In the New Testament, John the Baptist plays a crucial role in preparing the way for Jesus and recognizing His significance.
In Hebrews 9:22, it states that "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." This idea is tied to the sacrificial system in the Old Testament, where sacrifices were made for the atonement of sins. John the Baptist, in John 1:29, refers to Jesus as "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world," indicating that Jesus would fulfill the sacrificial role and provide true atonement for sin.
Hebrews 10:1-4 emphasizes the insufficiency of the Old Testament sacrifices, stating that they were only a shadow of the good things to come and could not make the worshippers perfect. The passage highlights that these sacrifices had to be repeated because they could not take away sins. In contrast, Hebrews 10:12 points to Jesus, who, after making a single sacrifice for sins, sat down at the right hand of God, signifying the completeness and finality of His atoning work.
In summary, John the Baptist indicated that Jesus is the fulfillment of the sacrificial system, the ultimate Lamb of God who would provide genuine forgiveness and reconciliation with God through His once-and-for-all sacrifice.