The Bible Verse That Makes Me Cry

(It's John 1:29)

This is my favorite Bible verse:

“Look, the Lamb of God,
who takes away the sin of the world!”

John 1:29

The first time I read this scripture, I teared up. Then I reread it, and I had the same reaction. Some time later, I, unprepared, re-read it, and the same thing happened: tears overwhelmed me with emotion.

So I thought: I guess this is my favorite verse now!

I find it so moving because it’s the Gospel in one short, impactful sentence.

Hannah Heather from Lectio365 writes,

“Announcing Jesus as a lamb has an immediately graphic implication in the minds of those listening. The only way a lamb deals with the problem of sin is through death when it is killed as a sacrifice. Jesus is the lamb of God who will die in order to take away my sin: not just overlook it, but take it away, removing its sting for eternity.”

January 7, 2026 Lectio 365 Devotion

Here’s a breakdown of why this sentence is so powerful and packed with meaning:

1. We are urged to LOOK! 👀 - Some translations say “Behold,” others have “Look!” an exclamation. There is an urgency in this word, a beckoning, a compelling call. Look, or you might miss him.

2. We are told there is a LAMB 🐑 - As Heather said above, the lamb can only mean one thing: atonement, sacrifice, death. But also, I’m struck by the innocence with which the poor lamb must bear the sins of the world.

3. He is OF GOD ☀️ - God sends the Lamb. He came from heaven on a mission. John 1:29 is perhaps the most cited verse because it is said every day by Catholics around the world in the Lamb of God prayer.

4. He TAKES AWAY ❌ - It is finished. It is gone. No continual, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly atonement for sins with the shedding of animal blood. One perfect man did it all. See Hebrews 9:13-14

5. THE SIN OF THE WORLD 🌎 - What a weight! On such a small, cute, fluffy animal. The visual is stunning to me. It is a very inadequate visual to portray the magnitude of Christ’s sacrifice.

Dear Jesus,

Thank you for being our substitute.
You died so we might live.
You are our innocent lamb who was slain.

Thank you.

Amen