John was not referring to Jesus. John would not call the man that calls himself the "Shepherd", the leader sent to save lambs, a "lamb" that needs a leader. Lambs need to be saved. A lamb was used for slaughter to remove sins, John was sent by GOD to teach lamb slaughter does NOT remove sin, water baptism removes sin.
To imply that the death of Jesus removes sin would negate the entire purpose of being water baptized making what John does have no meaning at all and unnecessary. Jesus said John the Baptist was the greatest man born and that is because God sent John, the lamb to remove the sins of the world. John never taught Jesus must die for people to have their sins removed. John knew that was not true. Jesus never said my death will remove sin because it does not. Jesus commanded ALL nations, the entire world, to believe in water baptism for remission of sin. He would not do that if he wanted people to believe his death is going to remove their sins. Jesus never commanded anyone to believe his death would remove sin. Jesus whipped the temple priests because they were selling lambs for slaughter to remove sin.
Sin can not be transposed from a guilty life to an innocent one. That is hocus pocus and does not happen. The guilty are accountable for their sins/crimes and the innocent are to be free, not blamed for things they did not do. The innocent should never be punished and the guilty set free. To believe otherwise is inequity, injustice and God is true justice always.
Paul claimed Jesus was a bought and paid for ransom for sin but that concept infuriated Jesus because it makes the House of God a house of commerce. Paul said Jesus Christ is a son of man, son of David. Jesus denied that is true, Jesus said the Christ is a Son of God and no man is a God.
1 Timothy 2:6
Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time."
RANSOM = a sum of money or other payment demanded or paid for the release of a prisoner:
John 2:16
And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence;
make not my Father's house an house of merchandise.
Mark 11:17
And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves."
Jesus said all that came before him were robbers and thieves. Men go to war to take what does not belong to them like a thief.
Jesus told the temple leaders that refused to be water baptized for their sin removal they would not escape the wrath to come. ( Jesus was speaking as a people, all Jews ) That wrath is a man made Apocalypse, world nuclear war, that their sons that believe in animal sacrifice by tradition, today a red cow sacrifice to please their Lord God , will fight and die in it because it is an unwinnable by anyone war. It is a war of human extinction, End of Days war.
Matthew 20:28
Even as the
Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many."
The
Son of man is the expected Jewish Christ, son of David, that will lead an army to slaughter the enemies of his nation. He is sworn to forfeit his own life to save his country in war. He commands the enemy to obey the laws of HIS nation or die. He does NOT lead an army for that army to be ministered to, told what to do by the enemy.
Jesus refused to be a military commander, Son of man, for the Jews and told them to love their enemy so no war would happen. Jesus told them the Christ is the
Son of God but they refused to believe it. Jews worship a man made wrathful Lord that commands war be fought.
Jesus worships the true God that commands love one another.
The person of lessor status introduces himself to the person of higher status as appropriate etiquette. John, the Lamb that removes sin, was introducing himself to his Shepherd that leads people to eternal life. After the introduction of himself to Jesus, John then speaks ABOUT Jesus to the people he had been baptizing in case they had not met him before so they will know Jesus is their Shepherd and they are his sheep, his flock.
A lamb does not lead sheep, John is not the leader, Shepherd, of the flock John is helping to form, and John points out that fact to people. His sheep know their Shepherd is not a lamb for slaughter' because they have learned what "I desire mercy and not sacrifice means".