Jesus the Light 8 Behold the Lamb
Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world John 1:29
In the beginning God created no religion.
Only the pure communion of spirit to Spirit prevailed with all the faculties of soul and body harnessed to that end. There were no rituals, ceremonies, shrines, or altars.
The revolt of self-will changed all. Fig leaves were put on instead of garments of light, shame cancelled purity, fear replaced devotion, while hiding overtook communion.
Sin’s terrible revolt produced terrible results. Adam’s eruption of lawlessness alienated his soul, darkened the understanding, and corrupted his entire inner being. Desperate substitutes were devised to amend for wayward choices.
Fig leaves, plucked from their living source, were crafted to cover shameful exposure in sin’s wake. Makeshift garments were hastily sewn from now withering and soon decaying sources.
And this is the legacy of Eden’s first religious act. Man-devised solutions to sin have no life, do not endure, address the externals alone, and are ultimately rejected by God altogether. This is the essence of Man’s Religion that has come down to us up to today.
The Lord, however, brings a solution from above; only the death of a substitute can cover the stain, corruption, and guilt of sin. And this He alone provides; it is not a product of human invention.
The lamb must be slain to provide a suitable covering for lawless deeds. Only then can what is lost be restored, corruption covered, guilt erased, and life obtained.
Heb.9:22: “Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin” resounds, echoing through the corridors of the ages. And why? Because the death of separation begins the instant the heart rises in lawlessness: a death that cannot be remedied by human methods.
We must approach God in the manner He approached us. And He sacrificed the lamb to provide covering for man’s sin. This is witnessed to by the acceptable slain lamb of righteous Abel, Noah, and of all the faithful thereafter.
Let us see further what Abraham learned about the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. He was tested by God to offer up his son as a sacrifice to the Lord. As Abraham and Isaac walked along, his son inquired where the sacrifice was. Gen.22:8: “Abraham said, ‘God will provide for Himself that lamb for the burnt offering.’”
In Gen.22:11-13, as he was about to slay his son, “the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, ‘Abraham, Abraham! Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son from Me.’
“Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horn; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son.”
Dear Listener, the ram was slain in the place of the son. The lamb died instead of the person, so that the man might be set free from the judgment coming upon him.
The death of the lamb was accepted as a substitute in the place of the condemned. Isaac would never face judgment again: the lamb had taken his place.
Moses shows us an additional truth about the sacrifice that the Lord receives. Judgment was upon the whole land of Egypt for its wickedness. But God provided a solution to escape His wrath.
Ex.12:3-13: “They are each one to take a lamb for themselves. Then the whole assembly of the congregation is to kill it at twilight. Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the house.
“And when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.”
Here, the blood of the sacrifice is what saved them from destruction and judgment. Dear Listener, it is when the Lord sees the blood applied to where you live, to your very heart, that you will be saved from coming wrath.
All of these things were instructing us about the sacrifice that God accepts. They prepared the way for the Lord’s final sacrifice, the one whose sacrifice forgives sins once and for all. The Prophet Isaiah spoke in great detail about this final sacrifice. Isa.52:13 – 53:12:
“Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently; He shall be exalted and be very high. Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
“He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of Suffering and acquainted with grief. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we considered Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
“But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment for our peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray. Each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
“He was led as a lamb to the slaughter. For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgressions of My people He was punished.
“Yet it pleased the Lord to crush Him and cause Him to suffer, for He shall bear their iniquities. He poured out His soul unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors. For He bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors.”
This Word of God about His Servant shows us that it was the purpose of God Himself to make Him a sacrifice for our sins. This Servant was pierced for our iniquities. He was like a lamb sacrificed to bear the sins of others.
Who was this Servant? How could He become a sacrifice to forgive sins? Listen to the Word of the Lord in John 1:29. “The next day John saw Jesus coming to him and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’” Jesus is the Lamb of God who became the final sacrifice to take away our sins.
He was the fulfillment of all that had been prophesied about the coming sacrifice who would bear the punishment for man’s sins.
Dear Listener, Man-devised solutions to sin have no life, do not endure, address the externals alone, and are ultimately rejected by God altogether. Only through the blood of the Lamb can what is lost be restored, corruption covered, guilt erased, and life obtained.
You are condemned to death, but the death of the Lamb was accepted as your substitute. The wrath of God is about to break upon your head, but if the blood of Jesus is found applied to your heart by faith, you will never come into judgment.
And why? Because Jesus was wounded for your transgressions. He suffered for your iniquities. He bore your sin in His own body on the cross. He alone has made acceptable intercession for us transgressors.
The blood of Jesus washes clean from all the stain, guilt, and corruption of sin. There is no other remedy, no other hope. Pardon, cleansing, and life eternal is to be found there. Dear Listener, have you come to Jesus? Have you received Him?
Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world –John 1:29
Copyright Steve Phillips 2019