Sermon Series Blog: Come and See Pt.1

Come and See: Behold the Lamb

Seeing Jesus clearly leads to following Him fully
John 1:29–34

The Pressure to Perform—even Spiritually

Every new year comes with pressure. New goals. New habits. New expectations. January quietly tells us: level up. And without realizing it, many of us walk into the year already striving—trying to be better, stronger, more disciplined.

That mindset doesn’t stop at the gym or the calendar. It often sneaks into our walk with Jesus.

We start believing that spiritual power is earned—that praying more, reading more, and messing up less somehow increases our connection to God. Grace becomes transactional. Faith starts to feel like a points system.

But when John’s Gospel opens, it doesn’t begin with striving.
It begins with beholding.

Before Jesus performs a miracle, calls disciples, or preaches a sermon, John the Baptist points to Him and says:

“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29)

Before Jesus calls us to follow, He calls us to see.

Behold the Lamb—Not Just a Role Model

John doesn’t say, “Behold the teacher,” or “Behold the miracle worker.”
He says, “Behold, the Lamb.”

In the first century, everyone understood what that meant. During Passover, lambs were sacrificed year after year. Blood was poured out repeatedly, reminding the people of one painful truth: sin was covered—but not removed.

Then John points—not to a temple or altar—but to a man walking by the Jordan River and declares that the entire sacrificial system has reached its fulfillment.

Jesus didn’t come to inspire moral effort.
He came to end spiritual debt.

If Jesus is only a role model, Christianity becomes self-improvement.
But because Jesus is the Lamb, salvation is received—not achieved.

So before we ask, “What do I need to do this year?”
We must answer a more important question: Who is Jesus, really?

Jesus Takes Away Sin—Not Just Guilt

John says Jesus “takes away” the sin of the world. That phrase doesn’t mean temporary coverage—it means removal.

Jesus doesn’t just forgive sin’s penalty.
He breaks sin’s power and removes its shame.

Martin Luther believed Jesus forgave sin, but he didn’t believe Jesus was sufficient to free him from fear and striving. Only when he encountered the truth that “the righteous shall live by faith” did everything change.

Seeing the truth didn’t instantly fix his habits—but it changed his foundation.

Many believers today live forgiven—but exhausted.
Saved—but still striving.

Not because Jesus is insufficient, but because we’re drawing from the wrong source.

Scripture doesn’t call us to strive harder. It calls us to root deeper.

Revelation Comes Before Response

One of the most surprising lines in John 1 is when John the Baptist says, “I myself did not know Him.”

John didn’t recognize Jesus through familiarity or effort—but through revelation. Faith doesn’t begin with discovery. It begins with God revealing Himself.

And when revelation comes, it never stays private.

John says, “I have seen—and I testify.”

Witness isn’t performance.
It’s overflow.

You don’t need all the answers to point others to Jesus. You just need a real encounter—because once you’ve seen Him clearly, you can’t unsee Him.

Beholding Into Breakthrough

Breakthrough doesn’t begin with us reaching for God.
It begins with God drawing us.

That’s why this year isn’t about striving harder—it’s about beholding deeper.

Because what you behold shapes what you believe.
And what you believe shapes how you live.

We don’t chase breakthrough.
We behold the One who brings it.

Behold the Lamb.