Did Jesus take away all the sins of all people in the world?
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| English: Stained glass image of the Lamb of God (Agnus Dei) with a Christian banner. photo by John Workman in St. Ignatius church in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
As John continues his testimony concerning the nature and work of Jesus Christ, he proclaims to the people that the Lamb of God comes to take away the sin of the world. Today we will examine what John meant by “Lamb of God” and “taking away the sin of the world.”
First, Jesus enters into His public ministry by undergoing the rite of baptism and fulfilling “all righteousness.” John focuses on Jesus’ life of obedience when he uses the present participle “taking away.” John did not say, “He will take away,” but “He is taking away.” Christ’s perfect life was as necessary for our redemption as His death. And here we find specific reference to that fulfillment as Jesus subjects Himself to baptism.
Second, John calls Jesus the “Lamb of God.” This designation referred to the varied sacrificial rites that prefigured the Messiah: the paschal lamb (Ex. 12–13), the lamb for the daily offering (Num. 28:4), and the lamb in Isaiah 53:6–10. This latter “type” would have held specific significance because John had quoted from Isaiah in describing his relation to the coming Messiah: John would declare the coming of the Lamb who would take away the sins of His people. The taking away of sin was symbolized by the slaughtered lamb—an imagery that would have been well-known to the people who heard John preach.
Third, when John says that Jesus came to take away the “sin of the world,” he was not teaching universal atonement. The Jews thought the Messiah would come for their redemption only, but John as well as Christ Himself taught that God’s mercy extended beyond the borders of Israel to the “whole world.” Later, the disciple John makes the point that Jesus did not just die for one nation (the Jews) but for “the children of God who were scattered abroad” (John 11:51–52). Here we have a limitation set on who would be saved: not every person in world history but those children of God, the lost sheep of Israel, who are scattered throughout all nations during all times.
In this way God’s grace extends to the whole world. He has extended it to you by bringing the good news of Christ, the Lamb of God, into your hearing.
John’s testimony proves that only through Jesus Christ, the slaughtered Lamb, can your sins be atoned for, which is why only through Christ can people be saved. What are some ways non-believers look for redemption? Thank God today that He has provided the Lamb whose blood has covered all your sins.
