John 1:29
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"
Before Mary gave birth to Jesus, Mary's relative Elizabeth gave birth to a boy named John. He was the son of a priest named Zechariah. As a priest, one of Zechariah's jobs was to serve in the offering of sacrifices. Without question, the most regarded of all sacrifices was the Passover lamb. It was offered once a year by every household as a payment for sins. There were rigorous requirements a sacrificial lamb had to meet, as well as laws concerning how it was to be offered. John, being a priest's son, was well acquainted with these laws. He knew what was a worthy sacrifice, and one day, John saw his cousin Jesus and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me,'" (John 1:29-30). Even Though Jesus' birth was after John's, John said Jesus was before him, and he also said Jesus would be a perfect sacrifice.
To see what it would mean for Jesus to be a sacrifice, here is a brief look at the law written concerning sacrificial lambs: At the time of the first Passover, God told His people this is what they must do so none of them would die. Every household was to take a young male lamb (Exodus 12:3-5), and they were to care for it, until the time came to slaughter it (Exodus 12:6). Every lamb was to have its blood put on the wooden frames of the family's door (Exodus 12:7), and the family was to cook and eat the rest of the lamb inside the house (Exodus 12:8-9). None of the lamb was to be left till morning (Exodus 12:10). God said the Passover was to be commemorated and celebrated for generations, (Exodus 12:14). Concerning lambs offered for Passover as well as other times, the chosen lamb could not be lame (unable to walk) or blind (unable to see) and had to be without disease, (Deuteronomy 15:21). Its blood was not to be eaten, but had to be poured out on the ground like water (Deuteronomy 15:23). Lambs had to be presented to the priests to make sure they were sufficient to pay for one's guilt, (Leviticus 14:12) and they had to be disposed of outside the camp where people lived (Leviticus 16:27). It was important that all presented lambs be "without defect," (Leviticus 1:10,22:19).
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Why animals? What did they do wrong? That is the point. Since the animals did no wrong, they died in place of the one performing the sacrifice. - GotQuestions |
Jesus says, He came into the world to fulfill this sacrificial law (Matthew 5:17). He says it is through Him that none of God's people will have to die (John 5:24). He came as a young male (Luke 3:23), and people cared for Him by giving Him food (John 12:1-2), loaning Him animals (Mark 11:1-6), and giving Him a place to stay (Luke 22:10-13). The world tolerated Jesus, until the time came for Him to be slaughtered (Luke 22:53). On the night of the Passover celebration (John 13:1), Jesus was presented before the priests (Matthew 26:57). They examined Him and declared He was worthy of death (Matthew 26:65-66). Jesus was then handed over to the governor Pilate, where His whole body was tortured and none of it was left unscathed into the morning (Mark 15:15, John 19:1-2). Jesus was then sentenced to be crucified at a place called Golgotha, which was outside of the city (John 19:16-17). He was able to walk to that place (Mark 15:22), and able to see the people around Him (John 19:25-26). At Golgotha, Jesus was nailed to a cross (John 20:25), and His blood ran along its wooden frame (Colossians 1:20). Then, He died (Luke 23:46). After this, His side was pierced, and out of it came blood and water which poured out onto the ground (John 19:34). In the days before His death, Jesus lived a perfect life and was without defect (1 John 3:5). He was a perfect sacrificial lamb.
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The depth of His grace flowed with every sin erased. He knew that this was why He came. Would you take the place of this man? Would you take the nails from His hands? - Jeremy Camp |
In order for God's people to be forgiven, blood must be shed, "for the life of a creature is in the blood, and [God gave this] to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life," (Leviticus 17:11). Jesus shed His blood "on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness," (1 Peter 2:24). Because of His sacrificial death, "we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins," (Ephesians 1:7). This is Jesus' power as a slain sacrifice.
And it gets Better,
Because Jesus is NOT Dead!
Jesus is God (John 10:30-33), and so He cannot die forever. Yet, He came to earth "to give His life as a ransom for many," (Mark 10:45). If He gives up His life, then He has "authority to take it up again," (John 10:18). So Jesus died, and then rose again (Mark 16:6).
God's sacrificial law was fulfilled through Jesus' death. Even though He rose again, Jesus' resurrection does not undo His death, in that He was never afflicted or it never happened (John 20:27). If His death were undone in this way, then God's people would still be under the sacrificial law. As long as the sacrificial law is not being fulfilled, it remains and awaits another sacrifice. Jesus could not simply unwrite this law (Matthew 5:18), however, He found a loophole, which is this: The law does not specify that the sacrifice must stay dead. This is why on the night of the Passover Jesus tells His followers He gives them His body (Luke 22:19) to be a sacrifice, and Jesus also gives them His blood for a "new covenant," (Luke 22:20). There cannot be a new covenant, without the fulfillment of the old one. In light of this, Jesus died and fulfilled the old sacrificial law, and then He rose from death as a living sacrifice; perpetually fulfilling both laws (Romans 8:2). By Jesus' one sacrifice "He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy," "and where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary," (Hebrews 10:14,18).
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| "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death," (Romans 8:1-2). |
Jesus is the lamb of God (Revelation 5:6), and He has taken away the sins of the world (John 3:16). See, Jesus was dead, and now He is alive (Isaiah 53:11). Anyone who wants to be free from sin, must hear Him say, "Turn to Me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other," (Isaiah 45:22). Yes, the same God who made the sacrificial law has fulfilled it, and He is alive!
Worthy is the, Lamb who was slain
Holy, Holy, is He
Sing a new song, to Him who sits on
Heaven's mercy seat
Holy, Holy, Holy
Is the Lord God Almighty
Who was, and is, and is to come
With all creation I sing
Praise to the King of Kings
You are my everything
And I will adore You
- Jennie Lee Riddle
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