrificed, now reigning. |
| Rev 7:14 | "They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." | Cleansing through the Lamb's sacrifice. |
| Rev 13:8 | "The Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world." | Eternal plan of salvation through the Lamb. |
| Rev 21:22-23 | "For its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb." | The Lamb is central to the new heaven/earth. |
| Isa 43:25 | "I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins." | God alone removes transgressions. |
| Titus 2:14 | "Who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession." | Redemption from all lawlessness (sin). |
John 1 verses
John 1 29 Meaning
John 1:29 records John the Baptist's foundational declaration identifying Jesus as the "Lamb of God" who definitively "takes away the sin of the world." This statement announces Jesus' divine role as the perfect sacrifice for global atonement, fulfilling Old Testament prophecies and the purpose of the sacrificial system. It marks a pivotal moment, introducing Jesus to humanity as the one who brings true and universal redemption from sin's power and guilt.
John 1 29 Context
John 1:29 appears as John the Baptist continues his public ministry of baptism and testimony. Prior to this verse, the Gospel of John details John's prophetic identity (Jn 1:19-28), establishing that he is not the Christ, Elijah, or the Prophet, but rather a voice preparing the way for the Lord, as foretold in Isaiah 40:3. Jewish authorities had sent priests and Levites to question John, seeking to understand his authority and identity. John unequivocally directed their attention away from himself and towards the coming Messiah.
In this immediate narrative flow, "The next day" signifies a continuous revelation and progression of events, building upon John's earlier declarations about one coming after him, whose sandals he was not worthy to untie (Jn 1:26-27). Historically and culturally, the Jewish people were immersed in a sacrificial system instituted by God through Moses, where lambs played a central role in various offerings, particularly the annual Passover observance, which commemorated liberation from Egyptian bondage. Messianic expectations were also high, though diverse, ranging from a conquering political king to a spiritual deliverer. John's profound statement thus speaks directly to these established cultural and religious frameworks, presenting Jesus not as a political revolutionary, but as the ultimate, God-appointed sacrificial lamb for sin. This implicitly countered any prevailing Jewish exclusive claims to salvation, asserting the universal reach of Jesus' redemptive work. It also served as an indirect polemic against any notion that animal sacrifices could truly remove sin or that John himself held ultimate authority for cleansing.
John 1 29 Word analysis
- The next day: Indicates an immediate sequence, emphasizing the deliberate timing of Jesus' appearance to John and the promptness of John's witness following previous inquiries.
- John saw Jesus coming toward him: A divinely orchestrated encounter and recognition. It highlights John's prophetic insight, enabled by God (Jn 1:33), rather than mere human discernment.
- And said: A public declaration, authoritative and prophetic, signaling a crucial revelation to the onlookers.
- Look! (Greek: ἴδε - ide): An imperative, exclamatory word demanding immediate attention and implying a profound and visible truth about to be revealed. It underscores the importance of what is being pointed out.
- the Lamb (Greek: ὁ ἀμνός - ho amnos):
- "The" (definite article): Signifies uniqueness and identity. Not just a lamb, but the unique, long-awaited Lamb.
- "Lamb": Directly invokes rich Old Testament symbolism:
- Passover Lamb (Exod 12): Unblemished, its blood provided deliverance from death. Jesus fulfills this as the one whose sacrifice delivers from eternal death.
- Sacrificial Lambs (Lev, Num): Used in daily and special offerings for sin and communion. Points to atonement.
- Suffering Servant (Isa 53:7): A prophetically significant image of one who suffers silently, led like a lamb to the slaughter, bearing the sins of many. Jesus embodies this submission and vicarious suffering.
- New Covenant Implications: Signals the cessation and fulfillment of animal sacrifices through the one perfect offering.
- of God (Greek: τοῦ θεοῦ - tou theou): Establishes divine ownership, origin, and appointment. This Lamb is provided by God, belongs to God, and serves God's eternal purpose for salvation. It highlights the divine initiative in redemption, differentiating Jesus' sacrifice from any human-initiated offering.
- who takes away (Greek: ὁ αἴρων - ho airon, present participle of αἴρω - airō):
- "Takes away": The verb airō can mean to lift up, bear, carry, or remove completely. In this context, it primarily conveys the act of removing, bearing off, or obliterating sin. It parallels the concept of the scapegoat on the Day of Atonement (Lev 16), which bore the sins of the people into the wilderness.
