João 1:17

Cole - Why does John introduce the law and Moses here? For one thing, in Exodus 34, when God called Moses back to Mount Sinai to reveal His glory, He instructed him to cut out two stone tablets like the former ones that he had broken in anger when he went down the mountain and found the people worshiping the golden calf (Ex 34:1). God reissued the law on that occasion of showing Moses His glory. The law, as summarized in the Ten Commandments, manifested God’s grace (“lovingkindness”) and truth (Ex 34:6). If that passage is the backdrop for these verses in John, then he is showing that as great as the law and Moses were, someone who embodies grace and truth had now “tabernacled” among us. Andreas Kostenberger (ibid., p. 47) points out, “Rather than offend the Gospel’s Jewish audience, this verse is designed to draw it in: ‘If you want an even more gracious demonstration of God’s covenant love and faithfulness,’ the evangelist tells his readers, ‘it is found in Jesus Christ.’” So John is saying, “If you thought that God’s gift of the law through Moses was a great thing (and it was), He has given us a greater gift now through Jesus Christ.” But it seems to me that John is at the same time drawing a contrast between the inferiority of the law and the superiority of Jesus Christ. Leon Morris (The Gospel According to John[Eerdmans], p. 112) points out, “The contrast of the Christian way with the Jewish and the function of Moses as subordinate to and pointing forward to the Christ is a recurring theme in the Gospel (see 5:39, 46; 6:32; 8:32ff.; 9:28ff.).” J. C. Ryle (Ibid., 3:40) puts it this way: By Moses was given the law-the moral law, full of high and holy demands, and of stern threatenings against disobedience;-the ceremonial law, full of burdensome sacrifices, ordinances, and ceremonies, which never healed the worshipper’s conscience, and at best were only shadows of good things to come. By Christ, on the other hand, came grace and truth-grace by the full manifestation of God’s plan of salvation, and the offer of complete pardon to every soul that believes on Jesus,-and truth, by the unveiled exhibition of Christ Himself, as the true sacrifice, the true Priest, and the true atonement for sin. Augustine, on this verse, says: “The law threatened, not helped; commanded, not healed; showed, not took away, our feebleness. But it made ready for the Physician who was to come with grace and truth.” Also, note that this is the first time that John has used the human name, Jesus, or His designation as Christ, or Messiah. He uses “Jesus” 237 times, more than any other gospel and more than a quarter of all New Testament uses (Morris, p. 112). He also uses “Christ” more often than any other gospel, although he only uses “Jesus Christ” together one other time (17:3; but see 20:31). In 1:17, John is making it clear that the Word who was in the beginning with God, the Word who was God, and the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us, is none other than Jesus the Messiah of Israel. As I pointed out in our last study, God’s grace and truth reach their apex at the cross. His truth demanded that the penalty for sin be fully paid. His grace provided Jesus, the eternal Son of God, as that payment for sin for all who believe in Him. So make sure that you have received God’s gift of eternal life by trusting in Jesus Christ as your sin-bearer. Thus John says that you should believe in Jesus because He is greater than all the prophets, including John the Baptist; you should believe in Him because He provides abundant grace for all who believe; you should believe in Him because He is greater than Moses and the law. James Hastings - THE LAWGIVER - The law was given by Moses.—John 1:17. 1. That “the law was given by Moses” is the universal tradition of the Jewish Church. To what extent does modern scholarship confirm the truth of the tradition? (1) It may fairly be questioned, says Ottley, whether the Decalogue in its present form can be ascribed to Moses. In the first place, what appears to be an older and widely different version of the “ten words” is found in the Book of Exodus (34:14–26); secondly, the Decalogue in its present form seems to be influenced by the teaching of the eighth-century prophets. It is also urged that an exclusively moral code is not consistent with the predominantly ritualistic character of early religions. Other arguments have been adduced which it is needless to consider in detail. The facts as they stand are perplexing, and justify a suspension of judgment. It is reasonable to suppose that the Decalogue in its present form bears traces of expansion in prophetic times; at the same time it lays down principles of morality which are so elementary as to be strictly consistent with what