Lamb of God

Used to describe Jesus by John the Baptist (John 1:29, 35) and in Rev. as a symbol of Christ slain as a ransom for sin (Rev. 5:6–14). Behind the expression in John 1 may be the influence of the Suffering Servant of Isa. 53, and in some apocalyptic writings the lamb was also a figure destined to overcome evil and sin which are symbolized by beasts. In the gospel of John (but not in the synoptic gospels) the death of Jesus is placed at the time of the slaughter of the Passover lambs in the Temple (cf. 1 Cor. 5:7). The Baptist's exclamation is only intelligible in the light of Jesus'resurrection.