The Lamb of God

Let's return to the Israelites for a moment. What we must remember is that everything that is written in the Old Testament concerning the Israelites and others is a foreshadowing [or prophetic] of what will happen in the New Testament. Here's an example:

"And they [the Israelites} journeyed from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, neither is there any water and our soul loatheth this light bread [manna]. And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived." (Numbers 21:4-9)

Here is the New Testament truth that this scripture above foretells of:

"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man [Jesus Christ] be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him [Jesus Christ] might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God." (John 3:14-21)

Obviously the "so must the Son of man be lifted up" refers to Jesus being crucified and lifted up on the cross to which He was nailed; a gruesome torturous death that He willingly died for our sins. THAT's the Good News of Jesus Christ.

But those not familiar with the Word of God might be wondering what significance Jesus' death on the cross has to us, or to "the world" that God sent His Son to save.

So, let's go back to the Old Testament once more for the foreshadowing or prophecy of the purpose of Jesus' crucifixion.

Remember when the Israelites were still in bondage to the Egyptian Pharaoh and God was about to send the tenth and final plague on the Egyptians because the Pharoah would not set them free to follow Moses into the wilderness? Every house that did NOT have the blood of a lamb splashed on the doorposts would be visited by the Lord who would cause the firstborn child of the "unmarked" house to die. Listen carefully to God's instructions about the lamb whose blood was to be splashed on the doorposts:

"Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house….your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: and ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water,, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and the purtenance thereof. And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste, it is the Lord's Passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt." (Exodus 12:3-13) [Keep in mind the words "I will execute judgment: I am the Lord;" we will study these words in the next posting.]

Here is the New Testament fulfillment of all that was foreshadowed in that excerpt from Exodus:

"The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world…and John bare record saying I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon Him. And I knew Him not, but He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, the same is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God." (John1:29-34)

Thus, instead of the spotless lamb in Egypt whose blood saved the Israelites, now it is the blood of the spotless [without sin] Lamb of God whose blood was shed to save us from the penalty of our sin.

"And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks; and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." (Matthew 26:26-28)

And just as the Israelites were to eat every bit of the lamb that was roasted in the fire [symbolic of the lake of fire or hell – the penalty of sin against a holy God], so those who wish to be saved must eat symbolically of the body of Jesus Christ and symbolically drink the blood, "all of it," that He shed for us – the sacrificial lamb given by God to the world to save them from the penalty of sin [death]– to those who would receive Him. It is only through the shed blood of Jesus that our sins against God are remitted – pardoned, forgiven, released from as though they had never been committed. It is only through Jesus Christ, the perfect and spotless Lamb of God that we LIVE.

"They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." (Revelation 7:16-17)