The Lamb of God

John 1:29, 19:1-3, 16-18, 28 -30

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” - John 1:29

¹Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. ²And the soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they dressed him in a purple robe. ³They kept coming up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and striking him on the face…They took Jesus; ¹⁷ and carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha. ¹⁸There they crucified him… ²⁸ After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfill the scripture), “I am thirsty.” ²⁹ A jar full of sour wine was standing there. So they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth. ³⁰ When Jesus had received the wine, he said, “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Monday, March 22 – Warnings and Promises. Remember in this series of sermons we learned that when John was writing this gospel, the Jewish followers of Jesus were being expelled from the synagogue. Already, nearly all of the first disciples of Jesus had been put to death, most at the hands of the Romans. With these hardships the first readers of the gospel were experiencing in mind, read John 16:1-16. Note that the Counselor Jesus refers to is the Holy Spirit. Write on a piece of paper what Jesus says about the Holy Spirit. Pray and invite the Holy Spirit to comfort, convict, lead and guide you as you seek to know Jesus and to pursue his will.

Tuesday, March 23 – I Have Overcome the World. Read John 16:17-33. Here Jesus warns the disciples of his impending death. What will cause their grief to turn to joy? When would Jesus soon see the disciples again? Why does the Father love the disciples? Verse 33 is a promise of difficult times for believers – but despite these we can have peace, in part because we know the truth that Jesus has overcome the world.

Wednesday, March 24 – Jesus’ Prayer for You. Today we turn to the wonderful prayer Jesus prays for himself, his disciples, and all who would believe in him in the future (which includes us!). Try reading this prayer out loud John 17:1-26. Remember that Jesus would glorify his Father by being willing to lay down his life for God. In what sense is there glory in this? In what sense does this act point toward God’s nature and character and his love? What does Jesus pray for us? Why was unity so important to Jesus? What does that mean for us? The last line of this prayer points toward the reality that Christ lives in us as we trust in him. What does it mean when people say that “Jesus lives in our hearts?” Pray that you might live up to all that Christ prayed for you in his prayer.

Thursday, March 25 – The Arrest and Trials. Today we turn to the events that occurred just after the Last Supper on Maundy Thursday of Holy Week. Jesus and the disciples have gone to the Garden of Gethsemane. Read John 18. Notice the tragedy of Judas’ betrayal, and Peter’s denial. Why does John tell the story of Peter’s denial of Jesus? By the time he writes this gospel Peter had been martyred for his faith. What value was there for John’s readers, who were afraid of reprisals for their faith in Christ, some of whom may have been tempted to deny being Jesus’ followers, in knowing that one of the heroes of the faith had himself denied Jesus?

Friday, March 26 – Jesus Speaks of His Death. Read John 12:20-36. Verses 20-22 are odd. In this book where most of the stories have to do with the Jews, why do you think John included this mention of Gentiles who wanted to see Jesus? What does Jesus mean in v. 25? What does this mean for you? Notice Jesus’ prayer in v. 28. Despite the heaviness of his heart in facing the cross, this is his overriding prayer. Verse 32 refers to Jesus being lifted up on a cross – hoisted into the air. Notice the people were perplexed by the idea of the Messiah dying – to this day Jews reject this idea of the Messiah coming to die on behalf of the people.

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Sermon Notes