Names and Titles of Jesus

Jesus, the Lamb of God

When John the Baptist saw Jesus he cried, ‘Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world’ (John 1:29). In one phrase he tied Jesus to the whole story of sacrifice in Israel: the Passover lamb whose blood spared from death, and the lamb led to the slaughter of Isaiah 53. Jesus is the offering God himself provides to carry away sin.

What the Bible says

What it reveals

At Passover a lamb died so that Israel might be spared and set free (Exodus 12). For centuries lambs were offered for sin. John looks at Jesus and says: here is the lamb all of that was pointing to. Not one more sacrifice among many, but the true one that takes sin away, once and for all. It is why Christians see the cross not as a defeat but as the deepest act of love.

What it means for you

The word ‘sin’ can feel heavy, but the good news in this title is lighter than you expect: you do not have to carry it. The Lamb of God takes it away. What you could never fix, God has fixed by providing the offering himself. You are invited simply to receive it.

Frequently asked questions

What does 'Lamb of God' mean?

It means Jesus is the sacrifice God provides to take away sin, fulfilling the Passover lamb and the sin offerings of Israel. John the Baptist named him 'the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world' (John 1:29).

Why is Jesus called the Lamb of God?

Because his death fulfills the pattern of sacrifice in the Hebrew Scriptures: the Passover lamb whose blood spared Israel (Exodus 12) and the suffering servant led 'as a lamb to the slaughter' (Isaiah 53:7). His death carries away sin once for all.