Devine Scripture

John 1:29

What does John 1:29 mean?

A plain-English look at John 1:29 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

What John 1:29 means

On the very next day, John sees Jesus approaching and powerfully declares, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" This identification is profoundly significant. It points to Jesus as the ultimate sacrificial lamb, fulfilling the Old Testament sacrificial system, whose death would atone for the sins of all humanity. This pronouncement establishes Jesus' primary mission as a substitutionary sacrifice, not merely a prophet or king.

John 1:29 in context

John 1 — The Word Made Flesh

John lifts the curtain higher than any other Gospel. Before there was a Bethlehem, there was the Word — with God, who was God, by whom all things were made. The same Word who was the agent of creation became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth. John the Baptist points him out as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world; the first disciples follow him; Nathanael confesses him as the Son of God and King of Israel. The eternal becomes near enough to touch.

  • Pre-existence of Christ
  • Incarnation
  • Light and life
  • First disciples

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

On the morrow he seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold, the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world!

KJV

King James Version · 1611

The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

ASV

American Standard Version · 1901

On the morrow he seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold, the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world!

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

The day after, John sees Jesus coming to him and says, See, here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

on the morrow John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, `Lo, the Lamb of God, who is taking away the sin of the world;

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

The next day, John saw Jesus coming to him; and he saith: Behold the Lamb of God. Behold him who taketh away the sin of the world.

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

On the morrow he sees Jesus coming to him, and says, Behold the Lamb ofGod, who takes away the sin of the world.

Context

This verse marks a dramatic turning point: immediately after John's testimony about the greater One, Jesus Himself appears. John's powerful declaration, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!," serves as the first explicit public identification of Jesus' divine mission. It connects directly to the purpose of the Word's incarnation (v.14) and sets the stage for all that Jesus will do, moving the narrative from anticipation to revelation.

v.28These things were done in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

v.29This passage

v.30This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man who is become before me: for he was before me.

Cross references

Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  • Genesis 22:7

    And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold, the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt-offering?

  • Revelation 21:14

    And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

  • Revelation 19:9

    And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they that are bidden to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are true words of God.

  • Revelation 12:11

    And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word of their testimony; and they loved not their life even unto death.

  • 1 Corinthians 15:3

    For I delivered unto you first of all that which also I received: that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

  • Revelation 5:8

    And when he had taken the book, the four living creatures and the four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having each one a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

Sermon ideas from John 1:29

Angles a pastor or small-group leader might preach or teach from this passage, drawn from the chapter's main themes.

  • What John 1:29 teaches us about pre-existence of christ

  • What John 1:29 teaches us about incarnation

  • What John 1:29 teaches us about light and life

  • What John 1:29 teaches us about first disciples

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