The Great Unveiling Text: John 1:29-34
Introduction: The Hinge of History
We live in a time of manufactured identities. Men think they can define themselves. They pick their pronouns, they invent their moralities, they construct their own little realities and demand that everyone else applaud their genius. But all of this frantic self-definition is just whistling past the graveyard. It is a noisy rebellion against the one central, fixed point of all history, the one identity that defines every other identity. That identity is unveiled for us here, in the wilderness, by a man clothed in camel's hair, eating locusts and wild honey.
John the Baptist was the last of the Old Testament prophets, and his entire ministry was a hinge. He stood at the pivot point of redemptive history, with one foot in the age of shadow and promise, and the other in the age of fulfillment and substance. His job was singular: to point. He was not the light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. He was not the bridegroom, but the friend of the bridegroom. And in our text today, that moment of witness arrives with earth-shattering force. All the sacrifices, all the prophecies, all the types and shadows of the old covenant converge on this one man walking toward him by the Jordan River.
What John says next is not a polite introduction. It is a theological atom bomb. It is a declaration that changes everything. It is the central claim of the Christian faith, upon which everything stands or falls. If what John says here is true, then our sin has an answer, our world has a Savior, and our lives have a meaning that transcends our fleeting feelings. If it is not true, then we are, as Paul says, of all men most to be pitied. But it is true. And because it is true, we must attend to it with all seriousness.
The Text
On the next day, he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who has been ahead of me, for He existed before me.’ I did not know Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing with water.” And John bore witness saying, “I have beheld the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He abided on Him. And I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘The One upon whom you see the Spirit descending and abiding on Him, this is the One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I myself have seen, and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”
(John 1:29-34 LSB)
The Lamb of God (v. 29)
John's testimony begins with the central metaphor of all Scripture.
"Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29)
John says, "Behold." This is a command to look, to pay attention, to fix your gaze. This is not a casual glance. This is the look that saves. And what are we to behold? "The Lamb of God." Every Jew within earshot would have had a cascade of Old Testament images flood his mind. They would have thought of the Passover lamb, whose blood on the doorposts shielded Israel from the angel of death. They would have thought of the daily sacrifices in the temple, the morning and evening lambs offered for the sins of the people. They would have thought of Abraham's declaration on Mount Moriah, "God will provide for Himself the lamb." And most pointedly, they would have thought of Isaiah's suffering servant, who "like a lamb that is led to slaughter...bore the sin of many."
John is declaring that all those lambs were placeholders. They were promissory notes. They were shadows pointing to this substance, this man, Jesus. He is not just a lamb; He is the Lamb. And He is the Lamb of God. This is God's provision. We could not provide a sacrifice sufficient for our sin. We are the problem; we cannot also be the solution. God Himself had to provide the sacrifice, and in a display of breathtaking love, He provided His own Son.
And what does this Lamb do? He "takes away the sin of the world." The sacrificial system of the Old Testament could only cover sin. The blood of bulls and goats was a temporary covering, a reminder that a final payment was still due. But this Lamb does not cover; He removes. The Greek word for "takes away" is airo, which means to lift up, to bear away, to remove completely. This is the scapegoat and the substitutionary sacrifice rolled into one. He takes our sin upon Himself, bears it in His own body on the tree, and carries it away, removing it as far as the east is from the west. And notice the scope: "the sin of the world." This is not just for Israel. This sacrifice is cosmic in its sufficiency. It is for every tribe, tongue, people, and nation. The gospel is not a tribal religion; it is a world-conquering declaration of victory.
The Pre-existent One (v. 30-31)
John then clarifies who this Lamb is, and it involves a direct assault on our linear, chronological assumptions.
"This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who has been ahead of me, for He existed before me.’ I did not know Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing with water." (John 1:30-31 LSB)
John was six months older than Jesus. In the natural order of things, John came first. His ministry began first. But John says that this man who comes after him in time has a rank and priority that precedes him. Why? "For He existed before me." John is not speaking of a pre-ministry existence, but a pre-incarnate, eternal existence. This is a clear statement of Christ's divinity. Before Abraham was, I AM. Before John the Baptist was, He was. This is the eternal Word who was with God and was God in the beginning.
