1. Jesus the Lamb of God
The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God, the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! Jn.1:29-36
When John the Baptist introduced Jesus, he called Him ‘the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world’. And the following day he once more called Jesus the Lamb of God. Thus, from the beginning of His revealing to the nation of Israel, Jesus was known as the Lamb of God.
Any Jew would have understood the significance of this proclamation. Lambs were use for sacrifices. They were used in the morning and evening sacrifices every day, Ex.29:38-42. And, more pertinent to our thoughts, lambs were used for the Passover festival every year at the Temple.
The fact that John announced Jesus as the Lamb of God demonstrates that Calvary was no after thought in God’s mind. Indeed, it was planned from all eternity, as we read later in scripture:
…the Lamb slain from the foundation of the earth.
Rev.13:8
2. The lamb examined
2.1 For each house
We note that for each house a Lamb was taken, and it had to be sufficient; not too large, not too small.
We, as God’s people are God’s house, Heb.3:6. So a Lamb had to be provided for His house, and that Lamb was the Lord Jesus Christ
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so, death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned, Rom.5:12
One man for the whole of humanity would not be sufficient, for the value of one human life is one human life, and then only if that man was sinlessly perfect.
This means that the lamb needed for the whole of humanity could only be God Himself. This is why God was manifested in the flesh. Jesus was the God-man. A man, so that He could be the representative of the whole of humanity, and God because only His life would be sufficient for all mankind.
2.2 The Lamb had to be without blemish
The Passover lamb was taken on the 10th day and slain on the 14th. Jesus began His public ministry when 30 years old, and was crucified some three and a half years later. That is, in the fourth year of His ministry.
During those days the Passover lamb was examined, no blemish was allowed. One reason for Jesus being in the public eye was to show to the world, that He was the spotless Lamb of God, and so worthy of being our Passover.
Jesus started His ministry after His baptism, where the Father declared His pleasure in His Son.
…This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, Mtt.3:17
This demonstrates that the thirty years, up to His baptism, had been pleasing to His Father and that nothing He did in those years was sinful. Those years, though hidden to us, were not hidden from His Father, and here we have the Father’s testimony of Christ’s blemish free record of those years.
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2.3 Jesus publicly examined
Jesus spent from, the time of His baptism, three and a half years in ministry; it was in the fourth year that He was slain as our Passover lamb. But why the delay? Why wasn’t Jesus offered up immediately after His baptism for our sins?
One aspect of those three and a half years of Jesus’ ministry was to show that He was indeed without blemish, and that he was worthy of being our Passover Lamb, by which we are made acceptable to God.
During His earthly ministry Jesus received testimony of His sinlessness from many quarters.
One of the very first testimonies is that evil spirits recognise His sinlessness:
I know Thee who Thou art: The Holy one of God, Lk.4:34.
At the end of His ministry Judas:
I have betrayed innocent blood, Mtt.27:3-4
When on trial no one could be found to lay any sin to Jesus’ charge. The only charge they could find was that He declared to be the Christ the Son of God, Mtt.26:59-63
Before Pilate, after examination the Governor said,
I find no fault in Him, Jn.19:4
Pilate’s wife warning after a dream from God
Have nothing to do with that Just man, Mtt.27:19-6.
The thief on the cross:
This man has done nothing amiss, Lk.23:41
The solider at the cross:
Certainly, this was a righteous man, Lk.23:41
During those three and a half years not one person could find convict Him of one sin, see Jn.8:45-47
The greatest testimony of Christ’s sinless life was the resurrection:
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Jesus Christ our Lord was made of the seed of David according to the flesh and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of Holiness by the resurrection from the dead.Rom.1:3-4
The Acts of the Apostles and the epistles all give testimony to the sinlessness of Christ. Here are some scriptures to demonstrate this point:
The Holy one and Just (=righteous), Acts 3:14
He who knew no sin was made sin for us…II Cor.5:21
He did no sin neither was guile found in His mouth, I Pet.2:2
Every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself even as He is pure, I Jn.3:3
He was manifested to take away our sins and in Him is no sin, I Jn.3:5
we have not a High Priest which cannot be touched by the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin, Heb.4:15
For such an High Priest became us who is holy, harmless, undefiled and separate from sinners..Heb.7:26
In short Jesus was the Lamb taken and found to be:A lamb without blemish or spot, I Pet.1:19
3. Worthy is Lamb
In the book of Revelation, we have a glimpse of heaven’s throne room. And we see the worthy Lamb sitting on the throne receiving the praise due to Him.
I beheld and lo in the midst of the throne …stood a Lamb as it had been slain …….and they sung a new song saying:
Thou art worthy to take the book
And to open the seals thereof,
For thou wast slain
And hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood
Out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation….
Rev.5:6-10
Hymn by Isaac Watts
1.
Come let us join our cheerful songs
With angels round the throne;
Ten thousand thousand are their tongues,
But all their joys are one.
2.
“Worthy the Lamb that died”, they cry
To be exalted thus
“Worthy the Lamb”, our lips reply
“For He was slain for us.”
3.
Jesus is worthy to receive
Honour and power divine;
And blessings more than we can give,
Be Lord for ever Thine.
4.
Let all that dwell above the sky
And air, and earth, and seas,
Conspire to lift Thy glories high,
And speak of endless praise.
5.
The whole creation join in one,
To bless the sacred Name
Of Him that sits upon the throne,
And to adore the Lamb.
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