"Daar is die Lam van God..." Plaasvervangende offertradisies in die Johannesevangelie

Abstract

The issue of substitutionary sacrifice in John's Gospel is hotly debated. In this article it is argued that there are clear traces of this tradition in the Gospel, although it receives little emphasis. The hypothesis is argued that the author concentrates on the positive aspects of salvation. He does not deal with the question of Jesus' treatment of sin and guilt as such. However, with the scattered remarks through the Gospel about substitution and sacrifice, a clear indication is given that Jesus also deals with sin (I :29). Due to the positive theological focus in the Gospel this theme is not further developed, but simply stated briefly. When the question about the treatment of sin comes into focus (i e 1 John), no hesitation is displayed in using "typical" sacrificial and substitutionary terminology.