- Present participle: Implies an ongoing characteristic and a continual, effective removal of sin. His work is not just a past event, but its effects continue.
- the sin (Greek: τὴν ἁμαρτίαν - tēn hamartian):
- Singular "sin": Refers not just to individual sinful acts (ἁμαρτήματα - hamartēmata), but to the collective power, root, and guilt of sin, which afflicts all humanity—the inherited fallen nature and state of rebellion against God. Jesus addresses the totality of the human sin problem.
- of the world (Greek: τοῦ κόσμου - tou kosmou): Denotes the universal scope of Jesus' atoning work. His sacrifice is not limited to Israel, but is for all humanity. This broadens the horizon of salvation beyond nationalistic boundaries, embracing Jew and Gentile alike. It encompasses all creation that has been corrupted by sin.
Words-Group Analysis:
- "the Lamb of God": This powerful phrase encapsulates Jesus' identity as God's unique provision for atonement. It brings together Old Testament sacrificial types and prophetic imagery, emphasizing the divine nature and perfect sacrificial quality of Jesus.
- "who takes away the sin": Describes the redemptive efficacy of Jesus' work. He doesn't just cover sin, but removes it, both its guilt and its power, fulfilling what animal sacrifices could only symbolize.
- "the sin of the world": Highlights the breadth and inclusiveness of salvation through Christ. The magnitude of His sacrifice addresses the universal problem of humanity's sin, making salvation available to everyone across all cultures and times.
John 1 29 Bonus section
- Divine Revelation to John: John the Baptist’s understanding of Jesus as the "Lamb of God" was not human speculation. He later states in John 1:33, "He who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.'" This indicates a direct revelation from God for John to identify Jesus specifically with this powerful messianic title.
- Uniqueness in the Gospels: The precise phrase "Lamb of God" appears only in John's Gospel (here and again in John 1:36). While other New Testament writings speak of Jesus as a Lamb (e.g., Acts 8, 1 Peter 1, Revelation), this specific combined title is unique to John the Baptist's witness in John's Gospel, emphasizing its foundational nature for understanding Jesus' atoning work from the very outset of His public ministry.
- Anticipation of Crucifixion: John's declaration pre-empts the crucifixion, establishing the framework for Jesus' eventual suffering and death as God's intended means of global redemption. It shows that the cross was not a contingency, but the fulfillment of a divine plan conceived before the foundation of the world.
- Connection to John's Baptism: While John baptized with water for repentance, his pointing to Jesus as "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" differentiates Jesus' work, which accomplishes true inner cleansing and regeneration through the Holy Spirit (as highlighted in John 1:33 and 1 Corinthians 6:11). John’s baptism prepared hearts, but Jesus provided the actual cleansing from sin.
- Silence of the Lamb (Isaiah 53): The image of the lamb that offers no resistance to slaughter connects to Jesus' willingness to endure suffering and death without complaint, submitting entirely to God's will (e.g., Matthew 26:53). This passive, non-retaliatory nature of the "Lamb" is central to its atoning effectiveness.
John 1 29 Commentary
John 1:29 presents the definitive announcement of Jesus Christ's identity and mission through the voice of John the Baptist. By calling Jesus "the Lamb of God," John unequivocally links Him to the Old Testament sacrificial system, particularly the Passover Lamb whose blood secured freedom, and the Suffering Servant of Isaiah, who bore the iniquities of many. This points to Jesus as the unique, perfect, and ultimate sacrifice chosen by God Himself, rendering all previous animal sacrifices obsolete in their efficacy for eternal salvation.
The phrase "who takes away the sin of the world" illuminates the unparalleled impact of Jesus' work. The use of "sin" in the singular signifies that Jesus deals not just with individual acts of transgression but with the very essence and power of humanity's fallen state. His mission is a complete and active removal—not merely a covering or a temporary pardon. This "taking away" signifies His bearing of humanity's collective burden and guilt, removing the barrier between God and mankind. The inclusion of "the world" highlights the universal scope of His atonement, making salvation available to every person on earth, irrespective of their background or origin. John the Baptist, positioned as a final Old Testament prophet, provides divine interpretation, testifying to Jesus' purpose which culminates in the Cross: a profound act of divine love providing cosmic redemption for humanity's deepest need. Practically, this verse assures us of a God who actively provides a solution for our sin and makes reconciliation with Him possible for anyone who believes.