we know of the condition of Israel in Mosaic times. It is difficult to see what other precepts could have been better adapted to lift the Hebrews above the degraded nature-religion of their heathen neighbours, to teach them the true character of their Divine Deliverer, and to educate them in the rudiments of social justice and humanity. In short, the “ten words” as we have them in the Pentateuch may be a later prophetic summary of the great moral ideas contained in the religion of Moses; but there is every reason to suppose that in a brief and easily remembered form the primary moral precepts of the Decalogue constituted from the first the foundation of Israel’s national development. It is indeed impossible otherwise to account for the vitality and vigour which gave to the Hebrews their physical and moral superiority over the inhabitants of Canaan. The Decalogue has in fact intrinsic credibility as a Mosaic utterance, and we may reasonably accept it as an authentic monument—at least in its main substance—of the period to which Hebrew tradition assigns it. ¶ While many of the enactments of the Book of the Covenant served but a temporary purpose, and passed away with the religion of Judaism, the Decalogue has been retained unchanged in the Christian Church. The Divinity of its origin and the excellency of its contents still give it a foremost place in the theology of every Christian community. There is nothing in it that is not valid for mankind. It is a universal code of morals. No compend of morality among ethnic religions can be compared with it. The ethical systems of Confucius, of Zoroaster, of Buddha, of the Greek moralists, are far behind it as a summary of human duty. All will admit that the Decalogue is cast in an archaic mould; and the negative form in which its commandments are addressed is in keeping with its primitive character. In the infantile life of a nation, as in child life, the early part of its moral training must always consist of concrete precepts, expressed in a prohibitory form. In the first portion of a child’s life it has to be kept from harm by continual prohibitions; and the formation at that early stage of the habit of obedience to these simple prohibitory commands is essential to moral well-being. Thus it is thoroughly consistent with the youthful stage of the Beni-Israel, a horde of slaves newly enfranchised and little better than children, that this fundamental code of moral and religious duty should be one not of principles but of plain precepts. Children do not understand principles: they must at first receive simple, concrete directions as to what they shall do and not do. Truth must be accommodated to the measure of their mind; and while they cannot comprehend the principles that lie at the basis of property, they understand the command “Do not steal.” The first stage of moral education will be full of restrictions. And the form of the Decalogue is in keeping with the stage of Israel’s progress in morality. (2) Again, some forms of worship were doubtless observed in the wilderness, though it is impossible to point to any details of cultus prescribed by Moses himself. Some traditional usages seem to have been retained or regulated by the lawgiver. There certainly existed a primitive sanctuary, or “tent of meeting,” designed to serve as the seat of the sacred oracle and as a shelter for the ark. In form this structure would resemble the ordinary shepherd’s tent, having its outer and inner compartment, and standing in an enclosed court. The tent of meeting seems in Mosaic times to have been pitched outside the camp (Exod. 33:7; Num. 11:26, 12:4), and not, as was assumed in post-exilic times, at its centre. Sacrifices of some kind must have been offered during the wanderings, but we can only conjecture what their exact significance may have been. According to the primitive Semitic idea, sacrifice was the means of renewing or maintaining the bond which united the people to their god; and a ceremony like that described in connexion with the ratification of the covenant (Exod. 24) would probably be repeated on special occasions, e.g., before the tribes engaged in battle with their enemies. If Moses instituted a regular priesthood, possibly recruited from members of his own tribe (Levi), it is unlikely that its main function was that of sacrifice. The “holy” persons of Semitic antiquity were attached to the sanctuary and were its recognized guardians, but they were employed chiefly in consulting the oracle touching matters of difficulty. To the priesthood would naturally fall the task of continuing the work of Moses, i.e., imparting torah to those who asked for guidance, and giving judicial sentences (toroth) in matters of dispute. Thus a traditional and authoritative torah would