Devotion 118 – Monday of Quinquagesima

Opening Prayer

Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us.

Test: John 1:29-34

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.” And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”

Devotion

From Jesus’ Baptism on, John knew our Lord Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. John couldn’t put spirit and life into his Baptism, because he was just a man; but Jesus could baptize with the Spirit, because He is God’s Son. When He was baptized, Baptism became holy; the water did not sanctify Him, but He sanctified it, for He was baptized to suffer the baptism of blood, and then He let the water flow from His side together with the blood, so that Baptism becomes a “cleansing fountain, red With the dear blood of Jesus, Which from all sins inherited And our misdeeds, can free us, Eternal life bestowing” (Luther: To Jordan came ELH 247:7).

He is called the Lamb of God, because He is God. O wonder of all wonders, God Himself, the Son, God equal with the Father, is the sacrificial Lamb for the sins of the world. He is called the Lamb of God also because God chose Him and gave Him for us. We have not brought this sacrifice without first receiving it from God. He is called a Lamb because He is to be offered and because He goes to death, patient as a lamb (Isa 53:7).

He takes away the sin of the world, which is laid on Him at Baptism and since that time weighs heavy upon Him so that He feels its weight more and more. The wrath and judgment of the Righteous One for our unrighteousness, all our weakness, all our sickness of body and soul unto the pain of death and condemnation, lies upon Him. He bears it and carries it away, takes away the punishment and takes away the power of ungodliness, so that sin should neither condemn us nor rule over us. He bears the sin of the world, of Jews and Gentiles, from the first soul on earth to the last. What a burden! But what grace for us! This is for us! Praise to the Lamb: now God does not see my sin on me any more, for my sin too is taken away, the many and the great sins which otherwise should press me down into hell!

“Now we know where our sins are laid; the Law lays them on our conscience and sticks them in our chest, but God takes them from us and lays them on the shoulders of the Lamb. ‘I know your sins are too hard for you to bear,’ God says, ‘so look, I lay them on My Lamb and take them away from you.’ This you should believe; for when you do, you are free from sin. Sin can only be in one of two places: either it is with you, weighing you down, then you are doomed; or it is on Christ, then you are free and are saved; choose now what you will” (Luther). You are baptized and have right and access to this grace; do not reject it by unbelief. “There is no salvation in any other” (Act 4:12).

Closing Prayer

Greatly to be praised are You, Lord Jesus; You take away the sin of the whole world, You suffer death and are my Advocate with the Father. Help me to believe in You and to let You take away and destroy my sin, so that in trouble and death I have my only comfort in You, gladly follow You, patiently suffer, and find a place at the foot of Your throne in heaven. Amen.

Hymn

A Lamb goes uncomplaining forth,
The guilt of all men bearing;
And laden with the sins of earth,
None else the burden sharing!
Goes patient on, grows weak and faint,
To slaughter led without complaint,
That spotless life to offer;
Bears shame and stripes, and wounds and death,
Anguish and mockery, and saith,
“Willing all this I suffer.”

This Lamb is Christ, the soul’s great Friend,
The Lamb of God, our Savior;
Him God the Father chose to send
To gain for us His favor.
“Go forth, My Son,” the Father saith,
“And free men from the fear of death,
From guilt and condemnation.
The wrath and stripes are hard to bear,
But by Thy Passion men shall share
The fruit of Thy salvation.”

“Yea, Father, yea, most willingly
I’ll bear what Thou commandest;
My will conforms to Thy decree,
I do what Thou demandest.”
O wondrous Love, what hast Thou done!
The Father offers up His Son!
The Son, content, descendeth!
O Love, how strong Thou art to save!
Thou layest Him within the grave
Whose might the boulders rendeth!