God’s Lamb
Devotions for Growing Christians
God’s Lamb
Genesis 22:8 - God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering.
Exodus 12:5 - Your lamb shall be without blemish.
Isaiah 53:7 - He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth.
John 1:29 - Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
1 Peter 1:18-19 - You were redeemed...with the precious blood of Christ, a Lamb without blemish or defect.
Revelation 5:6 - Then I saw a Lamb, looking as it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne.
In biblical times, the region around Bethlehem was ideal for raising sheep. There good grazing land, and the hillsides contained numerous caves that shepherds could use for shelter. And there was an excellent market for sheep in nearby Jerusalem. Many of Bethlehem's sheep were raised for sacrifice at the Temple.
During the special feast days in Israel's religious calendar, thousands of Jews would come from all over the Roman Empire to offer sacrifices in their holy city. Rather than transport their sacrificial lambs from distant homes, the travelers would buy a lamb when they got to Jerusalem. By law, a lamb for sacrifice had to be without blemish or defect. (See Exodus 12:5; Leviticus 22-23; Numbers 28-29.) Thus the shepherds in the region of Bethlehem kept close watch over their special sheep.
Approximately 2000 years ago, a very special Lamb was born in Bethlehem. He was born to die as a sacrificial Lamb in Jerusalem. He was born “without blemish,” and all during His life He was watched closely to be sure that He was the perfect Lamb for sacrifice. In due time this Lamb was brought by God Himself to the place of sacrifice - to be the sacrifice for the sins of the people He loved. As John the Baptist announced, Jesus was God's Lamb "who takes away the sin of the world." (John 1:29, 36).
God's Lamb was spotless
There was no sin in the perfect Lamb that God provided for sacrifice. The Bible clearly states that the Lord Jesus Christ was sinless. "He committed no sin." (1 Peter 2:22). "He knew no sin." (2 Cor-inthians 5:21). "In Him is no sin." (1 John 3:5).
Twice during our Lord’s earthy life, the Father's voice was heard from the heavens as He observed His spotless Lamb: "This is My beloved Son. In Him I am well pleased." (Matthew 3:17 and 17:5). Notice - this divine declaration was made in the last year of our Lord's public ministry (Matthew 17:5), but it was also said at His baptism - before He began His public ministry. Before Jesus performed any miracles or gave great discourses, God declared that His Lamb was spotless.
Think of the Lord Jesus as a young boy. He never cheated in games or studies. He was never selfish with His few personal possessions. He always told the truth to His parents and teachers. Think of the Lord Jesus as a young man. He never lost His composure in the carpenter shop when He got a “bad” piece of wood, or when someone misplaced His tools! He never got disgusted, or raised His voice in anger. As He grew into manhood, His thoughts about the opposite sex were always pure. He always honored His folks. When we think of the life of the spotless Lamb of God, we realize how far short of perfection we fall!
Day and night, for approximately 33 years, God's Lamb was tested and proved in the field of human life, with all its afflictions and attractions - "yet He was without sin" (Hebrews 4:15). And then came the focal day of history when the Lamb of God "offered Himself without blemish to God" (Hebrews 9:14) - so we might be cleansed from sin. As Old Testament Israel was saved from death and redeemed from slavery in Egypt by the blood of the Passover lamb (Exodus 12), so we have been redeemed "with the precious blood of Christ, a Lamb unblemished and spotless" (1 Peter 1:19).
God's Lamb was silent
When He was mistreated at His arrest and trials, the Lord Jesus didn’t retaliate or threaten (1 Peter 2:22-23). When falsely accused, He didn’t protest or demand to be heard. (See Matthew 26:62-63 and 27:12-14.) When He was afflicted and attacked, He didn’t complain or speak bitterly. He didn’t cry out for immediate retribution upon those who treated Him unjustly - even though it was always in His power to do so (Matthew 26:53). How amazingly different from us! All too often we’re full of self-pity, and so bent on self-justification that we find it impossible to keep our mouths shut. 1 Peter 2:19-23 says that we should "mouth off" less, even when we’re treated unjustly, for we are called to follow our Lord's example.
The silence of God's Lamb was predicted 700 years before His coming. In the magnificent 53rd chapter of Isaiah, the coming Messiah is likened to a silent lamb (v7). Sheep are silent on their way to shearing or to slaughter because they’re not aware of what is about to happen. But God's Lamb was fully aware that in the prime of His life, He was about to be "cut off out of the land of the living" (Isaiah 53:8). And yet He was like a lamb led to slaughter - silent!
Although silence is the main thought in comparing the Lord Jesus with a sheep that is about to be sheared, there may be an additional thought for meditation. Our Lord was “sheared.” In Philippians 2:5-8 we read that He voluntarily stripped Himself of His “heavenly robes" of glory and majesty when He came to earth and took on humanity. He was divested of rightful honor throughout His public ministry. The nation of Israel continually dishonored Him when they rejected Him as Messiah - even after He presented all the necessary credentials. Their dishonor actually reached the depths when they accused Him of being in league with the devil! For our sake, He was “shorn” of everything that was rightfully His on His way to the cross.
Our Lord underwent the shearing of personal dignity during His trials and His crucifixion. He was mocked and spit on. He was despised, and treated as “a worm and not human” (Psalm 22:6). He was scourged. He was stripped of His clothing, a shame that was particularly humiliating in that culture.
Ultimately the “shearing” process involved becoming the sin bearer. Of course this does not mean that the Lord Jesus ever became anything less than perfectly righteous in His own intrinsic personal essence. But as our substitute on the cross He took our sin upon Himself. The full wrath of God against sin fell on Jesus Christ - just as if we, the unrighteous, were hanging on that cross. The Lord Jesus willingly gave up His life for us - even death on the cross! Because of Christ's "shearing,” we have been "clothed" with His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21).
The unselfish silence of the Lamb of God through a lifetime of shearing stands out in marked contrast to our constant bleating and complaining.
God's Lamb was sacrificed
The death of Jesus Christ was no “accident of history.” From the human perspective, it appeared that Jesus of Nazareth just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. If only He had stayed in Galilee! If only He had spoken up and defended Himself! If only He had escaped when He had the chance!
But from the divine perspective, everything was according to plan and right on schedule. (See Acts 2:23.) Jesus Christ was God's Lamb, brought to the place of sacrifice. Many years before, God provided Abraham with a special lamb for sacrifice at just the right time (Genesis 22). Now God was providing His one-and-only special Lamb for the once-for-all sacrifice for sin. Surely Jesus Christ was the ultimate fulfillment of the promise: "God will provide for Himself a Lamb for the burnt offering" (Genesis 22:8).
God's Lamb is standing
Although Hebrews 1:3 and 10:12 inform us that the Lord Jesus is seated at the right hand of God, in his vision of the future the apostle John saw a Lamb standing (Revelation 5:6). This is not a contradiction in the Bible - it’s figurative language used to convey the same idea. (Remember Jesus isn't literally a lamb.) When Hebrews says that Christ sat down, we understand that His sacrifice for our sins was complete and sufficient. His sacrificial work as our substitute is finished! The question of our sins is settled, and there is no further need for blood sacrifice. Praise God!
The vision of the Lamb standing conveys the same truth. His work is finished. God's Lamb no longer lies slain on the altar. He was slain, once and for all - but He now stands in resurrection triumph!
As we read on in Revelation 5, we catch a glorious glimpse of God's Lamb receiving universal praise and honor. The special Lamb who was born in the town of Bethlehem will stand forever as the central focus of eternal attention, honor, praise and worship!
Is God's Lamb the central focus of our attention and worship now?
- Dave Reid