Genesis 22:7-8 (ESV) 7 And Isaac said to his father Abraham, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." He said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" 8 Abraham said, "God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." So they went both of them together.
The scripture above is from a passage we looked at on the second half of December 3, when God called Abraham to sacrifice his son. Yesterday we learned that Isaac is a "type" intended to represent Christ in the above verses. Yesterday we were also introduced to Jesus as the perfect sacrifice. Throughout the Old Testament God uses the sacrifice of animals, and often lambs to help His people understand the need for a once for all sacrifice that would remove the necessity for any other sacrifice — a sacrifice that can remove their sin. Today we will study Jesus, the Lamb of God, the perfect sacrifice.
Think back to the story of Moses freeing the Israelites from Egyptian slavery under Pharaoh. God enacted 10 plagues to show His power, and it was the tenth one that won their freedom. With this plague the first born of all the Egyptians, including their animals, were to die. The Israelites were instructed to take a lamb and kill it, then paint its blood over their lintel and doorposts and roast the meat to eat. The blood would be a sign for God to pass over the house and withhold the plague from it. They were to be ready to quickly leave the land of Egypt after that plague.
Exodus 12:11-13 In this manner you shall eat it (the lamb): with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD's Passover. 12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD. 13 The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.
God commanded them to reenact this every year as part of a feast called Passover. This feast also included ridding their home of leaven and eating unleavened bread. Another notable part of it is explained in verses 5-6; each family was to take an unblemished lamb or goat and keep it for 14 days before slaughtering it for Passover. Compare that to Jesus, our perfect lamb, who was without sin. Hebrews 9:13-14 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.
The night that Jesus was to be taken into custody Jesus took Passover with His disciples and explained to them that He was the fulfillment of it. As Christians we now have an abbreviated Passover meal that only includes the unleavened bread and wine (or juice) to remember what we now call the Lord's Supper or Communion.
Luke 22:15-20 (ESV) 15 And he (Jesus) said to them, "I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God." 17 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, "Take this, and divide it among yourselves. 18 For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." 19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." 20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood."
Just as the blood over the doorways of the Israelites turned away the wrath of God during the time of Moses, the blood of Christ covers our sin to turn away God's wrath for all time. During the Passover with His disciples, Jesus announced that His blood that poured out for them would inaugurate the new covenant; the covenant that could save mankind from their sin. See how God so perfectly laid out His plan long before the birth of Jesus? Read below to see another way that God prepared His people for Jesus through daily sacrifice.
Exodus 29:38-42 (ESV) 38 "Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two lambs a year old day by day regularly. 39 One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight. 40 And with the first lamb a tenth measure of fine flour mingled with a fourth of a hin of beaten oil, and a fourth of a hin of wine for a drink offering. 41 The other lamb you shall offer at twilight, and shall offer with it a grain offering and its drink offering, as in the morning, for a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the LORD. 42 It shall be a regular burnt offering throughout your generations at the entrance of the tent of meeting before the LORD, where I will meet with you, to speak to you there.
Did you get that? Every day two lambs were offered at the temple.
John the Baptist, the forerunner who was to prepare the way for Jesus was baptizing people for repentance from sin, and Jesus asked John to baptize Him. It was during this Baptism that God presented Himself in all three persons at once: the Father spoke, the Holy Spirit landed on Jesus as a dove, and the Son received baptism. Matthew 3:16-17 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." Later John saw Jesus and proclaimed Him as the lamb of God (see below).
John 1:29-34 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.' 31 I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel." 32 And John bore witness: "I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God."
Revelation 7:13-17 (ESV) 13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, "Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?" 14 I said to him, "Sir, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 "Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. 16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
Above we see Jesus called the Lamb in the final days when God's people all join Him in heaven. Below we see again the prophecy of Jesus and the gentleness He showed in His last days as He was mocked, tortured, and killed.
Isaiah 53:6-7 (ESV) 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned--every one--to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.
1 Peter 1:17-21 (ESV) 17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
Praise God that we have a great high priest who mediates for us with God through the perfect sacrifice of Himself, and now sits in the throne room of the real temple of God in heaven! Spend time today in awe of how much God has done for you!
Psalms 89:1-4 (A Maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite.) I will sing of the steadfast love of the LORD, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations. 2 For I said, "Steadfast love will be built up forever; in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness." 3 You have said, "I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: 4 'I will establish your offspring forever, and build your throne for all generations.'" Selah
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