Exposition of John, Chapter 1 · Verse 19 – Verse 20
Verſe 29. The next day John ſeeth Jeſus coming unto him, and ſaith, Behold, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the ſin of the world.
This is Johns third teſtimony concerning Chriſt after his Baptizme, given in Chriſts own preſence, when he returned to John after his tentations in the wilderneſſe; wherein, firſt, he points out Chriſt as the true ſacrifice for expiating of ſin, ver. 29. Next, he again applieth his former doctrine concerning the Meſſiah, to this perſon, ver 30. Thirdly, he ſheweth how he came to know him, and thus to teſtifie of him, which was not upon any acquaintance by eye-ſight; but when he got Commiſſion for his Miniſtry, it was revealed to him that the Meſſiah was in the world, and to be manifeſted by him, ver. 31. and that he got a ſigne from God whereby to diſcerne the Meſſiah, which was accompliſhed in this perſon, ver. 32, 33. vponupon the ſight whereof he was encouraged to proclaim Chriſt to be the Son of God, ver. 34.
In this verſe, John who had hitherto ſet forth Chriſt in the dignity and excellency of his office, doth now declare how he was to execute his office, and to bring about theſe benefits; which was by ſuffering; and therefore he points out Chriſt as the ſubſtance of the Paſſeover and daily Sacrifices, who by the merit and vertue of his death takes away the ſin of his own, both Jewes and Gentiles. Doctrine 1. Faithful Miniſters, and ſuch as know Chriſt, will diminiſh nothing of his commendation, for any outward diſpenſations he may meet with; for, the occaſion of this teſtimony declareth, that when John was publiſhing the former teſtimonies, Chriſt was abſent, and particularly, under his tentations in the Wilderneſſe, as the Harmony maketh clear, and yet in the mean time he had been commending him. 2. Such as faithfully point out and commend Chriſt, he will give them occaſion to do it yet more, by becoming more familiar with them, that ſo they may make him better known; for, whereas John had preached Chriſt faithfully, the next day John ſeeth Jeſus coming unto him, and ſo will he do ſtill, though he come not any more in perſon. 3. As faithful Miniſters get more clear and renewed ſights of Chriſt, ſo they ought to improve thoſe diſpenſations by making him known yet more to others; for, when Chriſt cometh to John, he publiſheth a new teſtimony, and points out yet more of him. 4. It is no ſmall part of Chriſts excellencie in the eyes of loſt ſinners, that he was pleaſed to condeſcend to be a ſuffering and crucified Lord, whereby he purchaſeth unto them ſo great a good, and g…ve ſuch a demonſtration of his love, in that he would buy their well-being at ſo dear a rate, and lay his own exaltation in pledge of it; Therefore, however carnal Jewes ſtumbled at a crucified Meſſiah, yet John holds him out as excellent, in that he was the …amb of God, or, a ſacrifice for ſin. 5. The world without Chriſt, is lying in wickedneſſe under ſin, and under all that followeth upon it; under the guilt of Adams ſin, and the corruption of nature, under the dominion and power of actual ſin, and under the curſe and wrath of God for it; and the ſenſe of this is it which will make thoughts of a crucified Chriſt ſweet; for, ſo is ſuppoſed here, in theſe words, the ſinne of the world. 6. Mans miſery through ſin, and wrath for ſin, is ſuch, as he can onelyonly be relieved from it by Chriſt the true ſacrifice for ſin; for, he is the Lamb of God who taketh away ſinne; And onelyonly he, ſince the beginning of the world, Rev. 13.8. 7. The Legal Sacrifices and the Paſchal Lamb, were but types of Chriſt the true Sacrifice for ſin, and the ſubſtance of all they ſhadowed out, is onelyonly to be found in him, who was without ſpot and blemiſh; who is ſeparated from ſinners, as the Paſchal Lamb was ſet apart on the tenth day of the monethmonth; who expiates ſin by his death, which theirs did but typically; whoſe blood applied, doth quiet the conſcience, and turn away the curſe, as upon ſprinkling the blood of the Paſſeover, the deſtroying Angel paſſed over; who was content to be killed and roſted in the wrath of God, (as the Paſſeover was in the fire) that we might live, and he might be food for us; and, who was content to undergo all this meekly and patiently for our cauſe, Therefore is he called the Lamb, with relation ſpecially to the Paſſeover, and the Lambs employed for daily ſacrifice, and with relation to the properties of theſe beaſts, pointing out the way of his ſuffering, as Iſaiah 53.7. 