John 1:28
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, 'Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!' — the Baptist's confession of Jesus marks the Gospel's first Christological affirmation from a human voice. "Lamb of God" (amnos tou Theou) resonates with Passover (Exodus 12), Isaiah's suffering servant (Isaiah 53), and scapegoat theology (Leviticus 16), conflating multiple atonement traditions. "Takes away the sin of the world" suggests both substitution and cosmic scope, positioning Jesus' death as redemptive act before the crucifixion narrative.