gradually be formed, and there would be a tendency for the priesthood to become hereditary in certain families. The means by which Jehovah’s will was ascertained was usually the casting of the sacred lot, and it is easy to understand how rapidly the priesthood would acquire a powerful influence over the mass of the people. The original torah given by Moses, and after his time by the priesthood, was oral; and the name “En-mishpat” (“well of judgment”) at Kadesh, which was for a long period the religious centre of the tribes, indicates that the sanctuary was invariably the seat of justice, as well as the place of worship. ¶ Even on Wellhausen’s own admissions, it may be urged that the Levitical Law, as we have it now, is but the codified form of the Torahs given by Moses. For that critic makes the Jews go from Egypt to Kadesh, as “the original object of their wanderings,” and there spend “the forty years of their wanderings in the wilderness.” “The legislation at the seat of judgment at Kadesh,” he proceeds to say, “goes on for forty years, and consists in the dispensation of justice at the sanctuary, which he begins, and the priests and judges carry on after him according to the pattern he set. And in this way the Torah has its place in the historical narrative, not in virtue of its matter as the contents of a code, but from its form as constituting the professional activity of Moses. It is in history not as a result, as the sum of the laws and usages binding on Israel, but as a process.” From this point of view Moses was the author of the Customary Law of Israel, which assumes a codified form in the Pentateuch, and the Law thus codified may not improperly be called the Law of Moses, as tradition has taught us to call it. 2. If we seek to know to what extent the Mosaic legislation is original, we need go no further than the Code of Hammurabi. Dr. C. H. W. Johns, in a very full examination of the Code of Hammurabi and its relation to the Mosaic legislation, in Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible, v. 611, sums up in these words: “We may say that the Israelite legislation shows strong traces of Babylonian influence, and yet not destroy the independence of its origin. We cannot suppose that the author of any code set to work to draw up a comprehensive scheme of law. Each built upon the already prevailing custom. His attention would be directed chiefly to what was not matter of uniform treatment. The most characteristically Babylonian things in the current custom of the day in Israel may be just those which are not legislated for. The new legislation did not require to touch what was so firmly established. Other things of Babylonian origin may have been abrogated by the new laws—it would not be necessary to say what they had been, but merely by stating the new law to say they should be no longer. That any Israelite code shows marked differences from the Code of Hammurabi is enough to show an independent origin. The absence of any difference would show complete dependence. The co-existing likenesses and differences argue for an independent recension of ancient custom deeply influenced by Babylonian law. The actual Code of Hammurabi is a witness to what influence might accomplish. It cannot be held to be a creative source. The Code may only be itself a proof of the same influences. These may be called Semitic in preference to Babylonian. But that view calls for overwhelming proof that there was any source of civilization powerful enough to have this influence on both Israel and Babylonia. The presumption that Babylonia had a prominent influence on Palestine long before Israelite codes were drawn up is one that grows stronger as time goes on.”

João 1:18

Cole explains that "in the bosom of the Father” corresponds to “the Word was with God” (1:1) and points to the close and unbroken fellowship that Jesus enjoyed with the Father, as seen in His prayer in chapter 17. It also shows us the horror of the cross for Jesus, when as He bore our sins He cried out (Mt. 27:46), “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” This shows that as horrible as Jesus being the Bearer of all mankind's sins was, even worse was the momentary separation from His Father (a mystery no man can explain, certainly not this writer!). It is interesting that Paul in his description of the judgment of unbelievers does not emphasize the fiery torment but the separation from God (2Th 1:6-10 = "These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power."). D A Carson - A similar expression is found elsewhere: Lazarus is in Abraham’s bosom (Lk. 16:22–23), and John rests on Jesus’ bosom at the last supper (Jn 13:23). It apparently conveys an aura of intimacy, mutual love and knowledge. (The Gospel according to John).

