When John the Baptizer saw Jesus coming toward
him, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world”
(John 1:29). The next day, he said it again (John 1:36).
It is virtually impossible for us to understand
the impact these words had on the Jews who heard them. Most of the people in
John’s audience were expecting the Messiah to be the Lion of the tribe of Judah
–a second David who would lead the armies of Israel in battle and drive out the
Romans. They certainly did not expect the Messiah to be a Lamb.
Lions are symbols of military strength, but not
lambs. Lions kill; lambs die. Lambs were sacrificed at the temple every morning
and evening to cleanse people from sin. In fact, lambs have been killed and
offered to God in worship since the time of Adam and Eve (Genesis 4).
Passover Lambs
But there was a special time each year when
numerous lambs were sacrificed at the temple in Jerusalem. On the fourteenth
day of the Jewish month of Nisan (in early spring), many people from far and
near celebrated the Passover Festival in Jerusalem. This festival commemorated
Israel’s deliverance from Egyptian bondage –the premier act of salvation in the
Old Testament.
The Passover season was near at hand when John
pointed to Jesus as “the Lamb of God” (John 1:29, 36). And it was during the
Passover season that Jesus died. He died at 3:00 p.m. (Mark 15:34-37) on “the
day of Preparation” (John 19:30-31). Jesus died at the exact time when Passover
lambs were being slaughtered in preparation for the Passover Festival.
The apostle Paul recognized the link between
Jesus and the Passover lamb when he said, “For Christ, our Passover Lamb, has
been sacrificed” (1Corinthians 5:7b). As the blood of the Passover lamb saved
the Israelites from death in Egypt (Exodus 12), so the blood of Jesus Christ
saves us from eternal death today.
Why Did Jesus Die?
When Adam and Eve sinned, they died
spiritually, and eventually, they died physically. Their sin separated them
from God because God and sin cannot coexist. Jesus paid the penalty for our
sins by dying physically and spiritually on the cross. While hanging on the
cross, he cried out, “My God, my God; why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew
27:46). Spiritual death is being separated from God.
Jesus died because all of us have sinned
(Romans 3:23), and “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Jesus died as our
Passover Lamb to save us from death. “God demonstrates his own love for us in
this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
The Prophecy of
Abraham
Portraying Jesus as the Passover Lamb, however,
only partially describes what Jesus accomplished by His death. The practice of
sacrificing lambs is rooted in Old Testament history.
Perhaps the best-known case of animal sacrifice
in the Old Testament is found in Genesis 22. God put Abraham’s faith to the
test by asking him to sacrifice his son Isaac. God was not endorsing human
sacrifice. He was anticipating the time when He would offer His own Son as a
sacrifice for all humanity.
Abraham obeyed God’s command and took Isaac to
Mount Moriah (Genesis 22:2). On the way up the mountain, Isaac said to his
father, “The fire and wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt
offering?” (Genesis 22:7). Abraham replied, “God himself will provide the lamb
for the burnt offering, my son” (Genesis 22:8). This prophecy was partially
fulfilled when God provided a ram for Abraham. The prophecy was ultimately
fulfilled by Jesus Christ.
When Abraham and Isaac arrived at the place of
sacrifice, Abraham built an altar and prepared to offer his son to the Lord.
Abraham believed God was able to raise Isaac from death (Genesis 22:5; Hebrews
11:17-19). As Abraham took the knife to slay his son, the angel of the Lord
called to him, “Abraham! Abraham! Do not lay a hand on the boy. . . Now I know
that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son” (Genesis
22:10-12).
Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its
horns in the thicket. So he “took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering
instead of his son” (Genesis 22:13). One life was substituted for another. The
ram died in the place of Isaac. Mount Moriah came to be known as “the mountain
of the Lord” (Genesis 22:14). Later, King David purchased the top of this
mountain from Araunah the Jebusite (1 Chronicles 21:18-26). It was there that
Solomon built the temple (1 Chronicles 22:1; 2 Chronicles 3:1). And it was
there, near the crest of Mount Moriah, that Jesus died as “the Lamb of God who
takes away the sin of the world”.
During His ministry, Jesus said, “the Son of
Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom
for many” (Mark 10:45). The Greek word that is translated “for” is anti, meaning “in place of”. As the ram
was substituted for Isaac, so Jesus was substituted for us. He died in our
place.
