The gospel means "good news" . . .
what exactly IS the good news?

John the Baptist looked up from the river of his labors into
the face of the Jesus, his cousin,
coming down to the water,
there to fulfill God's demands, without exception,
humbly asking to be baptized of John.

John, son of Elizabeth, knew His story, had probably witnessed
Jesus' strange goodness, still did not know fully His Identity.
"I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?" (Matt. 3:14 NAS)

John obeyed the Holy Man and
plunged Him under the running water.

Out of the river, Jesus rose to what was -
even to the Son of God - a new and power filled life!

The Gentle Presence of the Holy Spirit
descended on Him,
"in bodily form like a dove." (Luke 3:22 NIV)
and abided, still and forever . . . with Him.

 
By this Divine Imbuing, of which he had been told, (John 1:3-34)
John knew at last and for a certainty that
Jesus was the Secret Savior . . . Promised Messiah!

And by a simple speech of just one sentence,
John declared the most awesome statement
ever uttered by a mere human.

"Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world."
John 1:29

What an amazing thing that
John the Baptist understood this fully!
Knew the breadth and scope of forgiveness
even before it took place on the Cross!
We don't comprehend it even if
we know it has happened.

This gospel news is mankind's greatest need
by the threat of darkest hell.

The Lamb of God "takes away the sins."

What a thought! Not forgiven only . . .
that would be phenomenal in itself.
But to "take away" all sins. Can we take it in?

"Take away" is the Greek word "airo" -
to lift, to take up or away,
away with, bear up, carry, lift up, loose,
put away, remove

O such news!
My sin is not just paid for. I am not only ransomed and set free.
My sin is GONE! It has been removed from me.
Lifted from my soul and life.
I am washed. I am freed. I am clean.

 

THE SINS OF THE WORLD
 

" the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world."
(emphasis mine)

It would be a mighty thing if I understood that for "ME,"
for ALL my sins . . . but to understand that
He took the sins of the world!
THAT would be the change of
my entire view of every person and every situation . . .
present and past,
and even of all humanity's history.


"They" - all of "them" - are forgiven as well as me.
ALL people are forgiven and altogether forgiven!

Those who know it, those who reject it,
even ones who never heard it.
Those who hate God, those who leave Him.
The most evil. The heinous, the corrupt.
Even so,

the sins of the world have been taken away.

Myriads will never enjoy that fact.
Many will die covered in their sins.
A tragic waste, a needless hell, for

all sins
have been
"taken away."

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Copyright © 2001 Martha Blaney Kilpatrick