Lamb of God

The title Lamb of God (in Latin Agnus Dei) appears in the Gospel of John, with the exclamation of John the Baptist: "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" in John 1:29 when he sees Jesus.

Although in Christian teachings, Lamb of God refers to Jesus Christ in his role of the perfect sacrificial offering, specific Christological arguments dissociate it from the Old Testament concept of a "scapegoat" which is subjected to punishment for the sins of others, without knowing it or willing it. These teachings emphasize that Jesus chose to suffer at Calvary as a sign of his full obedience to the will of his Father, as an "agent and servant of God". The Lamb of God is thus related to the Paschal Lamb of Passover, which is viewed as foundational and integral to the message of Christianity.

A lion-like lamb which rises to deliver victory after being slain appears several times in the Book of Revelation. Although also indirectly referred to in Pauline writings, nothing in the context of 1 Corinthians 5:7 directly implies that in that specific passage Saint Paul refers the death of Jesus using the same theme as in Johannine writings.

The Lamb of God title has found widespread use in Christian prayers and the Agnus Dei is used both a standard part of the Catholic Mass, with other uses in liturgy and as a form of contemplative prayer. The Agnus Dei also forms part of musical settings of the Mass.