Looking upon Jesus ... - Fixing his eyes intently upon him. Singling him out and regarding him with special attention. Contemplating him as the long-expected Messiah and Deliverer of the world. In this way all ministers should fix the eye upon the Son of God, and direct all others to him.

As he walked - While Jesus was walking.

And looking upon Jesus - Attentively beholding, εμβλεψας, from εν, into, and βλεπω, to look - to view with steadfastness and attention. He who desires to discover the glories and excellencies of this Lamb of God, must thus look on him. At first sight, he appears only as a man among men, and as dying in testimony to the truth, as many others have died. But, on a more attentive consideration, he appears to be no less than God manifest in the flesh, and, by his death, making an atonement for the sin of the world.

Behold the Lamb of God! - By this the Baptist designed to direct the attention of his own disciples to Jesus, not only as the great sacrifice for the sin of the world, but also as the complete teacher of heavenly truth.

And looking upon Jesus as he walked,.... Either by them; or as he was going from them to his lodgings; it being toward the close of the day, when John had finished his work for that day, and the people were departing home: John fixed his eyes intently on Christ, with great pleasure and delight, and pointing at him,

he saith, behold the Lamb of God; as in John 1:29, where it is added, "which taketh away the sin of the world"; and which the Ethiopic version subjoins here.

Looking (ἐμβλέψας)

Rev., giving the force of the aorist, and he looked. See on John 1:29. The verb is used by John only here and John 1:42.

As He walked (περιπατοῦντι)

The verb literally means to walk about (περί). Here, possibly, walking along. Westcott, "walking away." See on 1 Peter 5:8; see on Luke 11:44.

{16} And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

(16) Christ is set before us to follow, not as a vain shadow, but as our Mediator.

1:36 Behold the Lamb of God! On the preceding day John had recognized Jesus in a public discourse as the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world (Joh 1:29). Now he personally points the disciples to him.

36. looking-having fixed his eyes, with significant gaze, on Jesus.

as he walked-but not now to him. To have done this once (see on [1760]Joh 1:29) was humility enough [Bengel].

Behold, &c.-The repetition of that wonderful proclamation, in identical terms and without another word, could only have been meant as a gentle hint to go after Him-as they did.

1:29-36 John saw Jesus coming to him, and pointed him out as the Lamb of God. The paschal lamb, in the shedding and sprinkling of its blood, the roasting and eating of its flesh, and all the other circumstances of the ordinance, represented the salvation of sinners by faith in Christ. And the lambs sacrificed every morning and evening, can only refer to Christ slain as a sacrifice to redeem us to God by his blood. John came as a preacher of repentance, yet he told his followers that they were to look for the pardon of their sins to Jesus only, and to his death. It agrees with God's glory to pardon all who depend on the atoning sacrifice of Christ. He takes away the sin of the world; purchases pardon for all that repent and believe the gospel. This encourages our faith; if Christ takes away the sin of the world, then why not my sin? He bore sin for us, and so bears it from us. God could have taken away sin, by taking away the sinner, as he took away the sin of the old world; but here is a way of doing away sin, yet sparing the sinner, by making his Son sin, that is, a sin-offering, for us. See Jesus taking away sin, and let that cause hatred of sin, and resolutions against it. Let us not hold that fast, which the Lamb of God came to take away. To confirm his testimony concerning Christ, John declares the appearance at his baptism, in which God himself bore witness to him. He saw and bare record that he is the Son of God. This is the end and object of John's testimony, that Jesus was the promised Messiah. John took every opportunity that offered to lead people to Christ.