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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.
The region surrounding Bethlehem was ideal for raising sheep. Not only was there good
grazing land, but the hillsides contained numerous caves which could be used by shepherds
for shelter. Furthermore, there was an excellent market in nearby Jerusalem for these
sheep. 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 to their
holy city from all over the Roman Empire to offer sacrifices. Rather than transport their
sacrificial lambs from distant homes, they would buy them in Jerusalem. By law, the sheep
slated 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 Jeru-salem. He was born without blemish and
was closely watched to insure that He was the perfect Lamb for sacrifice. In due time this
Lamb was brought by God Himself to the place of sacrifice--a sacrifice for the sins of the
people He loved. Thus 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 states in no uncertain terms 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 the earthly life of our Lord Jesus, the Father's voice was heard from the heavens
as He observed His spotless Lamb: "This is My beloved Son in Whom I am well
pleased." (Matthew 3:17 and 17:5). Notice that this divine declaration was made not
only in the last year of our Lord's public ministry (Matthew 17:5), but it was also said
at His baptism even before He began His public min-istry. Before any of the
miracles or great discourses, God declared that His Lamb was spotless. Think of the Lord
Jesus growing up as a young boy. He never cheated in games or studies. He was never
selfish with His few toys and 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 because of "lost" tools or "bad" wood. He never
threw up His hands in disgust or raised His voice out of frustration. As He grew into
manhood, His thoughts about the opposite sex were always pure. He always honored His
folks. How convicted we are of our sins and our sinful nature as we think of the spotless
Lamb of God.
For approximately 33 years, God's Lamb was tested and proved day and
night in the field of human life with all its afflictions and attractions, "yet He
was without sin" (Hebrews 4:15). And then came that focal day of history when the
Lamb of God "offered Himself without blemish to God" (Hebrews 9:14), in order
that we might be cleansed from sin. As Old Testament Israel was redeemed out of slavery in
Egypt by means of the shed 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 mistreated, the Lord Jesus spoke no
guile or retaliation or threat (1 Peter 2:22-23). When falsely accused, He did not protest
or demand to be heard. (See Matthew 26:62-63 and 27:12-14.) When He was afflicted and
attacked, He did not complain or voice bitterness or cry out for immediate
retribution--even though it was always in His power to do so. (See Matthew 26:53.) How
wondrously different from us was our Lord in His silence. Too often we are so engrossed in
self-pity and so bent on self-justification that we find it impossible to keep our mouths
shut. According to 1 Peter 2:19-23, we should "mouth off" less, even when
unjustly treated, for we are called to follow our Lord's example.
The silence of God's Lamb was predicted 700 years before His coming by
Isaiah the prophet. In that magnificent 53rd chapter we find the coming Messiah likened to
a silent lamb (v7). Sheep that are silent before their shearers or silent on their way to
slaughter, for the most part, are not aware of what is about to happen. But not so with
God's Lamb. He was fully aware that in the prime of His life, He was about to be "cut
off out of the land of the living" (v8). And yet He was like a lamb led to slaughter
and like a sheep before shearers--silent!
Although silence is the main thought in the comparison of the Lord Jesus
with a sheep that is about to be sheared, there may be an additional line of thought for
meditation in the idea of shearing. Our Lord was certainly shorn for our sakes on His way
to the cross. He voluntarily stripped Himself of His heavenly "robes" of glory
and majesty when He came to this earth and took on humanity. He was divested of rightful
honor throughout His public ministry. The nation of Israel continually dishonored Him when
they would not receive Him as their Messiah--even after He presented all the necessary
credentials. Their dishonor actually reached the depths of accusing Christ of being in
league with the devil!
Our Lord underwent the shearing of personal dignity, especially during
His trial and crucifixion. He was mocked and spit on. He was despised and treated as a
worm and not human (Psalm 22:6). He literally was stripped of His clothes, a shame and
ignominy particularly humiliating in that culture.
Ultimately the shearing process involved His own right-eousness, as
Christ became the sin bearer. Of course this does not mean that the Lord Jesus ever became
anything less than perfectly righteous in His intrinsic personal essence. As our
sub-stitute on the cross, however, He took upon Himself our sin. The full wrath of God
against our sin fell on Christ as if we, the unrighteous, were hanging on that cross.
Because of Christ's "shearing", we have been "cloth-ed" with
righteousness. (See 2 Corinthians 5:21.) Finally, the shearing involved the physical life
of the Lord Jesus. He willingly gave up His life for us in death--even death on the cross!
(Read Philippians 2:5-8.) The unselfish silence of the Lamb of God through a life-time of
shearing stands out in marked contrast to our constant bleating.
God's Lamb was sacrificed. The death of Christ was no accident of
history. In the natural way of looking at things 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 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, at the time of Abraham, God had provided a special lamb for the burnt
offering sacrifice at just the right time. (Read the account in Genesis 22.) Now God was
providing His most special Lamb for the once-for-all sacrifice for sin. Surely 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 now stand-ing. Although Hebrews 1:3 and 10:12
inform us that the Lord Jesus is seated at the right hand of God, the apostle John
saw a Lamb standing in his vision of the future (Revelation 5:6). This is not a
contradiction in the Bible, but rather 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 Christ's sacrifice for our sins was 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. God's Lamb no longer lies slain on the altar. Having been slain,
once and for all, He now stands in resurrection triumph.
As we read on in the fifth chapter of Revelation, we are given a glimpse
of God's Lamb receiving universal praise and honor. The Lamb that was born in the little
town of Bethlehem will stand forever as the focus of eternal attention and worship. Is
God's Lamb the central focus of our attention and worship now?
David R. Reid
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