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! (John 1:29-36 KJV)
Behold, the Lamb of God
We have here John’s testimony concerning Jesus Christ, which he gave to his own disciples. After Jesus was baptized, he went into the wilderness to be tempted for forty days. During that time, John continued preaching about him. As soon as Jesus returned from the wilderness, John saw him coming and gave this powerful witness.
Christ’s temptation was meant to encourage us. It teaches us that the trials of a tempted life should lead us to stay close to God’s ordinances (Psalm 73:17). Even after triumphing over Satan and being attended by angels, Christ still returned to the place where John preached and baptized. This shows that no spiritual experience exempts us from faithfully using the ordinary means of grace.
The first time John saw Jesus after his return, he pointed him out and said, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). This identifies Christ as the great sacrifice, the Lamb of God, appointed to make atonement for sin and reconcile man to God. John alludes to the daily sacrifice of a lamb (Exodus 29:38) and the Passover lamb, whose blood shielded the Israelites from death (1 Corinthians 5:7). Christ was God’s chosen and accepted offering (Romans 3:25; John 17:19), as the scapegoat of Leviticus 16 was the Lord’s lot.
Christ, as the Lamb of God, takes away the sin of the world. He came to remove both its guilt and power. He justifies by his death, removing the penalty of sin (Hebrews 9:26), and he sanctifies by his Spirit, breaking sin’s dominion (Romans 6:14). The verb used—“takes away”—shows it’s his ongoing work. By continual intercession in heaven and grace on earth, he keeps removing sin. He takes away not just Israel’s sin, but the sin of the world (1 John 2:2), offering pardon to all who repent and believe, regardless of their nation or background.
He does this by taking sin upon himself. He bore it for us and so removes it from us (Isaiah 53:6; Leviticus 16:21). God didn’t remove sin by destroying the sinner, but by making his Son sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21). Therefore, we must behold him with faith, hating the sin he came to destroy and loving the Savior who bore it. If Christ takes away sin, then why not ours?
John further said, “This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me’” (John 1:30). This was a unique honor. The prophets spoke of the Messiah who would come; John could say, “This is he.” He calls Christ a man—strong and mighty, the Branch, the Man of God’s right hand (Psalm 80:17). Though Christ appeared in humble form, John still upheld his preeminence.
John insisted, “I myself did not know him” (John 1:31). Though related through their mothers, John had no personal acquaintance with Jesus. Their lives had been separate—John in the wilderness, Jesus in Nazareth. This was to prevent any suspicion of collusion and to show that John’s testimony came by divine revelation, not personal bias (John 3:27). He could not speak of Christ except by what had been revealed to him.
He said, “That he might be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water” (John 1:31). Though he didn’t know who the Messiah was by sight, he knew his purpose was to prepare the way. God had promised the Messiah would be revealed, and that assurance carried John through his ministry. Even though he lacked specifics at first, John moved forward in faith. His preaching and baptism were designed to make Christ known and to prepare people by acknowledging their sin and need for cleansing.
To confirm his testimony, John pointed to the event at Christ’s baptism: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him” (John 1:32). John bore record as an eyewitness. Though he couldn’t see the Spirit itself, he saw the dove—a visible sign of the invisible Spirit. This marked Christ as God’s chosen and qualified him for his mission. It was not a crown or earthly glory that marked him, but the Spirit descending like a dove, representing meekness and peace (Genesis 8:11). The Spirit did not just come and go but remained on him (Isaiah 11:2). This was not a temporary inspiration like with Samson (Judges 13:25), but a permanent anointing. Christ was always full of the Spirit and always able to meet our needs.
John was told to expect this sign: “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit” (John 1:33). John emphasizes again that he didn’t recognize Jesus naturally, but had been given a divine sign. God had sent him to baptize and had told him what to look for. He knew Christ not by familiarity, but by revelation. This gave him boldness and certainty in his testimony. Like Samuel anointing Saul, John acted on clear instruction. The fulfillment of this sign confirmed his faith.
Jesus would baptize not with water only, but with the Holy Spirit—giving the inner change of heart that John’s baptism symbolized. This comforted John in his ministry; while he administered the sign, Christ would confer the grace. Ministers can proclaim the truth, but only Christ can change hearts and give the Spirit.
John ends with this conclusion: “I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God” (John 1:34). This was not just about Christ’s mission, but his divine nature. The voice from heaven had said so, and John testified in agreement. This became the core of Christian belief (Matthew 16:16). What John had seen, he could not keep silent about (Acts 4:20). His testimony was based on what he had witnessed, not on rumor (2 Peter 1:16).
The next day, John again pointed out Jesus to two of his disciples: “Behold, the Lamb of God!” (John 1:35-36). He made use of every opportunity to lead others to Christ. Even in private conversation, he witnessed of Jesus. Seeing him walk at a distance, John didn’t go to him, avoiding any appearance of conspiracy, but still testified earnestly. His steady gaze reflected the focus of his heart (1 John 1:1).
He repeated the same testimony as the day before. Though he could have said many things, he stayed consistent and emphasized Christ as the Lamb of God. Ministers should frequently return to this core message—Christ crucified for our sins (Philippians 3:1).
This testimony was aimed especially at the two disciples with him. John was glad for them to leave him and follow Jesus. He did not seek to keep disciples for himself but to prepare them for Christ (Luke 1:17). Like a teacher sending students to the university, he was not losing them but fulfilling his purpose. Humble and generous, John rejoiced to see others turn to Christ, knowing that what belongs to Christ will not be less because we point others to him.