The Prophecy of David
One thousand years before Jesus was born, King
David described the crucifixion of Jesus in these words: “My God, my God, why
have you forsaken me?” (Psalm 22:1). “All who see me mock me; they hurl insults,
shaking their heads: ‘He trusts in the Lord; let the Lord rescue him. Let him
deliver him, since he delights in him’” (Psalm 22:7-8). “My strength is dried
up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. . . a band of
evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. I can count
all my bones; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my garments among
them and cast lots for my clothing” (Psalm 22:15-18).
A millennium later, these prophecies were all
fulfilled. Soldiers pierced Jesus’ hands and feet with nails (John 20:25, 27).
They stripped Him naked, and everyone could count His ribs. The soldiers at the
foot of the cross divided His clothes among them by casting lots (Matthew
27:35; John 19:23-24). On the cross, Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have
you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). Those who passed by hurled insults at Him,
shaking their heads (Matthew 27:39). The chief priests, teachers of the law,
and elders mocked Him saying, “He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he
wants him” (Matthew 27:43). Jesus was thirsty, so His tongue stuck to the roof
of His mouth (John 19:28). Every detail of David’s prophecy was fulfilled.
The Prophecy of Isaiah
Seven hundred years before Jesus was born, the
prophet Isaiah described the purpose of Jesus’ death. Isaiah said,
- “He was pierced for our transgressions” (Isaiah 53:5a).
- “He was crushed for our iniquities” (Isaiah 53:5b).
- “The punishment that brought us peace was upon him” (53:5c).
- “By his wounds, we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5d).
- “The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6).
- “He was led like a lamb to the slaughter” (Isaiah 53:7).
- “He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken” (Isaiah 53:8).
- “He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death” (Isaiah 53:9).
- “The Lord makes his life a guilt offering” (Isaiah 53:10).
- “After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied” (Isaiah 53:11a).
- “My righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities” (Isaiah 53:11b).
- “Therefore, I will give him a portion among the great, . . . because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:12).
- “For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:12).
Jesus fulfilled ALL of these prophecies. For our transgressions, He was pierced by
nails and a spear. By His punishment, He brought us peace and healing. He was
led like a sheep to the slaughter. He was crucified between two thieves and
buried in the tomb of a rich man. God made His life a guilt-offering that took
away our sins. After Jesus suffered, He saw the light of life when He was
raised from death. He has borne our sins and is now making intercession for us.
Peter said, “He himself bore our sins in his
body on the tree, so that we might die to sins . . . by his wounds you have
been healed” (1 Peter 2:24).
The Prophecies of
Jesus
1. At Caesarea Philippi, Jesus began explaining
to His disciples that “he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the
hands of the elders, chief priests, and teachers of the law, and that he must
be killed and on the third day be raised to life” (Matthew 16:21). This
prediction is also recorded in Mark 8:31 and Luke 9:22.
2. Later, Jesus took the twelve apostles aside
and said to them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written
by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be handed over
to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him, and
kill him. On the third day, he will rise again” (Luke 18:3133). This prophecy
is also recorded in Matthew 20:17-19 and Mark 10:32-34.
The Jewish high court fulfilled these
prophecies when they spat in Jesus’ face, struck him with their fists, and
slapped Him (Matthew 26:67). The Romans fulfilled them when they flogged Him,
mocked Him, placed a crown of thorns on His head, spat on Him, and struck Him
on the head with a staff again and again (Matthew 27:26-30; Mark 15:1620). Yet,
Jesus remained silent like a lamb. He graciously took our punishment for us. We
are redeemed “with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or
defect” (1 Peter 1:19).
All Spiritual
Blessings Are in Christ
All spiritual blessings are in Christ
(Ephesians 1:3). “In him, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness
of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” (Ephesians 1:7-8).
How do we get into
Christ?
1. We must believe in Him (John 8:24).
2. We must repent of our sins (Luke 13:3; Acts
2:38).
3. When we experience points 1 & 2, then we
receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). We are cleansed by His blood (Romans 5:9;
6:3-5; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14; 2:12-13; Revelation 5:9; 7:14). We arise
to live a new life, and Jesus’ blood “purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).
“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15).
4. Then we must be baptized in the name of the
Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (Mathew 28:19). Baptism is a symbol of our experience
described in point 3.
