In The Word
Read: John 1:35-51
Jesus’ Public Ministry, First Converts
35 Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and *said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. 38 And Jesus turned and saw them following, and *said to them, “What do you seek?” They said to Him, “Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?” 39 He *said to them, “Come, and you will see.” So they came and saw where He was staying; and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He *found first his own brother Simon and *said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which translated means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John; you shall be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).
43 The next day He purposed to go into Galilee, and He *found Philip. And Jesus *said to him, “Follow Me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter.45 Philip *found Nathanael and *said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 Nathanael said to him, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Philip *said to him, “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and *said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael *said to Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel.” 50 Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.”51 And He *said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
The Jews understood the statement “the Lamb of God” more than some of us would understand this today. When the Jews heard “the lamb of God,” they would have thought of the history of their people that were bound in slavery to the Egyptians. Right before God delivered them from slavery, he commanded a lamb to be slain and the blood of that lamb to be applied to the doorpost of their homes. This blood covering their doorpost would be a sign to the Lord not to destroy the firstborn of that home, but to pass over it (Exodus 12:11-13). The Jews would have also understood that the lamb was a daily sacrifice that happened every morning and evening in the temple. These two lambs that were sacrificed daily were for the sins of the people (Exodus 29:38-42).
The Word teaches us that all of mankind has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We also know that without the shedding of blood there can be no forgiveness of sin. We must continue to hold firm to what we know. Yahshua was the sacrificial, spotless lamb, offered before our Father once and for all to forgive us of our sins. Now, the blood of His sacrifice is over the doorpost of our hearts, and death will pass us over. Through salvation we can enter into eternal life in heaven with God.