João 1:18

João 1:29

Cole adds that "Some think that (LAMB OF GOD) was referring to the Passover lamb, whose blood spared the Israelites from the loss of their firstborn (John connects Jesus with the Passover lamb in John 19:36). It could refer to the lambs that were offered as morning and evening sacrifices at the temple (Ex 29:36-42+). Others say that it refers to the lamb of Isaiah 53:7, who died to bear the sin of many (see Isa. 53:3-12+). Or, it could refer to the lamb that God provided as a substitute so that Abraham did not have to sacrifice his “only” son Isaac (Gen. 22:7-13). Leon Morris is probably correct when he states (The Gospel According to John [Eerdmans], p. 147), “He used an expression which cannot be confined to any one view. He is making a general allusion to sacrifice.” He adds (p. 148), “All that the ancient sacrifices foreshadowed was perfectly fulfilled in the sacrifice of Christ. J. C. Ryle (Expository Thoughts on the Gospels [Baker], 3:55) wrote, “It meant that Christ was the great sacrifice for sin, who was come to make atonement for transgression by His own death upon the cross.” He adds (3:57), “He is describing our Lord’s official character as the great propitiation for sin.”" The Lamb of God - John does not say Behold me. "John doesn’t say, “Look at me! I’m a great prophet!” He doesn’t say, “Look at your good works; they will save you.” He doesn’t say, “Look at your religious rituals; they will put you in good stead on judgment day.” He doesn’t say, “Look at your religious heritage or your church attendance.” He says, “Look to the Lamb of God!” Jesus saves sinners who look in faith to Him." (Cole) In using this phrase, John described Jesus by the name Lamb, an animal which was recognized by all Jews as one used in the Temple sacrifices and in the celebration of Passover. It was as if John was saying behold the "Sacrifice." The implication is that John understood in some way that Jesus had come to die a sacrificial death. How John came to have this understanding is not clear. Of course, ultimately the Spirit of Truth (Jn 14:17, 15:26, 16:13; cf "illumination") opened the eyes of John's heart to "see" this spiritual truth. And surely John was familiar with the Old Testament and so would have some understanding of the metaphorical descriptions of coming Messiah depicted as a "lamb. He would also have understood there were passages that described a "Suffering Messiah," (see some of these passages below) a teaching that was not popular among most of the Jews of John's day who were looking for a "Conquering Messiah." (See the Jewish Tradition of Two Messiahs - very informative 34 page booklet) One other point to note is the definite article ("the", the Greek article "ho") precedes Lamb, . You may be asking "So what?" The importance is that the definite article preceding "Lamb" signifies that Jesus is THE UNIQUE Lamb, THE "ONE and ONLY" Lamb, that He is distinct and different and is not like other lambs Jews had been sacrifices for centuries. Hebrews 10:4+ explains why stating that "it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins." Only the blood of THE Lamb can take away the sin of the world! Steven Cole notes that John 1:29 "is so familiar that it doesn’t shock us, but it should. That was a radical thing for John to say about a young Galilean carpenter to a bunch of Jewish people who for centuries had offered their sacrificial lambs at the temple! “This man is the One Whom God has sent to be what all of those thousands of lambs over hundreds of years have symbolized! And He is not only the Lamb that God sent for Israel, but also for the whole world!” For centuries the Israel had been sacrificing two lambs daily, one in the morning and a second in the evening, first in the Tabernacle and then in the Temple. John would have been very familiar with this practice as his father served as one of the priests and would have taught him about the sacrificial system and how the blood of the slain animals provided atonement for sins. But now John sees Jesus and recognizes Him as the ultimate sacrifice for the sin of the world. John would have read about the OT statute in Exodus which foreshadowed and pointed to the Lamb of God... “Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two one year old lambs (Lxx = amnos- same word John uses here in Jn 1:29) each day, continuously. 39 “The one lamb (Lxx = amnos) you shall offer in the morning and the other lamb (Lxx = amnos) you shall offer at twilight; 40 and there shall be one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with one-fourth of a hin of beaten oil, and one-fourth of a hin of wine for a drink offering with one lamb (Lxx = amnos). 