Blog

Good Shepherd · Iam The Lamb · Jesus · Lamb of God ·

Lamb and Shepherd in One (A Reflection on John 1:29 and John 10:11)

Lamb and Shepherd in One (A Reflection on John 1:29 and John 10:11)

When John the Baptist saw Jesus approaching the Jordan River, he made a declaration
that captures the whole mission of Christ in a single sentence: “Behold, the Lamb of
God who takes away the sin of the world!” — John 1:29

Some translations say “Behold…” others say “Look…” but the meaning is the same.
John the Baptist, whose purpose was to prepare the way for the Messiah, identified
Jesus not first as King, Lord, or Teacher, but as a Lamb.

Why Did John Call Jesus a Lamb? In Scripture, a lamb symbolizes innocence, purity,
and sacrificial offering. From the Passover lamb in Exodus to the lambs offered daily in
the temple, the image consistently pointed to substitution: one life given so another
could live. By calling Jesus “the Lamb of God,” John was saying: Jesus is God’s chosen
sacrifice; provided by God Himself, not by human priests; Jesus came to remove sin,
not just cover it temporarily; and Jesus’ mission from the start was sacrificial, aimed at
taking away “the sin of the world.”

This was not poetic language. It was theological truth: Jesus came to die as the perfect
offering for humanity. But, John 10:11 offers an amazingly divine contrast. In another
moment, Jesus described Himself in a completely different way: “I am the good
shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” — John 10:11
Here, Jesus is not the lamb. Here, He is the shepherd. A shepherd who protects,
guides, and willingly gives His life on behalf of His flock. This creates a profound and
beautiful paradox: Jesus is both the Lamb who is sacrificed and the Shepherd who
sacrifices Himself.

At the cross, Jesus fulfills both identities: 1) As the Lamb, He offers Himself as the
spotless sacrifice to take away sin; 2) As the Shepherd, He lays down His life out of
deep love for His sheep. The Shepherd becomes the Lamb so the lambs may become
children of God. In Jesus, God reveals a redemption plan beyond human imagination: a
Lamb who saves, a Shepherd who dies, and a Savior who holds both identities
perfectly.

Only God could unite those two images in one person and design such a perfect story
of love, sacrifice, and salvation, where Jesus is both the Lamb and the Shepherd.

By Ted Karr

Image:  This is another one of the beautiful pieces of artwork from Jamie that will be in our Psalm 23 book.

Back to Words from the Heart

You may also like View all

Lamb and Shepherd in One (A Reflection on John 1:29 and John 10:11)
Lamb and Shepherd in One (A Reflection on John 1:29 and John 10:11)

When John the Baptist saw Jesus approaching the Jordan River, he made a declarationthat captures the whole mission of Christ in a single sentence: “Behold, the Lamb ofGod who takes away the sin of the world!” — John 1:29 Some translations say “Behold…” others say “Look…” but the meaning is the same.John the Baptist, whose purpose was to prepare the way for the Messiah, identifiedJesus not first as King, Lord, or Teacher, but as a Lamb. Why Did John Call Jesus a Lamb? In Scripture, a lamb symbolizes innocence, purity,and sacrificial offering. From the Passover lamb in Exodus to the lambs offered daily inthe temple, the image consistently pointed to substitution: one life given so anothercould live. By calling Jesus “the Lamb of God,” John was saying: Jesus is God’s chosensacrifice; provided by God Himself, not by human priests; Jesus came to remove sin,not just cover it temporarily; and Jesus’ mission from the start was sacrificial, aimed attaking away “the sin of the world.” This was not poetic language. It was theological truth: Jesus came to die as the perfectoffering for humanity. But, John 10:11 offers an amazingly divine contrast. In anothermoment, Jesus described Himself in a completely different way: “I am the goodshepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” — John 10:11Here, Jesus is not the lamb. Here, He is the shepherd. A shepherd who protects,guides, and willingly gives His life on behalf of His flock. This creates a profound andbeautiful paradox: Jesus is both the Lamb who is sacrificed and the Shepherd whosacrifices Himself. At the cross, Jesus fulfills both identities: 1) As the Lamb, He offers Himself as thespotless sacrifice to take away sin; 2) As the Shepherd, He lays down His life out ofdeep love for His sheep. The Shepherd becomes the Lamb so the lambs may becomechildren of God. In Jesus, God reveals a redemption plan beyond human imagination: aLamb who saves, a Shepherd who dies, and a Savior who holds both identitiesperfectly. Only God could unite those two images in one person and design such a perfect storyof love, sacrifice, and salvation, where Jesus is both the Lamb and the Shepherd. By Ted Karr Image:  This is another one of the beautiful pieces of artwork from Jamie that will be in our Psalm 23 book.