“The Lamb of God”
Text: John 1:29-34
3-2-2022
In the name of Him who takes away the sin of the world, dear friends in Christ. The old saying goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” That’s because pictures help us visualize the things we’re hearing or reading. With that in mind, we’re going to use some pictures during our Midweek Lenten Services this year with the hopes that it’ll help us get a deeper understanding of Christ’s suffering and death on our behalf. As you may have heard me say before, Gayleen and I were privileged to go on a trip to the Holy Land 6 years ago. It really made the Bible come alive! Now, in my mind’s eye I can see many of the places that we read about in the Scriptures. We took lots of pictures and I’ll be sharing some of them with you each week in connection with our Lenten sermons. I realize that it’s not the same as being there in person, but I’m praying that these images will increase your appreciation of Jesus’ Passion and strengthen your faith. Since I’m not a fan of screens and projectors cluttering up the sanctuary, I’ll put those pictures in your bulletin. And I encourage you to take it home and use those pictures for your daily devotions during the week as you meditate on God’s Word.
Inside this week’s you’ll find a picture of the Shepherd’s Field, which is located just outside the town of Bethlehem. It’s believed to be the general location where the shepherds were on the night when Jesus was born. As you can see, this isn’t the lush, green pasture you often see in paintings. In fact, 60% of Israel is a rocky wilderness. And so, shepherds had to regularly move their sheep around in order to find good grazing for them. By the way, this would have also been the area where David tended his father’s flocks. But tonight, I’d like us to focus on those shepherds on Christmas Eve.
Have you ever stopped to ask why God chose those lowly shepherds to be the first to hear the good news of Christ’s birth? Some scholars point to the theological fact that the Lord was showing that the Gospel is not just for the high and mighty. That’s true, but it’s not the main reason why these men were chosen. Raising sheep and goats was a common practice in Israel and those animals are well suited for the terrain I just described to you. However, the sheep and goats had another vital purpose other than for food. They were also used for the various sacrifices that God required of the Israelites. The most holy of those sacrificial rituals was the Day of Atonement and Passover. And the requirement was that the animal to be sacrificed had to be without blemish. So let’s spend a minute reviewing those 2 special days.
On the Day of Atonement two sheep or two goats were used. One of the animals was sacrificed and the blood was put into a bowl that the High Priest would carry into the Holy of Holies and sprinkle on the Mercy Seat, which was on top of the Ark of the Covenant. This was done to atone for the sins of all the people. Thus, the name of this festival. The High Priest would then lay his hands on the head of the other sheep or goat and confess the sins of Israel. Symbolically, he was transferring their sins onto this innocent animal. After that, it was led out into the wilderness and let go, visibly removing the guilt of the people’s sins.
Passover was to commemorate the culmination of the 10 plagues that God used to free the Israelites from their slavery in Egypt. Each Jewish household was to take a lamb without defect and sacrifice it. They took the blood and painted their doorposts with it so that the angel of the Lord would “pass over” their house as he went through the land putting to death the firstborn male in every house that wasn’t marked with the blood. Then the Israelites ate the Passover lamb in the safety of their homes, protected by the blood of the lamb. Every year after that, the Israelites celebrated God’s mighty rescue from their slavery and how He graciously preserved them.
Now, let’s make the connection of those two holy sacrifices to the shepherds on the hillside when Jesus was born. It’s important to note that Bethlehem is only about 5 miles away from Jerusalem. There is plenty of evidence that the sheep being tended to on the night of Jesus’ birth were the very ones that would be used for the sacrifices at the Temple. The blood of one of those Christmas Eve lambs would be sprinkled on the Mercy Seat. One of those lambs would carry away the sins of the people. And many of those lambs would end up being used for the people’s Passover celebration as they feasted on it while commemorating God’s great rescue from slavery. So you see, it’s more than just a coincidence that those shepherds would be the first to come and worship the Savior. In our Gospel reading, John the Baptizer identifies Jesus as “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” It’s significant then, that Christ would be born in Bethlehem. Those shepherds who had been watching over all those sacrificial lambs went in awe to worship the newborn Lamb of God who would be our sacrifice for sin.
Eventually, those lambs on the hillside would be led to Jerusalem where they would die. And in the same way, 33 years later the Lamb of God would go there for a similar but much higher purpose. Jesus, the Bible tells us, is the once-and-for-all sacrifice for our sin that God has provided for us. I would direct your attention to the Old Testament reading for tonight. In it you heard again the story of Abraham obeying God’s command to sacrifice his only son to the Lord on Mt. Moriah. But the Lord intervened and provided a substitute with the ram that was caught in the thicket. It is believed that the mount that the Temple was built on is this very location. Thousands of years later, God again provided a Lamb who was His own Son. This Lamb was led to that very same mount in Jerusalem in order to be sacrificed as our substitute for sin.
Through a divine revelation, John was able to see how all those sacrifices were fulfilled in Jesus, the Lamb of God. Christ was a lamb without the blemish of sin, perfect and holy. His blood shed on the cross was sprinkled on the Mercy Seat of God in heaven to atone for our sins. Our sins were laid on Him, and as John says, He took them away so that our guilt could be removed. His blood causes eternal death to “pass over” us who believe and trust in Him. And now, in the safety of God’s protection we are invited to a banquet celebration where we eat the flesh and blood of The Lamb of God who died to rescue us from everlasting damnation. God has provided our substitute, Jesus Christ. By His death we have been spared the destruction that we deserved. And because of this Lamb of God, we are now God’s precious lambs that He protects, preserves, and cares for. In Him is true and total forgiveness. In Him is life forever in heaven.
A picture is worth a thousand words. Look around you and see God’s flock bearing the mark of the cross of Jesus on their foreheads. You are not lambs marked for slaughter. Rather, that cross is the mark of your salvation. Meditate on the wonders of that as we continue our Lenten journey for next 6 weeks. And may God fill us with love and appreciation for what He has accomplished for us through His Son, The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Amen.
Soli Deo Gloria!