John 1:29

On the morrow (th epaurion). Locative case with hmhrai (day) understood after the adverb epaurion. "Second day of this spiritual diary" (Bernard) from verse Matthew 19 . Seeth Jesus coming (blepei ton Ihsoun ercomenon). Dramatic historical present indicative (blepei) with vivid present middle participle (ercomenon). Graphic picture. Behold the Lamb of God (ide o amno tou qeou). Exclamation ide like idou, not verb, and so nominative amno. Common idiom in John ( Matthew 1:36 ; Matthew 3:26 , etc.). For "the Lamb of God" see 1 Corinthians 5:7 (cf. John 19:36 ) and 1 Peter 1:19 . The passage in Isaiah 53:6 is directly applied to Christ by Philip in Acts 8:32 . See also Matthew 8:17 ; 1 Peter 2:22 ; Hebrews 9:28 . But the Jews did not look for a suffering Messiah ( John 12:34 ) nor did the disciples at first ( Mark 9:32 ; Luke 24:21 ). But was it not possible for John, the Forerunner of the Messiah, to have a prophetic insight concerning the Messiah as the Paschal Lamb, already in Isaiah 53:1 ff., even if the rabbis did not see it there? Symeon had it dimly ( Luke 2:35 ), but John more clearly. So Westcott rightly. Bernard is unwilling to believe that John the Baptist had more insight on this point than current Judaism. Then why and how did he recognize Jesus as Messiah at all? Certainly the Baptist did not have to be as ignorant as the rabbis. Which taketh away the sin of the world (o airwn thn amartian tou kosmou). Note singular amartian not plural amartia ( 1 John 3:5 ) where same verb airw, to bear away, is used. The future work of the Lamb of God here described in present tense as in 1 John 1:7 about the blood of Christ. He is the Lamb of God for the world, not just for Jews.