Behold the Lamb

       I remember that during the second world war, we had a little banner in our front window with a single blue star on it.  It was in honor of my Dad's brother who was serving in the U. S. Army.  Normally, it was the parents who would put the flags in their window, but both of them were already passed away and so there was no one to remember my Uncle Harry, so we had the flag.  It was an exciting time when we got word that he would be coming home.  We had not seen him for a long time and his job in the army was in bomb disposal.  Many of the people did not return from this job.  You can just imagine the excitement of seeing him coming up the street and the sidewalk of our home.  There was, perhaps another day in history that also had even more excitement attached to it.  John 1:29 says, "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 the Baptist knew he wasn't the main figure in was about to take place.  He was the one that was preparing the way for the Lord Jesus Christ to come. There is probably not too much excitement from the verse that makes the announcement, but just look at the words and the meaning that was taking place at that moment.  There is that simple declaration, "...Behold the Lamb of God, which taketn away the sin of the world."   This was going to be the answer to the problems of mankind.  This was going to be the Person, indeed the Son of God, that would be on the scene to make the announcements, and then to eventually die on the cross at Calvary and in those hours on the cross, He would be paying for the penalties, indeed, the sins of the whole world.  This was going to be the time when all sins would be paid for and the way opened into heaven itself.  We have the knowledge today of what happened in the whole story, because we have our own copy of the Word of God.  Yes, Jesus did die on the cross, but it was a victorious death in that He rose from the dead and the resurrection that took place guaranteed us heaven in all its glory.  John the Baptist knew that Jesus would be the One Who would pay for all of our sins.  As you go through the Bible and read the life of Christ in the pages of the New Testament, may you and I and all who read it, say "Behold the Lamb of God."  He has made heaven possible.  Praise God today for the sending of His Son in the fulness of time that He might pay the sin debt that we could never pay ourselves.