THE LAMB
Anita Clark – Pastor
Grace Chapel, Carbondale, Kansas
Jesus Christ was made sin for us, and became the “Lamb of God” as the sacrifice of God for the sins of the world. In II Corinthians 5:21 Apostle Paul wrote, “For He (Father God) hath made Him (Jesus) to be sin for us, Who knew no sin, that we might be the righteousness of God in Him.” As He hung upon the cross, He carried every sin that was ever committed before He came to earth and every sin that would ever be committed in the future.
When John the Baptist saw Jesus come to the river Jordan, where John was baptizing many who came to him, He exclaimed, “Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world” (John 1:29). The next day John again exclaimed, when he was seeing Jesus walking along, “Behold the Lamb of God.” Why would John call Jesus “the Lamb?” He had a revelation of Who this man really was.
The first offering God told Israel to do, as they were still captives down in Egypt, was the Passover Offering. We do want to remember that God’s people had been offering animals to God since the time of Adam, Eve and Abel (Gen. 4).
In Exodus 12 God was getting ready to deliver Israel from their horrible life lived in Egypt as slaves for 430 years. God initiated a special offering, called the Passover. This is a special feast to Israel today, although they don’t go about celebrating exactly how God told them to at this time. In Exodus 14:1-14 God told them how to perform the sacrifice on this last night before He would take them out of Egypt and send them on their way to a new land (Israel). This feast speaks of our Savior, Jesus Christ and His death as our substitute covering our sins and giving us salvation.
God instructed for the people to have this Passover time in the first month. Because the offering of this lamb represented Jesus Christ who would take away the sins of the world, the lamb was to be sacrificed first, showing that Jesus Christ must die and the importance of this sacrifice would merit all attention first. Every household was to sacrifice a lamb, and put the blood on the top of the door and the two side pieces of the door frame. This resembles a cross.
“In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb... a lamb for a house” Vs. 3. They had to obey God’s instruction or they would be under His wrath. They were obedient and did exactly as He told them to do. In verse 4, it says, “...according to the number of souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.” This speaks that provision would be made for each individual present who needed to eat of the lamb. It is so beautiful that in speaking of Jesus Christ’s life and death, there is plenty of Lamb to go around to all persons ever living on this earth.
Verse 5 speaks to us of the perfection of the lamb. “Your lamb shall be without blemish.” They were to watch the lamb to see if there was any imperfection. This corresponds with the 3 ½ years Jesus walked upon this earth before His crucifixion. No fault could be found in Him. There is none! How perfect is our dear Lord Jesus Christ. Even Pilot said, “I find no fault in this man.” Jesus is holy and righteous and filled with compassion and love toward us all. He was a young man “the male of the first year.” Also in this verse, it says, “...ye shall take Him out from the sheep and the goats,” which speaks of how he was separated, dedicated as the perfect sacrifice. Hebrews 7:26 says, “For such a high priest became us (as a human being) who is holy, harmless undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens.” He was and is the Holy Son of God in His life here on earth and now in heaven.
Exodus 12:6 says “...and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.” This statement is so true of what happened on that fateful day when our dear Lord Jesus was brought before Pilot. All of the religious Jews and many who were not believers in Jesus cursed him and cried out “Crucify him, Crucify him.”
Vs. 8, speaks of how they were to prepare the lamb. And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire.” This speaks of the judgment of God. Remember what took place as Jesus hung on the cross. God the Father turned His back on Jesus as he hung there bearing the sins of all the world and there was great darkness and an earthquake. “He who knew no sin was made sin for us.” Eating the flesh of the Lamb speaks of partaking of Christ’s sacrifice for us, accepting it into our whole being, fully yielding ourselves to God. Also, in vs. 8 God told them to eat the sacrifice with “unleavened bread.” Leaven puffs up and speaks of our fleshly nature. Jesus had no fleshly earthly nature. Vs. 11 -This is the Lord’s Passover.
The Prophet Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 53 about the Messiah who would suffer and die for our sins 712 years before Jesus was on earth. Verse 7 says, “He was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth. He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb so He opened not His mouth.” I recommend that you read all of this chapter. It speaks of Christ’s suffering when he died for us.
I Peter 1:18, says “For as much as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things such as silver and gold for your vain conversation, but with the precious blood of Christ, as a Lamb without blemish and without spot.” In the book of Revelation, Jesus, the Son of God is called “The Lamb” in chapter 5:6 & 8. And in Revelation 13:8 it speaks of “The Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world.” I want to impress on you, this was God’s plan before the creation of the world. Jesus is called the Lamb (capital L) 27 times in the book of Revelation. In chapter 19:7 - “Let us be glad and rejoice and give honor to Him; for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His wife hath made herself ready.”
Revelation 21:27 says, “And there shall in no wise enter into it (the city, New Jerusalem) anything that defiles, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or a lie; but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” This scripture is very plain to understand. If you receive the Lord Jesus Christ into your life as your Lord and Savior, you will have your name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. It will never be erased. This is the most important book ever written. Again I say - It will never be marked out or erased. Jesus is the only sacrifice for our sins. He will always be the Lamb of God.
