What are we to understand from John 1: 29: “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world”?

The verse is often misquoted as ‘Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins (plural) of the world’—which demonstrates that it is not understood, and that the person quoting is trying to make sense of it by altering what it says. The blood of Christ certainly takes away sins (see Rom. 11: 27; Heb. 10: 4, 12; 1 John 3: 5) and what is in view in John 1: 29 includes the removal of sins. However, the scope of the passage is much wider and speaks of the removal of sin itself—the root from which sins (the fruit) are produced. In Romans 5: 12 we read how “by one man sin entered into the world, and by sin death”. Adam’s disobedience resulted all his descendants being “constituted sinners” (v19)—that is, possessing a nature with a propensity to sin. However, creation itself was also affected, for God cursed the ground on account of man’s sin (see Gen. 3: 17) and “the whole creation groans together and travails in pain together until now” (Rom. 8: 22) and is looking to be “set free from the bondage of corruption” (v21) in which it now lies. Taking sin away therefore involves not only the sin principle within man, but the effects of his fall on the wider creation of which he was head.

   First, as to the believer. As a believer, my sins have been taken away, but my sinful nature has not: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1: 8). God has judged sin in the death of Christ, and believers are to “reckon yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 6: 11) in order that “sin shall not have dominion over you” (v14). The point is not that the sin nature is no longer there, but that it is not to rule. The basis for sin’s final removal has been laid in the death of Christ (see Heb. 9: 26) but not all of the effects of that death have yet been enacted upon. Hence, when we read “whom he has justified, these also he has glorified” (Rom. 8: 30), we know that our glorification is assured—the thing is as good as done—but practically “we await the Lord Jesus Christ [as] Saviour, who shall transform our body of humiliation into conformity to his body of glory” (Phil. 3: 20, 21). As fallen, man’s body is called a body of sin (see Rom. 6: 6), because sin has found expression in it, and it is subject to corruption (see 1 Cor. 15: 53) and death (see Rom. 6: 23), and hence “we groan, ardently desiring to have put on our house which [is] from heaven” (2 Cor. 5: 2; see Rom. 8: 23). However, as glorified, we shall possess bodies that are not only free from the curse of sin, but we shall be free of “the sin that dwells in me” (Rom. 7: 17).

   Second as to creation. We have already mentioned that on account of sin, creation “groans together and travails in pain together until now” (Rom. 8: 22). However, Scripture also presents a “world which is to come” (Heb. 2: 5), in which “a king shall reign in righteousness” (Is. 32: 1; see also Ps. 72: 1-4; 96: 11-13; 98: 4-9; Is. 16: 5; Mal. 4: 2 etc.). This is what is known as the millennial kingdom of Christ, in which the effects of the fall on creation will be lifted at “the revelation of the sons of God” (Rom. 8: 19)—the glorified saints. Hence, “the wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox; and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith Jehovah” (Is. 65: 25; see also Is. 11: 6-9). This will truly be a blessed scene, but it will not be perfect, because righteousness is to reign—such a reign implying the presence of that which is contrary to it. Indeed, some of those dwelling on the earth at that time will be specifically characterised as sinners: “for the youth shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed” (Is. 65: 20). Now those who inherit the kingdom in its earthly aspect will do so without glorified bodies. As such they will retain the capacity to sin (see Ezek. 45: 20), and also to pass on their sin nature to their offspring. Hence, “when the thousand years have been completed” Satan is able to “deceive the nations which [are] in the four corners of the earth” (Rev. 20: 7, 8) and bring about a rebellion against Christ’s perfect rule. The Devil will, of course, be defeated and consigned for all eternity to the lake of fire (see v10), along with any “not found written in the book of life” (v15). Death itself—the outcome of sin for man (Rom. 6: 23) and “[The] last enemy (1 Cor. 15: 26) will also be cast into the lake of fire (see Rev. 20: 14). Christ having therefore reigned until He had “put all enemies under his feet” (1 Cor. 15: 25) will deliver up the kingdom to Him who is God and Father (see v24). God will then bring in “new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwells righteousness” (2 Pet. 3: 13, my emphasis). No longer reigning but dwelling, because there is nothing there contrary to God’s mind, and nothing to disturb its peace. The word in John 1: 29, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” will then have found its complete fulfilment.