Dansk (Google translator)

The Cross

Course: The Foundation of the Church

Lesson 4

Lesson Title: Jesus the Lamb of God

Text: John 1:29, ‘The next day John sees Jesus coming unto him, and said, Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world.’

Introduction: The Lamb of God.

What is meant by 'the Lamb of God'?

1) The sacrificial lamb was a sacrifice - a burnt offering.

2) The sacrificial lamb was a substitute - sacrificed on behalf of another.

Jesus the Lamb of God

The Messiah was revealed as:

• God's Sacrificial Lamb - Genesis 22:7-8 ‘And Isaac spoke unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.’ ‘God will provide Himself a Lamb’

• Abraham saw My day and was glad. See John 8:56. Abraham knew that God would provide a sacrificial Lamb who would bear the sins of His people.

John the Baptist told his disciples

• Sacrifice – ‘Jesus is the Lamb of God’
• Substitute – ‘That takes away the sin of the world’

The character of the lamb offered in sacrifice

The sacrificial lamb must be without blemish or spot. 1 Peter 1:17

No blemish (Gr. amomos) referring to Christ being without fault. Pilate said ‘I find no fault with this Man’. John 19:4.

No spot (Gr. Aspilos) referring to Christ being undefiled. He had no sin in Him but He became sin for us. 2 Corinthians 5:21 ‘For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.’

Pilate declared Jesus to be faultless, and told the chief priests and officers to crucify Him. Joh 19:6 When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate says unto them, Take you him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him.

The High Priest declared that Jesus should die on behalf of the people.

John 12:49-53 ‘And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation; And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad. Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.’

Introductory Story: The Passover Exodus 12

The Passover Lamb

· The blood of the Passover Lamb was the only means of salvation. Exodus 12. The night before the Israelites left Egypt they ate the Passover Lamb and put the blood on the door posts, Exodus 12:22.

· The children of Israel had faith in the blood of the Passover Lamb. The Lord protected every house when He saw the blood and protected them from the destroyer, Exodus 12:23. But the firstborn of the Egyptians was killed.

John saw the Lord in heaven.

Revelation 5:9-12 ‘And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.’

• Sinless - He was worthy ( a worthy sacrifice)
• Sacrificial Lamb - He was slain ( a willing sacrifice)
• Redeemer - He has redeemed by His blood (a wonderful sacrifice)

Song: Some years ago I wrote the words to this song

He gave Himself as an offering for sin

The sacrificial Lamb though Zion’s King

Though Son of God, Son of Man became

He alone for sin was worthy to be slain

And I will sing of my Redeemer

Who has ransomed me

Who shed His blood on Calvary

Nothing less could ever make a sinner free.

Silver and gold could not my soul redeem

The blood alone can make a sinner clean

On the cross He shed His blood for me

Took from death its sting and gave the victory

The powers of death could not overcome

The sinless Son of God, the Triumphant One

Ascended far above all powers that be

Jesus Christ is Lord for all eternity

(Steve Dulwich)

Main Points

1. The Lamb of God – a worthy sacrifice

a) Shepherds first to see Jesus.

• The shepherds in the fields near Bethlehem. Examined the lambs for sacrifice.

The Lord told the shepherds first – Come and see my Passover Lamb.

The Lamb – Born in David’s city is a Saviour Christ the Lord -

b) Examined and found to be ‘without blemish’ 1Peter 1:19 ‘But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:’

• Examined by High Priest - ‘I adjure you by the Most High God, Are you the Christ’. Accused Him of blasphemy because He is the Son of God
• Examined by Herod – Mocked Him. ‘Jesus did not answer him’
• Examined by Pilate – ‘I find no fault with this Man’.

c) The resurrection testifies ‘He is worthy’

• It was impossible for death to hold Him. Acts 2:24 ‘Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.’
• John saw Him in the Apocalypse as the Lamb who was worthy to redeem His people. Rev. 5:9 ‘And they sung a new song, saying, You are worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;’ Rev. 5:12 ‘Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.’

