ODJ: A Famous Relative

March 13, 2016 

READ: John 1:29-37 

Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (v.29).

From time to time, stories of people who’ve taken advantage of celebrities in their families surface in the news. Athletes, artists, actors—it happens again and again. John, the cousin of Jesus, had such an opportunity. He could have easily boasted that Jesus was his cousin (Luke 1:36). But he didn’t. In fact, of Jesus he said, “He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less” (John 3:30).

When John bumped into Jesus one day, instead of boasting that He was family, John told his followers, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (v.29). The next day, when John was with two of his disciples, “Jesus walked by, [and] John looked at him and declared, ‘Look! There is the Lamb of God!’ ” (v.36).

Some people like to say Jesus is the One who solves our problems, gives us healthy self-esteem, makes us happy, heals our diseases, and helps us prosper financially. To present Jesus as the One who came to deal with our sins can be viewed as uncool, unappealing, insufficient, even offensive—for there are those who don’t see that they have a sin problem.

John, however, presented Jesus as the Lamb of God (vv.29,36). He understood that our ultimate need is to deal with our sin—our rebellion against God. Jesus died so that we might be restored in our relationship with Him. Before the Savior was born, an angel told Joseph—His earthly father—to name Him Jesus, “for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).

Like John, we are now part of Jesus’ family (John 1:12). We’re “brothers and sisters” by His blood (1 Peter 1:18-20; Hebrews 2:10-11). Because He’s the Lamb of God who takes away our sins, we can call Him our brother and Savior!

—K.T. Sim

365-day-plan: Judges 16:1-21