take away the sin of the world

That Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world stands as a key concept in Christianity. During the season of Lent, we begin the period of preparation for celebrating the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus at Easter. At this time, we focus on sacrifice and repentance to prepare ourselves to receive with Christ the gifts offered to us in his Resurrection.

In the Gospel According to John 1:29 (NABRE), John says of Jesus: “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,” is a line we repeat in the Mass. In English, however, it’s easy to misunderstand what John is writing. When we think of taking something away, we easily can think about it just being gone or not around any more. The Greek αἴρω (hairo), by contrast, means “to take up or to carry.” Jesus is removing our sins from us by taking them upon himself.

How does this distinction change the way you think about your sins?

you also may like our study of the Letter to the Hebrews (digital only)
Many Christians struggle to understand one of the central mysteries of our faith: how Jesus can be both human and divine at the same time. The Letter to the Hebrews: An Explanation of the Mechanism of Our Salvation, an 18-lesson Catholic Bible study with an imprimatur, offers an in-depth look at the way in which Jesus’ dual nature allows for the salvation of humanity. The Letter to the Hebrews is designed to provide information that will encourage Christians to remain faithful. Click here to view a sample of the first lesson.

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