The next day, John sees Yeshua [Jesus] coming to him and says, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29, TLV

The Paradigm Change.  Whew! John the Immerser, cousin of Yeshua, just publicly spoke a world-changing proclamation! This verse alone could be a series of sermons, so my feeble, non-scholarly attempts here will hopefully give you a small taste of the wonder.

“. . . John sees Yeshua coming to him . . .”

How did John know his cousin intended to journey to the Jordan River? Jesus didn’t text him. John was just doing his calling. You know, immersing folks, calling out sin as sin, offending the ruling spiritual leaders.

But, his ministry was more than that. He testified of the coming Messiah. His revelation was so profound, none of the Pharisees or Sadducees — even the most sincere — could touch the revelations (vss. 6-27).

So, John sees Yeshua, knows He’s approaching John for a reason, but he has no idea of the significance.

“Behold, the Lamb of God . . .”

There’s no way I could do justice to the magnitude of insights into these five words because the whole Torah is contained in them. The simplest way to explain what John said was Jesus was the perfect, spotless Lamb sent by God the Father for one purpose: to be sacrificed for our sins. Let that sink in.

Yeshua’s death was not because of the Jewish people’s betrayal. Nor was it the Romans or Pilate who sentenced and executed Him. It was us. Us, as in Adam to the last child born on this earth, were the reason the Creator of the Universe had to send His Only Son to die. And His Son was willing to do this first because of His love for His Father, then because of His love for us.

” . . . who takes away the sin of the world!”

Here it is!! The paradigm change. John just publicly announced that the Messiah did not just come to rescue the Jewish people from sin — as 99.9% of the Jewish people of that time believed — but He came to take away the sin of the world! The set time had come! At last!

“I, ADONAI [the LORD], called You in righteousness, I will take hold of Your hand, I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the nations . . .”  (Isaiah 42:6, TLV)

The Jewish people were called to be a light to the nations — at the set time. In the meantime, they were to be a people set apart from the world. To learn, make mistakes, prophesy, and wait. John announces the set time has come to be lights to the nations because the Messiah’s atonement would be offered to all.

There is so much more. So much more. But this is just a granule of salt to ponder. I pray it will cause you to thirst for more, my friends.

Shabbat shalom.