Read John 1:19-34

The Lawson family is a baseball family. Ever since I was a little boy, it has always been my dream to be a professional baseball player. I love the sport of baseball so much it’s crazy. It was in 8^th grade, however, when I came to the realization that I could put a ball in a hoop much better than I could hit a baseball. Even though I stopped playing the game, my passion has continued to grow. There are times, however, where I think to myself, “What it would have been like for my dream to become a reality? I would be a superstar with a hefty multi-million dollar contract. People would cheer and chant my name as I walk up to the plate. What if?” Now I would consider myself to be a very humble person. However, it doesn’t stop one from dreaming. If I was a big deal in the baseball scene, part of me would want to act like it. So much for humility!

If there was someone who had every right to be full of themselves, it was Jesus. Here He was, God in human form. He had the ability to do whatever He wanted. He heals people, raises the dead, walks on water and turns water into wine. Even so, there was no more humble person than Jesus. While He could do all of those things, He didn’t lord it over people. This is illustrated in John 1 when John the Baptist calls Jesus the “Lamb of God”.

When you think of a lamb, you don’t usually think of “power”, “king” or even “Almighty God”. However, John 1 contains the only mention in the entire Bible of “Lamb of God”. Isaiah equates Jesus like a “lamb led to a slaughter”. What does it mean that Jesus is called “Lamb of God”? What significance does that have? What impact should it have on my life?

One of the things that has impacted my relationship with Jesus all the more is that He is personable. He isn’t just a vengeful and reckless God. Instead, He’s quite the opposite. While He was present at creation, was the promised Savior of the world, performed incredible miracles and even rose from the dead, He very much wants to have a personal relationship with you.

What does it mean to you that Jesus, being God, willingly went to the cross for you as a lamb is lead to the slaughter? In John 1, John the Baptist created an image of humility for Jesus. It’s beyond incredible to me that Jesus would do that for me.

Jake Lawson

Questions to consider

• What does this name of Jesus mean to you?
• How does it make you feel that Jesus would willingly die for you when He had the power to avoid it?
• How is this name of Jesus going to influence the way you talk to people who don’t know Him?