Behold the Lamb: The True Wonder of Christmas

Watch the whole service and sermon from John 1:29–34, Behold the Wonder of Christmas: The Lamb of God, and let this Christmas season re-center your heart on what truly matters: not the sparkle of tradition, but the glory of Christ—the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

This passage speaks to your life because:

• It reminds you that Christmas is ultimately about one Person, Jesus Christ, God’s answer to your greatest need: salvation.
• It shows you that sin is not imaginary or minor; it is real, deadly, enslaving, and only divine power can remove it.
• It calls you to stop looking inward or outward for rescue, and to behold Christ with faith, worship, and surrendered trust.

Picture the Jordan River, dust in the air, crowds gathered, John baptizing, voices murmuring, hearts waiting. Then Jesus appears, walking toward the waters. John doesn’t build suspense or draw attention to himself. He points, boldly, publicly, urgently, and he gives the world a sentence that still shakes history: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” In that moment, God is not merely giving Israel another teacher. God is revealing His rescue plan in a Person. And the invitation still stands for you today: Stop, look, and see who Jesus truly is, then follow Him into God’s salvation story.

When December arrives, we find ourselves surrounded by traditions, twinkling lights, wrapped packages, and cherished family gatherings. For many, Christmas means different things: a time for celebration, nostalgia, or simply a welcome break from the routine of daily life. Yet beneath all the festivities lies a profound truth that transforms this season from mere tradition into something eternally significant.

Christmas is not ultimately about the decorations or the gifts. It's about one person: Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. This is our moment as believers to declare with clarity and conviction that Jesus is the reason for everything we celebrate.

The Gospel of John presents us with a powerful scene. John the Baptist stands by the Jordan River and makes a stunning announcement as Jesus approaches: "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29).

That single word—"behold"—carries tremendous weight. It's a command, a summons to stop everything, to fix our attention, to look closely and intently. John isn't making a casual observation. He's declaring something that demands our full focus: Look at Jesus. Don't miss this. Pay attention.

This call to behold Jesus means looking away from ourselves and toward Him. In a world that constantly pulls our attention in countless directions, we're invited to fix our eyes on Christ. As Hebrews 12:2 reminds us, we must look "to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross."

The Christian life begins and continues with this look—a continual turning of our hearts and minds toward Jesus for all things. Whatever struggles we face, whatever distractions threaten our peace, whatever circumstances try to shake our confidence, we must return to this fundamental practice: beholding the Lamb of God.

John's description of Jesus as "the Lamb of God" is rich with meaning. This isn't just any lamb—it's the Lamb that belongs to God, the sacrifice that God Himself provided. This reveals something beautiful about God's character: He took the initiative. He supplied the answer to humanity's deepest problem.

Throughout the Old Testament, lambs were sacrificed to atone for sin. The Passover lamb's blood saved Israel from judgment. Isaiah prophesied of a suffering servant who would be "like a lamb led to the slaughter" (Isaiah 53:7). Every sacrifice, every drop of blood, pointed forward to something greater—to someone greater.

But those Old Testament sacrifices had to be repeated continually. They could only cover sins temporarily. The wonder of Christmas is that God provided a perfect sacrifice, offered once and for all. Jesus is the better sacrifice, the final sacrifice, the only sacrifice sufficient to deal with sin permanently.

This is God's provision, not humanity's invention. We could never save ourselves. No amount of good works, religious rituals, or moral effort could cleanse us from sin. Only God could provide the solution, and He did so by sending His own Son.

To understand the wonder of Christmas, we must understand the problem Christmas addresses: sin. This isn't a comfortable topic, but it's essential. Sin is real—not a myth or philosophical concept, but a genuine spiritual condition affecting every person.

Scripture is clear about sin's devastating effects. It separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2). It brings death (Romans 6:23). It enslaves and deceives us (John 8:34). We were created for fellowship with God, but sin broke that relationship, leaving humanity spiritually dead and powerless to rescue itself.

Religion tries to manage sin. Good works attempt to compensate for it. Philosophy seeks to explain it away. But only Jesus Christ takes it away.

When John declares that Jesus "takes away the sin of the world," he uses a verb that means to remove, to carry away, to lift off permanently. Jesus doesn't merely cover our sin or help us manage it better. He removes it completely. As far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us (Psalm 103:12).

The Lamb who saves is no ordinary sacrifice. John testifies that Jesus "ranks before me, because he was before me" (John 1:30). This is a declaration of Christ's pre-existence and divine nature.

Before Bethlehem, Jesus existed. Before the manger, before creation itself, He was there. "In the beginning was the Word," John writes in the opening of his Gospel. Jesus is the eternal Son of God, equal with the Father, Creator of all things.

This truth is foundational to Christianity. The only reason Jesus can remove the sin of the world is because He is God incarnate. His sacrifice carries infinite value because of who He is. This isn't just a good man dying for a cause—this is God Himself entering His creation, taking on human flesh, and offering Himself as the perfect sacrifice.

When the Spirit descended on Jesus like a dove, it confirmed His identity as the Messiah, the Anointed One, the Son of God. This fulfilled ancient prophecies and revealed God's plan of redemption unfolding in real time.

The good news is that Christ's sacrifice is sufficient for the entire world. First John 2:2 declares that "he is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world."

This doesn't mean everyone will automatically be saved, but it means salvation is available to all who believe. The most famous verse in the Bible captures this perfectly: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).

The invitation is universal. The offer is genuine. The power is limitless. Anyone who looks to Jesus in faith, who beholds the Lamb of God and trusts in His finished work, will be saved.

As we move through this Christmas season, the question confronts each of us: Where is your focus? What are you looking to? What are you trusting in?

The call of Christmas is to behold the Lamb—to fix our eyes on Jesus, to trust Him completely, to rest in His finished work. He is the founder and perfecter of our faith. He is the solution to our deepest problem. He is God's provision for our salvation.

This is the true wonder of Christmas: that God loved us so much that He provided His own Son as the sacrifice for our sins. That the eternal God became a helpless baby, grew into a man, and willingly laid down His life so that we might be reconciled to God.

Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. This is the message our world desperately needs to hear—not just at Christmas, but every day of the year.

Choose one of the following to practice this week:

Each morning, spend 5 minutes "beholding" Christ through reading one of the Gospel accounts of Jesus' life, death, or resurrection. Journal about what you discover about His character.

Write out your testimony focusing on how Christ removed your sin and changed your life. Practice sharing it in 3 minutes or less.

Identify one thing that regularly distracts you from focusing on Christ. Develop a plan to minimize that distraction and replace it with a spiritual discipline.

Pray for and initiate a conversation with one person who needs to hear about Jesus as the Lamb of God. Use the Christmas season as a natural opportunity.

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and said, 'Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29)