8. Albeit the Paſchal Lamb, and Lambs for Sacrifice were Gods creatures, and appointed and enjoyned by God in the general for theſe typical uſes; Yet the chooſing out, and ſetting apart of ſuch as were moſt fit according to Gods direction, was mans work, and his judgment was interpoſed in it: But Chriſt the true Sacrifice, was ſingled out alanerly by God; who out of his infinite love to loſt man, did deſigne him for that work in his eternal counſel and the Covenant of redemption, when man had no way to help himſelf; who ſeparated him from ſinners by ſpotleſſe ſanctification, to be a perfect Sacrifice; and, who ſent him out of his own boſome to accompliſh the work of redemption; for theſe cauſes is he called the Lamb of God, as his peculiar priviledge above theſe types. 9. Chriſt is the true Saviour who taketh the burden of ſin from off his people, and bears it himſelf, and by bearing of it, doth deſtroy and aboliſh it; This he did by his death in transferring the guilt of their ſin upon himſelf, and bearing the puniſhment and wrath due to it, by which he hath merited the taking of ſin away out of Gods ſight, and obtained a dominion over it; and this is made forth-coming to his people, partly by juſtification wherein the merit of Chriſts death is applied for taking away the guilt and puniſhment due to ſin, ſo as it ſhall not be inflicted, partly, by ſanctification, wherein the power of his death is applied for ſubduing and purging the filth of ſin, till the beleever be preſented ſpotleſſe; He is the Lamb of God which taketh away ſinne; or, taketh it oft them, beareth it himſelf, and taketh it quite away; for, the word will import all theſe. 10. The vertue and efficacie of Chriſts death doth expiate and take away the ſin of the univerſality of his elect throughout all the world, and is not reſtricted to Jewes only, as theſe typical ſacrifices were, but extended to all his elect among the Gentiles alſo; for, he taketh away the ſinne of the world, which is not to be underſtood of all and every man (for their ſinnes are not taken away) but of his own ſcattered through the world, and in all ages of it, and particularly, as taking in Gentiles as well as Jewes, as the word world is taken, 1 John 2.2. Beſide, they may alſo be called the world, as being many in themſelves, as being in his eſtimation as good as all the world, and they who will one day be ſet apart from the reſt of the world, and make up a peculiar world of themſelves. 11. Chriſt, coming into the world for the redemption of loſt man, ought to be looked on as wonderful in his incarnation, ſufferings, and in the love from whence this floweth; and as rare and matchleſſe, there being no Immanuel but one, no love, no actions like his, and therefore much to be admired and eſteemed of; And all who would reap benefit by him, ought to turne their eyes off all other things, expecting no ſuch benefit from them in whole or in part, and fixe them onelyonly on him: All theſe are imported in this duty to which John inviteth his hearers to behold (or, ſee, and fixe our eyes upon) the Lamb of God.
Ver. 30. This is he, of whom I ſaid, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.
John here applieth his former Doctrine concerning the Meſſiah (which he had preached both before Chriſts coming to him, and ſince he went to the Wilderneſſe, ver. 15, 27.) to Jeſus Chriſt now preſent. Whence learn. 1. Miniſters can never enough be careful in ſetting out Chriſts excellencie, notwithſtanding any outward condition wherein he is; nor in putting away any honour due to Chriſt, when it ſeemeth to be given to them; nor in ſtudying his eternal Godhead, and commending his excellency above all; becauſe of that; for, this is the ſumme of that doctrine which here again he inculcates; after me cometh a man, which is preferred before me, for he was before me. 2. God doth approve in his ſervants, not fits and flaſhes, but fixedneſſe and conſtancie in their diſcerning Chriſt and his glory, in his loweſt eſtate; And they will finde no cauſe to repent, or eat in any honourable thoughts they have had of him; Therefore, doth John as no reed ſhaken with the winde, adhere unto, and again publiſh his former doctrine. 3. The ſame things ſpoken over and over again of Chriſt, will not be taſtleſſe to ſuch as know his excellencie; and truths often inculcate are the truths which we come ofteneſt ſhort in taking up; and yet ſhould ſtudy moſt; So much alſo doth Johns frequent repetition of this doctrine teach. 4. The dignity and excellencie of Chriſt as God, becometh comfortable to the Church, being found in our nature, by his becoming man and her kinſman, that he may do the duty of a kinſman and Redeemer to her. Therefore, doth John point him out under the name of a man; after me cometh a man, &c. 5. Faithful preaching and commending of Chriſt, is a meane making way for a more full ſight of him, both to the Preachers and faithful receivers of what is taught; for, John at laſt, gets him now preſent to point out, whom he had ſo often commended unſeen, This is he of whom I ſaid, &c. And all faith full Preachers and receivers of their teſtimony, may expect the day when they ſhall ſee him whom they commended and beleeved in, face to face.