The Lamb of God

The New Testament, written for our age period [grace] gives confidence that we have life after
death. The glorious resurrected body will be back on us because of the Lamb. New Testament
begins with four gospels. These four Books are centered on One Man [Jesus] Who lived a
peculiar and unique life. He taught His disciples to live in joy and peace in His kingdom though
they had to suffer for His cause. The four gospels address Him in four different ways. It is quiet
interesting. Jesus is projected as King in Mathew, as Servant in Mark, as the Son of Man in Luke
and as Son of God in John. Thus we have Jesus personified as four person. But in John gospel
alone Jesus was recognized as Lamb of God. The two cousins met each other near river Jordon.
It was there John the Baptist introduced Jesus as the Lamb of God. It was Jesus who came to the
place where John the Baptist was preaching and baptizing people. Jesus came all the way from
Galilee to be baptized by John.

“The Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world” was the title John the Baptist gave
Jesus. He was the only one who recognized Jesus in that way. John the Baptist forerunner to
Jesus used the most apt name that suited for the work Jesus came to this world. Jesus left His
heavenly place to take a human form and came to this earth to live like any other human. It was
God’s plan that He should give His only Son to this world to take away the sins of the world.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him
should not perish but have everlasting life.” [John 3:16] This is the prime motive of God when
He sent His son to this world. “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, And between
your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.” [Gen 3:15]
So here, we have a statement from God that His Son was going to crush the Satan under the heel.
Satan was cunning and clever as he knew what God was speaking. The conflict between Jesus
and Satan was from beginning.

God sacrificed an animal [lamb] in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve sinned. The blood
was spilled. We have no understanding where it was sprinkled. The blood became more
prominent when God commanded Moses to use the blood as a symbol for God to recognize the
Israelites house when they were in Egypt as slaves. The blood was spilled because Israelites
committed sin by selling their younger brother to slavery in Egypt. The blood was not only for
the sin but also became a mark for God’s wrath to pass over. God asked Israelites to select a
Lamb from their own flock. This will give them the pain of killing it. They were to kill it in the
twilight and sprinkle the blood in the door post and lintel of their house. The door was the place
where our sin lies. “So the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your
countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies
at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” [Gen 4:16] The first Passover
was known as Lord’s Passover. Lord slew the Egyptians firstborn in the midnight. The house
doors marked with blood were spared.

Let us not be confused about the lamb and goat. They both are sacrificial animals used in the Old
Testament period. They are two different characters. “The lambs will provide you with clothing
and the goats with the price of a field”. [Prov. 27:26] Lamb will provide us clothing that will be
needed as a bride of Jesus. Goat had provided the blood to cleanse our sins. He paid a price for
our field which is our soul. “For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s
building.” [1 Cor 3:9] Jesus took upon Him characteristics of the two sacrificed animals. Jesus
had completed the work of the goat. We have to claim the blood of Jesus for our sins which had
already been shed on the cross. The blood of Jesus as the Lamp protects as the blood of the
Passover lamb protected Israelites from wrath of God. Lamb and goat can be compared to the
prophecy of Isaiah “For to us a child is born [lamb of God], to us a son [goat for sin offering] is
given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” [9:6]

Even while these kind of animal sacrifices were going on in the Old Testament period for sin
offering, Prophet Isaiah foresaw Jesus as the Lamb that need to be sacrificed. “He was oppressed
and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and
as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth”. [Is 53:7] See what Mark
says about Him. “But He kept silent and answered nothing.” [Mark 14:61] Jesus coming as a
Lamb was not a new thought. Saints of God had visions of Jesus as a Lamb who will be sent by
God as a sacrifice for sins of the world.

The birth of Jesus was another unique incident which proves the purpose for which He came.
Joseph was not a homeless person. He was doing his own business as a carpenter. It was a
lucrative business during his time. He was living in Galilee. This is a sea shore where his skill in
carpentry would have helped him to build boats. He was living a good life. He was a righteous
man who would have given a good and comfortable home for his family. But now he gets a call
to go back to his native place where he has to register Mary and himself. History was created on
the way back. God had predetermined that Jesus should be born in a cattle shed and laid in the
manger, a trough which hold animal food. Yes a Lamb was born in that place. God’s plan can
never fail. God takes care of all minute things.

John the Baptist plays the important role in Jesus becoming a Lamb of God. John was created by
God for just this reason. John lineage has been well explained in Luke to show us how we can
understand the salvation given to us through Jesus Christ. Parents of John the Baptist were from
the tribes of Aaron or to say priestly tribes [Levites]. Jesus Himself bore witness to John. “For
all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to receive it, he is
Elijah who is to come.” [Matt 11:13-14] John the Baptist had to live in the wilderness to assume
the high priesthood. John the Baptist had to be the representative of entire mankind, for this
reason he could not live among the people. John the Baptist was the true high priest created by
God. There were high priests and other leaders in the synagogues during the period of Jesus.

John the Baptist identified Jesus as the Lamb of God to the crowd that was waiting for baptism.
This revelation came to him through the Holy Spirit, Who anointed John even before his birth in
his mother’s womb. John the Baptist laid hands on Jesus head to confirm Jesus as a redeemer and
Savior. If we do not believe in this act of John the Baptist let us not proceed further to understand
what is Bible. John the Baptist passed the sins of the world onto Jesus through that Baptism. This
act made Jesus the chosen God’s Lamb. Jesus knew this and made John the Baptist to understand
redemption work can be fulfilled only by this baptism. Jesus became the Lamb.

God could have easily forgiven us for the sins we had committed. But God had planned how the
sins of the world can be forgiven by showing the pattern that will be followed exactly like the
first Passover that was enacted by His own people Israelite. They had to select a lamb from their
own flock. God is the shepherd and we are His flock [His children]. God took the best [His Son]
from the flock so that He became a Lamb of God to be sacrificed. God did not want us to suffer.
Just like how it was mentioned in Leviticus “Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the
live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their
transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat…” Lev 16:21 (KJV) John
the Baptist as the high priest laid his hands on Jesus [Lamb] and transferred all our sins. Jesus
after this lived among his people before He was led to the cross.

Jesus fulfilled the sin offering in the pattern as God spoke with Moses to instruct Aaron how he
should present himself when he takes the sin offering blood into the Holy place. Aaron had to
choose two goats. He had to cast lot for one as Lord’s and other as scapegoat. Jesus fulfilled both
the purpose of the goat God had assigned for His children. Just after His baptism, Jesus was led
by the most dependable Person to the wilderness. “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the
wilderness to be tempted by the devil”. [Matt 4:1] Jesus overcame devil’s temptations in
wilderness. He completed the work of scapegoat. Jesus after living among the people was
sacrificed for our sins. The same way as Aaron carried sin offering blood to Most Holy place;
Jesus carried His blood to sprinkle as the High Priest and entered the Holy of the Holiest.

Jesus as Lamb was able to fulfill the requirement. The chosen lamb for the Passover had to be
without blemish and male of the first year. Jesus fits into this description. “But with the precious
blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:” [Peter 1:19 (KJV)] Jesus was
crucified during the Passover festival to become the Lamb of God for Passover. “Purge out
therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our
Passover is sacrificed for us:” [1 Cor 5:7 (KJV)]. Jesus was our Passover Lamb from His birth to
the cross.