John confesses, "I did not know Him." This doesn't mean he was unacquainted with his cousin, Jesus of Nazareth. It means he did not know Him in His official, messianic capacity. John knew he was the forerunner, but he did not know the specific identity of the Messiah until it was divinely revealed to him. His entire ministry of baptizing with water was for one purpose: "that He might be manifested to Israel." John's baptism was a preparatory work. It was a national call to repentance, gathering a people prepared to meet their King. John was setting the stage, creating the backdrop against which the Messiah would be revealed.
The Anointed One (v. 32-33)
John then gives his eyewitness testimony of the sign that confirmed Jesus' identity.
"And John bore witness saying, “I have beheld the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He abided on Him. And I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘The One upon whom you see the Spirit descending and abiding on Him, this is the One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’" (John 1:32-33 LSB)
This is John's account of Jesus' baptism. He saw the heavens open and the Spirit descend "as a dove." This imagery is rich. The Spirit hovered over the waters of creation in Genesis 1. A dove brought a sign of new creation to Noah after the flood. Here, the Spirit anoints Jesus for the work of the new creation. This is the moment of His royal anointing. He is being set apart and empowered for His messianic task. The word "abided" is crucial. The Spirit did not just visit Him; He remained on Him. Jesus possesses the Spirit without measure.
This visible sign was the confirmation God had promised John. God had given him a specific marker to look for. This wasn't guesswork. This was divine revelation. And the sign identified Jesus as the one with a superior baptism. John's baptism was with water, an outward symbol of repentance. But Jesus' baptism is with the Holy Spirit. He is the one who will immerse His people in the very life and power of God. He doesn't just deal with the external problem of sin's guilt; He deals with the internal problem of sin's power by giving us a new heart and a new spirit. John's baptism was the shadow; Christ's baptism is the reality. This is the promise of the new covenant: "I will put my Spirit within you" (Ezekiel 36:27).
The Authoritative Verdict (v. 34)
John concludes his testimony with the ultimate declaration, the sum of all that has come before.
"And I myself have seen, and have borne witness that this is the Son of God." (John 1:34 LSB)
This is the climax. "I have seen...and have borne witness." John stakes his entire ministry and his very life on this testimony. This is not secondhand information. This is not a rumor he heard. This is his personal, divinely-commissioned, eyewitness account. And the content of that witness is this: "this is the Son of God."
This title brings everything together. The Lamb of God who takes away sin is not merely a great prophet or a moral teacher. He is the divine Son. His sacrifice is effective precisely because of who He is. Only a divine being could offer a sacrifice of infinite value, sufficient to atone for the sin of the world. Only the Son of God could baptize with the Holy Spirit, for the Spirit is His Spirit. This title confirms His pre-existence, His authority, and the infinite worth of His atoning work.
Conclusion: What Will You Do with the Lamb?
John the Baptist's testimony leaves no room for neutrality. He has pointed to Jesus and identified Him with four staggering titles: The Lamb of God, the Pre-existent One, the Anointer with the Spirit, and the Son of God. This is the great unveiling. The identity of the Messiah is no longer a mystery. He is here.
The question that hangs in the air then, and now, is what will you do with this testimony? You cannot simply admire it as a piece of religious history. John's command was "Behold!" You are commanded to look to this Lamb for your salvation. To behold Him is to trust Him. It is to transfer all your confidence from your own righteousness, which is a pile of filthy rags, to His perfect sacrifice.
When you do, the promise of this passage becomes your reality. He takes away your sin. He baptizes you with the Holy Spirit, bringing you from death to life. You are brought into the family of God, not as a servant, but as a son. The testimony of John must become your testimony. You must be able to say, with the same conviction, "I have seen, and I bear witness that this is the Son of God." This is the only identity that matters, for it is the only one that can save.