41 “The other lamb (Lxx = amnos) you shall offer at twilight, and shall offer with it the same grain offering (minchah) and the same drink offering (necek) as in the morning, for a soothing aroma (nihoah reah - See foreshadowing of Jesus), an offering by fire (ishsheh) to the LORD. (Ex 29:38-41+) “Command the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘You shall be careful to present My offering, My food for My offerings by fire, of a soothing aroma to Me, at their appointed time.’ 3 “You shall say to them, ‘This is the offering by fire which you shall offer to the LORD: two male lambs (Lxx = amnos- same word John uses here in Jn 1:29) one year old without defect (tamim cf 1 Pe 1:18-19+) as a continual burnt offering ('olah) every day (cf what Paul says we should do today - Ro 12:1-2+). 4 ‘You shall offer the one lamb (Lxx = amnos) in the morning and the other lamb (Lxx = amnos) you shall offer at twilight; 5 also a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a grain offering, mixed with a fourth of a hin of beaten oil. 6 ‘It is a continual burnt offering which was ordained in Mount Sinai as a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the LORD. 7 ‘Then the drink offering with it shall be a fourth of a hin for each lamb (Lxx = amnos), in the holy place you shall pour out a drink offering of strong drink to the LORD. 8‘ The other lamb (Lxx = amnos) you shall offer at twilight; as the grain offering of the morning and as its drink offering, you shall offer it, an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to the LORD. (Numbers 28:2-8 = see in depth commentary on this daily offering as well as weekly, monthly and yearly offerings God commanded, all of which pointed to the Lamb of God proclaimed here in John 1:29, 36 by John the Baptist). Some other passages related to Jesus as the Lamb of God... SUFFERING SERVANT - Isaiah 53 (commentary) - Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. 3He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. 4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. 6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him. 7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; LIKE A LAMB that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered That He was cut off out of the land of the living For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due? 9 His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth. 10 But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering (see asam), He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand. 11 As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many (OUR SINS WERE PLACED ON THE LAMB OF GOD UPON THE CROSS!), And interceded for the transgressors. PASSOVER LAMB - Ex 12:5-11 (commentary) Your lamb shall be an unblemished male a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. 6 ‘You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month (NISAN), then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel is to kill it at twilight. (THE TIME OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE OF THE LAMB - COMPARE WHEN JESUS DIED IN THE AFTERNOON AS THE ETERNAL SACRIFICE - SEE Mt 27:45 = DARKNESS FROM NOON TO 3PM, ABOUT THE TIME OF THE SACRIFICES OF THE LITERAL PASSOVER LAMBS!) 7 ‘Moreover, they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. 8 ‘They shall eat the flesh that same night, roasted with fire, and they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 9 ‘Do not eat any of it raw or boiled at all with water, but rather roasted with fire, both its head and its legs along with its entrails. 10 ‘And you shall not leave any of it over until morning, but whatever is left of it until morning, you shall burn with fire. 11 ‘Now you shall eat it in this manner: with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste–it is the LORD’S Passover. 12‘For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments–I am the LORD. 13‘The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. 14 ‘Now this day will be a memorial to you, and you shall celebrate it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations you are to celebrate it as a permanent ordinance. PROPHECY OF LAMB FULFILLED AND PROFITABLE - Acts 8:32-35+ (ETHIOPIAN EUNUCH READING ISAIAH'S PROPHECY AND IS BORN AGAIN) - Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this: “HE WAS LED AS A SHEEP TO SLAUGHTER; AND AS A LAMB BEFORE ITS SHEARER IS SILENT, SO HE DOES NOT OPEN HIS MOUTH. “IN HUMILIATION HIS JUDGMENT WAS TAKEN AWAY; WHO WILL RELATE HIS GENERATION? FOR HIS LIFE IS REMOVED FROM THE EARTH.” 34The eunuch answered Philip and said, “Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or of someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him (AND CLEARLY EXPLAINED THAT ISAIAH 53 WAS A PROPHECY FULFILLED BY JESUS.). SACRIFICED PASSOVER LAMB - 1 Cor 5:7 Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. SIN BEARING LAMB - 1 Peter 2:21-24+ For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, 22 WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; 23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. Revelation 5:6-13+ And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. 7 And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. 8 When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they *sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. 