JESUS CHRIST

JESUS CHRIST

The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.  (John 1:29)

Why is your life in this world not what you imagined it to be?  Why are so many bad things happening today?  The answer is: first, God is holy and is angry with mankind; second, He is angry because of your sin; and thirdly, because He is our good and loving God, He has found a way of dealing with His holiness and your sin at the same time, and that is by the Cross.  He sent His Son to take away the sin of mankind.  Trust Him and He’ll take away your sin too, the very moment you give your heart to Him!  Look with me, please, at John 1:29.

This ‘world’ is not what it is imagined to be.  The world is life organised and lived out apart from God.  It is life lived away from God and under His judgement.  We see it as attractive (Gk. cosmos, from which we get our word cosmetic), as desirable, and something to imitate.  But this is wrong.  The world is everything God is not. The "world" is the life of every person - "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”  "World” refers to not only its 'badness,' but also to its 'bigness.'  And it’s under God’s judgement.  And so are you!

This 'world' is characterised by sin.  Sin is a frightening reality and it is utterly repulsive to God.  But we do not find it so.  We can talk about it and pray against it, without trembling at its very mention.  Sin provokes the wrath of God.  It is that magnet that draws the judgement of God to every sinner, all mankind.  Every individual is guilty before God.  You don’t have to feel guilty to be guilty in God’s sight.  Think of the world and you think of sin.  It affects negatively every person born into the world, except our Lord Jesus Christ.  It pollutes everything in your life.  It is a robber and thief, a murderer, a deceiver and a destroyer.  Sin does this to every sinner, and it draws down God’s judgement on them.  You need saved from that!

This world's sin can be taken away.  This verse provides us with the best news the world could ever hear.  The world’s sin CAN BE TAKEN AWAY!   That means that YOUR SIN CAN BE TAKEN AWAY!  Isn't that brilliant?  What a relief!  This spoiler can be taken away, this murderer, this robber.  Its legacy can be destroyed.  My friend, the thing that keeps you under God’s judgment – your sin - can be removed.  YOUR SIN can be taken away.  Think of that!  The very thing that will guarantee your eternal destruction CAN BE REMOVED, lifted off.  That weight that burdens you – taken away.  That thing that depresses you, and that holds you in its grip, removed.  That is a great possibility for you.  Did you know that?  For sin to be taken away, is for you to be forgiven by God.  And this happens only at the CROSS.  It is the death and passion of Christ that does it.  He took our sin in His own body on the tree, and bore it away!  That’s why our Lord Jesus Christ died on Calvary.  That's why He came.  This opens the door to eternal salvation, to everlasting life.  The sin that has messed up your life CAN BE TAKEN AWAY.  God has found a way, the only way, by which this can be done.

The Lamb of God is the only One Who can take away sin.  No one else can do this for us.  “He Himself bore our sins in His own body on the Cross.”  He was separated from the Father because He was bearing your sin and mine.  “My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me,” He cried, Ps.22:1.  And there was no answer!  Silence, deadly silence!  He was punished and got what you should have got; and He took it in your place.  Had there been another way, God would have found it.  But there wasn’t.  This is the only way of salvation and a home in heaven.

It was a sacrificial death.  That was His purpose in coming – He was born to die – for you and for me.  It was not to teach, nor to be an example, nor to perform miracles that He came – He came to die in your place and mine.  He is the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”  That’s why Good Friday really is Good Friday.  

For this to happen to you, you must look to the Lamb of God alone.  The big question is, how can this become mine?  How can I experience this forgiveness?  How can, a sinner, like me, who has a sense of his need of Christ, get this much needed relief?  There is only one way, and that is by looking in faith to Christ, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”  “Look unto ME and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth,” cries out Isaiah.  There is no other way, and no other Person Who can do this for you.  Only “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”

Look in faith to Christ.  See in Him the only One Who can do you spiritual and eternal good.  And do you know what?  He’s waiting this very moment to be merciful to you.  His arms are wide open to receive you.  Why?  Because His heart is open to receive you.  Put your trust in the only Saviour of the world, Jesus Christ.  Cast yourself unreservedly on Him for forgiveness and salvation.  Give your heart to Him.  Do you know what faith does?  Calvin explains this for us.  Faith not only lets us come to Christ, but, and listen very carefully to this, faith opens the way for Christ to come to you.  It's one thing for you to come to Christ, but it's altogether another for Christ to come to you.  The Saviour of the world comes to earth-worms like us, and takes up His residence in us, a fact that is utterly amazing.  

You might ask, “How will I know if my sins have been taken away?”  That's a very good question.  Well, you can come to Christ as I have said.  But you must keep on coming to Him until you know in your heart that He has arrived and has taken up residence in your life.  Will I feel anything, you ask?  When Christ comes to you and He takes up His abode in your heart, you will have all the feelings you’ll ever want.  You will KNOW.  When your sin is removed, when God’s anger at you is removed, you’ll know.  So my last word to you is this: do it NOW!