John 1:29

OLBGrk;

The next day; the most think, the day following that day when the messengers from Jerusalem had been examining the Baptist. Heinsius thinks it was the same day, and saith, the Hellenists usually so interpret en epaupion, for meta tauta, after these things; but the former sense is more generally embraced. John seeth Jesus coming to him, out of the wilderness, as some think, where he had been tempted by the devil; but then it must follow, that he was not amongst the crowd, 1 Thessalonians 1:2, standing in the midst of them, when the messengers were there; and it should appear by 1 Thessalonians 1:32,33, that this which is here recorded happened after Christ's baptism by John (of which this evangelist saith nothing): it seemeth rather to be understood of another coming of Christ to John after he had been baptized, when John, seeing him, pointed as it were with his finger to him, (for the term Behold seemeth to be here used demonstratively), showing them the person whom he would have them cast their eye upon; whom he calls, the Lamb of God, not only to denote his excellency, as we read of the night of the Lord, Exodus 12:42, and the bread of God, Leviticus 21:21; which indeed Christ was, being without blemish, 1 Peter 1:19; but with reference to the lambs used in the Jewish sacrifices, not only at the passover, Exodus 12:5, but in the daily sacrifice, Exodus 29:38 Leviticus 1:10, or the burnt offering; and in the peace offering, Leviticus 3:7, and in the sin offering, Leviticus 4:32. He calls Christ the Lamb of God, probably, because divers of the priests were there to hear, and (as appears, 1 Thessalonians 1:39) it was nigh the time of their daily sacrifice; that so he might remind them that Christ was the truth and Antitype to all their sacrifices. Which taketh away the sin of the world; o airwn, the word signifies both to take up, and to take away: which taketh away the sin of the world, as God, to whom it belongs to forgive sin; and this he did by taking it upon himself, (so it is translated, Matthew 16:24), expiating it, which expiation is followed by a plenary remission, and taking it away, both the punishment of it, and the root, and body, and power of it; redeeming them as from the grave and hell, due to man for sin; so from a vain conversation, 1 Peter 1:18; and not doing this for the Jews only, but for the Gentiles also, 1 John 2:2, for many in the world, being he without whom there is no remission, Acts 4:12. Nor doth his gracious act cease at any time, it is a work he is always doing, and which none but he can do: ministers may persuade, priests of old offered lambs and other beasts in sacrifice; but he alone taketh away sin. So that, as what he said to the messengers of the sanhedrim gave all the honour of any valuable effect of baptism to Christ; so, what he saith here gives him all the honour of any good effect of preaching, or any good effect of our ministry; it is he alone, who (when we have said or done what we can) taketh away the sin of the world.