John Calvin Commentary John 1:29

"On the morrow he seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold, the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world!" — John 1:29 (ASV)

The next day. There can be no doubt that John had already spoken about the manifestation of the Messiah; but when Christ began to appear, John wished that his announcement of him should quickly become known. The time was now near when Christ would put an end to John’s ministry, just as when the sun has risen, the dawn suddenly disappears.

After having testified to the priests who were sent to him that the one from whom they should seek the truth and power of baptism was already present and was conversing among the people, the next day he pointed him out for all to see. For these two acts, following each other in close succession, must have powerfully affected their minds. This is also the reason why Christ appeared in the presence of John.

Behold the Lamb of God. The principal office of Christ is briefly but clearly stated: that he takes away the sins of the world by the sacrifice of his death and reconciles men to God. There are other favors, indeed, which Christ bestows upon us, but this is the chief favor, and the rest depend on it: that by appeasing the wrath of God, he causes us to be reckoned holy and righteous.

For from this source flow all the streams of blessings: by not imputing our sins, he receives us into favor. Accordingly, John, in order to lead us to Christ, begins with the gratuitous forgiveness of sins which we obtain through him.

By the word Lamb, he alludes to the ancient sacrifices of the Law. He was dealing with Jews who, having been accustomed to sacrifices, could not be instructed about atonement for sins in any other way than by presenting a sacrifice to them. As there were various kinds of sacrifices, he uses one, by a figure of speech, to represent the whole; and it is probable that John alluded to the paschal lamb.

It must be observed, in general, that John used this mode of expression, which was better adapted to instruct the Jews and possessed greater force. Just as in our own day, because baptism is generally practiced, we understand better what is meant by obtaining forgiveness of sins through the blood of Christ when we are told that we are washed and cleansed by it from our pollutions.

At the same time, as the Jews commonly held superstitious notions about sacrifices, he corrects this fault in passing by reminding them of the reality to which all the sacrifices were directed.

It was a very wicked abuse of the institution of sacrifice that they had their confidence fixed on the outward signs. Therefore John, presenting Christ, testifies that he is the Lamb of God. By this he means that all the sacrifices which the Jews were accustomed to offer under the Law had no power whatever to atone for sins, but that they were only figures, the reality of which was manifested in Christ himself.

Who taketh away the sin of the world. He uses the word sin in the singular number for any kind of iniquity, as if he had said that every kind of unrighteousness which alienates men from God is taken away by Christ. And when he says, the sin of the world, he extends this favor indiscriminately to the whole human race, so that the Jews might not think that he had been sent to them alone.

But from this we infer that the whole world is involved in the same condemnation. As all men without exception are guilty of unrighteousness before God, they need to be reconciled to him. John the Baptist, therefore, by speaking generally of the sin of the world, intended to impress upon us the conviction of our own misery and to exhort us to seek the remedy.

Now our duty is to embrace the benefit which is offered to all, so that each of us may be convinced that there is nothing to hinder him from obtaining reconciliation in Christ, provided that he comes to him by the guidance of faith.

Besides, he lays down only one method of taking away sins. We know that from the beginning of the world, when their own consciences convicted them, men labored anxiously to obtain forgiveness. This led to the vast number of propitiatory offerings by which they falsely imagined they appeased God.

I acknowledge, indeed, that all the spurious rites of a propitiatory nature originated from a holy source—namely, that God had appointed the sacrifices which directed men to Christ. Yet every man contrived for himself his own method of appeasing God.

But John leads us back to Christ alone and informs us that there is no other way in which God is reconciled to us than through his agency, because he alone takes away sin. Therefore, he leaves sinners no other refuge than to flee to Christ. By this, he overturns all satisfactions, purifications, and redemptions that are invented by men, as indeed they are nothing more than base inventions framed by the subtlety of the devil.

The verb αἴρειν (to take away) may be explained in two ways: either that Christ took upon himself the load which weighed us down, as it is said that he carried our sins on the tree (1 Peter 2:24), and Isaiah says that the chastisement of our peace was laid on him (Isaiah 53:5); or that he blots out sins. But as the latter statement depends on the former, I gladly embrace both; namely, that Christ, by bearing our sins, takes them away.

Therefore, although sin continually dwells in us, yet in God's judgment there is none, because when it has been annulled by the grace of Christ, it is not imputed to us. Nor do I dislike Chrysostom's remark that the verb in the present tense—ὁ αἴρων, who taketh away—denotes a continuous act, for the satisfaction Christ made once is always in full vigor.

But he does not merely teach us that Christ takes away sin, but also points out the method: namely, that he has reconciled the Father to us through his death, for this is what he means by the word Lamb.

Let us therefore learn that we become reconciled to God by the grace of Christ if we go directly to his death and believe that he who was nailed to the cross is the only propitiatory sacrifice by which all our guilt is removed.