From the dawn of time, animal sacrifices were offered to God. The patriarchs Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob all built altars to God.
When Abraham traveled with Isaac to Mount Moriah, the lad said to his father, “Behold, the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” (Gen. 22:7). By faith, Abraham answered, “My son, God will provide for Himself a lamb”, and Jehovah did (Gen. 22:8, 13).
About two thousand years later, when John the Immerser saw Jesus coming toward him, he declared, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). This one on whom John saw the Spirit of God descending from heaven like a dove when he baptized Him in the Jordan River is the Son of God and the Lamb of God (John 1:34, 36).
To fully and precisely fulfill the foreshadowing and predictive prophecies of the Old Testament, Jesus was:
The Submissive Lamb of God. Unlike the Old Testament’s sacrificial lambs slain against their will, Jesus’ death was voluntary, completely uncoerced. He had no reluctance. He had no objections. He made no protests of His obvious innocence. When He was oppressed and afflicted, He opened not His mouth. When He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, His utter submissiveness to God’s will is heard and seen by His silence (Isa. 53:7).
The Innocent Lamb of God. To foreshadow Jesus, the sacrificial animals of the Old Testament had to be without blemish. Jesus committed no sin (1 Peter 2:22). He was holy, harmless, and undefiled (Heb. 7:26). Though they tried feverishly, not one of Christ’s enemies could rightfully convict Him of any sin (John 8:46). Jesus’ blood is precious because His soul was without blemish and spot (1 Peter 1:19).
The Vicarious Lamb of God. Because of His willingness and innocence, God could judicially transfer our spiritual guilt to Him and make Him “who knew no sin” to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor. 5:21). As our substitute, therefore, Jesus bore our griefs, carried our sorrows, was wounded and bruised for our iniquities (Isaiah 53:4-5). We are healed by His stripes because the chastisement for our peace was carried out when the Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:5-6).
The Atoning Lamb of God. Because of the perfection of His character and sacrifice, the wrath of God toward all human sin has been justly satisfied. As reflected in His name “Jesus” (i.e., “Savior”–Matt. 1:21), all human sin now has a remedy–the atoning, purifying blood of Christ. Souls can be purified (1 Peter 1:22). The stains of sin can be washed away (Acts 22:16), and the unrighteous can be justified and sanctified (1 Cor. 6:11). The filthy rags of sin can be made white in the atoning blood of the Lamb (Rev. 7:14).
The Universal Lamb of God. This eternally purposed sacrifice for human sin (Rev. 13:8; 1 Peter 1:19-20) was not for an elite few. The scope of the sacrifice of God’s Lamb was the entire world. Because God so loved everyone (John 3:16), Christ suffered once for sins–the just for the unjust (1 Peter 3:18). Therefore, in every nation whoever fears God and works righteousness (i.e. obeys) is accepted by Him (Acts 10:35).
The Resurrected Lamb of God. In the book of Revelation, the apostle John beheld a Lamb as though it had been slain standing in the midst of heaven’s throne room (Rev. 5:6). The tense of the verb “stood” conveys the idea that the present state was the result of past actions. The compelling proof of Jesus’ success in atoning for humanity’s sin is His resurrection. He is able to save to the uttermost all who come to God by Him because He ever lives to make intercession for them (Heb. 7:25).
The Worthy Lamb of God. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, riches, strength, wisdom, honor, glory, and blessing (Rev. 5:12). Those who have washed their robes and made them white in His blood, the Lamb will shepherd and lead to living fountains of water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes (Rev. 7:14, 17).
BEHOLD, the Lamb of God!