2. Lamb for the sacrifice – a willing sacrifice.

a) He was without resistance – set His face towards Jerusalem. Luke 9:51.

• Jesus recognised the voice of the enemy when Peter said ‘Be it far from You…’ after He told His disciples what was going to happen to Him. Matthew 16:21-23

• Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah would be a sacrifice without resistance. Isa 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

• Philip witnessing to the Ethiopian eunuch – when Philip explained this passage to the Eunuch, he preached Jesus.

Acts 8:32 ‘The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:Without spot and blemish.’

b) The humility of Christ. Philippians 2:5-11.

• The eternal Son of God became Man. Isaiah 9:6. ‘Unto us a child is born’ – He became Man. ‘Unto us a Son is given’ - the eternal Son of God.

c) It was for the joy of bringing redemption that Jesus was a willing sacrifice. Hebrews 12:2

• He was a willing sacrifice because He loved those He came to save. John 13:1 Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
• He was a willing sacrifice because He loved to do His Fathers will. In Gethsemane Jesus is a willing sacrifice. Luke 22:42 ‘Saying, Father, if You be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but Yours, be done.’ The Psalmist wrote concerning Him ‘I delight to do Your will, O God’. Psalm 40:8.
• He was willing because there was no other way of salvation for His people. Luke 22:42-43 ‘Saying, Father, if You be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but Yours, be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.’ The angel came to strengthen Him because there was no other way.

3. The Lamb of God – a wonderful sacrifice. ‘…His name shall be called Wonderful…’ Isaiah 9:6.

a) Able to wash the sinner clean.

• Sin is wiped completely away by the blood. Colossians 2:14 Sin wiped away
• He took our sin and we received His imparted righteousness 2 Corinthians 5:21.
• No condemnation. Romans 8:1. The blood removes all condemnation. No one can condemn us because it is Christ who died, rose again, and intercedes at the right hand of God for us. Romans 8:34.

b) It is the price of redemption. 1 Peter 1:18-19.

• It delivers from slavery to freedom. Romans 6:22 ‘But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.’ We have been bought out of the slavery of sin to be servants of righteousness.
• It delivers from the powers of darkness to the Kingdom of the Son of God. Colossians 1:13-14, ‘Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:’ We have been redeemed to be citizens of the kingdom of the Son of God. We are governed by different rules from the world. We have been bought to live by a higher standard. 1 Corinthians 6:20
• We have been delivered from bondage to serve the Lord. 1 Corinthians 7:22-23 ‘For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord’s freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ’s servant. You are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.’ We are free to serve others because we are the Lord’s.

b) Delivers from death – death to life.

• The blood of the Passover Lamb removes the bondage of the fear of death, Hebrews 2:14-15. Death is mankind’s greatest enemy. The fear of death produces bondage but the blood of Jesus brings victory over death.
• Death is conquered. Rev. 1:18 ‘I am he that lives, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.’ In Christ the believer can say ‘O death, where is your sting? O grave where is your victory?’ 1 Corinthians 15:55.

c) Overcomes

• Only faith in the blood of the Lamb has power to overcome the devil. Rev. 12:11, ‘And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.’
• The blood makes us victorious over sin, death and the devil. Sin is continuously cleansed, 1 John 1:7. Death cannot separate us from the love of Christ, Romans 8:38-39. The devil has no power over the blood of Jesus, Romans 8:37. ‘…we are more than conquerors through Him that loves us.’
• We are Kings and priests to reign on the earth, Rev. 1:5-6, ‘And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’

Summary:

Jesus is the Lamb of God. The Passover Lamb.

1) A worthy sacrifice Lamb. The Sinless Son of God who alone was worthy.

2) A willing sacrifice. The Sacrificial Lamb who gave His life freely.

3) A wonderful sacrifice. The Redeemer who has redeemed by His blood.

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