10 “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.” 11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.” 13 And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, “To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.” COMMENT - Lamb in the Revelation passages is arnion the diminutive of aren. Aren signifies the young offspring of a sheep, and can speak of an animal for slaughter and is used only in Lk 10:3+. Aren is used in the description of the Passover Lamb in Ex 12:5 "‘Your lamb (Lxx = aren) shall be an unblemished male a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats." In the coming Millennium "the wolf will dwell with the lamb (Lxx = aren), And the leopard will lie down with the young goat, And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little boy will lead them. (Isa. 11:6+, cf Isa 65:25). The other uses of arnion that refer to the Messiah are found in the Revelation - Rev 19:7, 9+ Rev 21:22, 2+ Rev 22:1-+ Rev 22:3+ Take a moment to WORSHIP the Lamb of God, remembering that the etymology of the word WORSHIP is "WORTHY!" HE ALONE IS WORTHY OF ALL OUR PRAISES... WORTHY IS THE LAMB Thank you for the cross, Lord Thank you for the price You paid Bearing all my sin and shame In love You came And gave amazing grace Thank you for this love, Lord Thank you for the nail pierced hands Washed me in Your cleansing flow Now all I know Your forgiveness and embrace Worthy is the Lamb Seated on the throne Crown You now with many crowns You reign victorious High and lifted up Jesus Son of God The Darling of Heaven crucified Worthy is the Lamb Worthy is the Lamb Thank you for the cross, Lord (thank you) Thank you for the price You paid Bearing all my sin and shame In love You came And gave amazing grace Thank you for this love, Lord Thank you for the nail pierced hands Washed me in Your cleansing flow Now all I know Your forgiveness and embrace Worthy is the Lamb Seated on the throne Crown You now with many crowns You reign victorious High and lifted up Jesus Son of God The Treasure of Heaven crucified Worthy is the Lamb Worthy is the Lamb Worthy is the Lamb Worthy is the Lamb Worthy is the Lamb Seated on the throne Crown You now with many crowns You reign victorious High and lifted up Jesus Son of God The Treasure of Heaven crucified Worthy is the Lamb Worthy is the Lamb Worthy is the Lamb Worthy is the Lamb Worthy is the Lamb Worthy is the Lamb Worthy is the Lamb Worthy is the Lamb And if that did not bless your heart enough, take some more time and play Shane & Shane's version of "IS HE WORTHY?" Do you feel the world is broken? (We do) Do you feel the shadows deepen? (We do) But do you know that all the dark won't stop the light from getting through? (We do) Do you wish that you could see it all made new? (We do) Is all creation groaning? (It is) Is a new creation coming? (It is) Is the glory of the Lord to be the light within our midst? (It is) Is it good that we remind ourselves of this? (It is) Is anyone worthy? Is anyone whole? Is anyone able to break the seal and open the scroll? The Lion of Judah who conquered the grave He is David's root and the Lamb who died to ransom the slave Is He worthy? Is He worthy Of all blessing and honor and glory? Is He worthy of this? He is Does the Father truly love us? (He does) Does the Spirit move among us? (He does) And does Jesus, our Messiah, hold forever those He loves? (He does) Does our God intend to dwell again with us? (He does) Is anyone worthy? Is anyone whole? Is anyone able to break the seal and open the scroll? The Lion of Judah who conquered the grave (Re 5:5+) He is David's root and the Lamb who died to ransom the slave From every people and tribe (People and tribe) Every nation and tongue (Every nation and tongue) (Re 5:9+) He has made us a kingdom and priests to God To reign with the Son Is He worthy? Is He worthy Of all blessing and honor and glory? Is He worthy? Is He worthy? Is He worthy of this? He is, He is Is He worthy? Is He worthy? He is, He is He is worthy, He is worthy He is As noted in the excursus below on the Lamb of God, John's declaration is the answer to the OT question "Where is the Lamb?" (Ge 22:7+) Note that even in Genesis 22 we see a statement by Abraham that could be taken as a prophecy when he answered Isaac's question "God will provide for Himself the LAMB for the burnt offering (THE CROSS WAS THE ULTIMATE "BURNT OFFERING"!), my son." (Ge 22:8+). Behold (2400)(idou) is the second person singular aorist middle imperative of eidon which is a call for the audience to see, perceive, look. In the NT idou is used as a demonstrative particle that draws attention to what follows. Idou in the middle voice means "you yourself look, see, perceive!" The aorist imperative is a command emphasizing "Do it now! Don't delay!" Zodhiates writes that idou is a "demonstrative particle. “Lo and behold!”, serving to call attention to something external or exterior to oneself; usually used at the beginning of a clause.