RUN LIKE A CHAMPION

“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’” (John 1:29)
I will never forget the night I trusted Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. I walked into a church one person, and walked out as someone completely different. When I entered the church, I felt like I was carrying an extremely heavy weight on my shoulders. It was the burden of guilt that had its roots in a heart filled with sin. But when Christ came into my life, the burden fell away. It was many years before I was able to understand what had happened that life-changing night. The Lamb of God had taken away my sin.
When John the Baptist saw Jesus, he cried out, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). In the Jewish culture of that day, everyone could easily understand what John was saying. There was no need for commentary. Every morning and evening at the temple, a lamb was sacrificed for the sins of the people. When John referred to Jesus as the Lamb of God, he was speaking of the holiness and love of God. Both were primary characteristics of Jesus.
Jesus was God’s sacrifice. He was the lamb provided by God to remove the sins of all who would believe on Him. In this name ascribed to Jesus, we discover the wonderful mystery of the nature of Christ. He was all God, and yet all man. He was the God-man. Matthew reveals Jesus as the King, while Mark describes him as the Servant. In fact, Jesus was the King who became a Servant. John’s Gospel depicts Jesus as the Son of God, while Luke’s Gospel shows him as the Son of Man. He was God who became man.
God is holy, and anything or anyone unholy can’t come into His presence. He’s absolute purity. Sin separated us from the absolutely holy God. His holiness and justice demand that a sacrifice be made for our sins. That’s why the Jewish people had to offer daily sacrifices. But God, in His infinite love, gave of Himself so that our sins — once and for all — could be forgiven and removed from our hearts and lives.
Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. Therefore, His life is unique. He was truly the “Son of God” and the “Son of Man.” There’s never been a person on this earth like Jesus, the God-man. In His divinity, He displayed the nature and character of God. In His humanity, He taught us how to live. Thus He was and is the mediator between God and man. Only Jesus in His humanity was worthy to die for the sins of the world.
Jesus was the sacrifice for our sins. He was called “the Lamb of God.” This name, given to Jesus by John the Baptist, gives us a glimpse into the meaning of the life of Jesus. Jesus came into the world for one reason: to die for our sins. He took the punishment we all deserve. He’s God’s provision for our sins. He’s the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world. He’s almighty God clothed with humility, meekness, and purity. He’s the Holy One of Israel. He’s the mediator between God and man.
The Bible speaks of the Lamb on His throne. One great day, multitudes from every nation, tribe, and people group will bow before the Lamb and worship Him. John described that day in his Revelation, in which he wrote, “After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches