Why a Lamb?
John the Baptist, Jesus’ relative and the one born to proclaim His coming, was at the Jordan one day baptizing when he saw Jesus coming toward him. He shouted, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”
You’ve probably read this a million times and thought nothing of it. We are used to thinking of Jesus as the Lamb of God. But have you ever wondered what the people around John thought? Lamb? We don’t want a lamb. A lamb is a small animal, a baby sheep, a helpless thing doomed to be killed and eaten.
In short, a lamb is a sacrifice.
That’s not what the Messiah was supposed to be. The Messiah was going to be a king, a great ruler. The Messiah was going to save the Jewish people from their Roman oppressors.
John’s prophecy was chillingly accurate. Think of all the times God provided a helpless animal to rescue his people. When Adam and Eve sinned, God killed an animal to make clothes for them. He used the bodies of divided animals to make a covenant with Abraham. When Abraham was about to sacrifice Isaac, God provided a ram in his place. At the first Passover, it was the blood of a lamb painted on the doorposts that saved the people from having their firstborns killed during the final plague in Egypt.
Jesus would ultimately fulfill Isaiah’s prophecy:
He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. (Isaiah 53:7)
He was the perfect Passover Lamb, the only sacrifice needed to save us from our sins for all time.
This is not what the people were expecting. Nor is it what they wanted. They wanted a ruler, a king, a conqueror. They wanted to be saved from the Romans, not saved from their sins.
I don’t think we have changed all that much. I’ll bet if I took a tally, my prayers for protection and salvation from outside forces are far more numerous than those battling my own actions and desires. My list of needs far outweighs my confessions.
We are waiting for Jesus to return. Some of us believe that time is pretty near. Indeed, many of the conditions are already in place. This time, we know He will come as a conqueror, a ruler, a king. We know He will vanquish the enemies of heaven and earth in one fell swoop. We know it’s going to be glorious.
Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse. Its rider was called Faithful and True, and he judges and makes war justly. His eyes were like a fiery flame, and on his head were many royal crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He wore a robe dyed with blood, and his name was called the Word of God. Heaven’s armies, wearing fine linen that was white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword that he will use to strike down the nations. He is the one who will rule them with an iron rod. And he is the one who will trample the winepress of the Almighty God’s passionate anger. He has a name written on his robe and on his thigh: King of kings and Lord of lords. Revelation 19:11-16
But we ought to make sure our own hearts are aligned with Him before that happens. Jesus the Lamb came as a sacrifice, but Jesus the King will come as a judge.
Don’t be surprised by this, because the time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice. Those who did good things will come out into the resurrection of life, and those who did wicked things into the resurrection of judgment. John 5:28-29
Look, he is coming with the clouds! Every eye will see him, including those who pierced him, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of him. This is so. Amen. Revelation 1:7
“Look! I’m coming soon. My reward is with me, to repay all people as their actions deserve. Revelation 22:12
“Now when the Son of Man comes in his majesty and all his angels are with him, he will sit on his majestic throne. All the nations will be gathered in front of him. He will separate them from each other, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right side. But the goats he will put on his left. “Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who will receive good things from my Father. Inherit the kingdom that was prepared for you before the world began. I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me… “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Get away from me, you who will receive terrible things. Go into the unending fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels. I was hungry and you didn’t give me food to eat. I was thirsty and you didn’t give me anything to drink. I was a stranger and you didn’t welcome me… ' Matthew 25:31-35,41-43
We all must appear before Christ in court so that each person can be paid back for the things that were done while in the body, whether they were good or bad. 2 Corinthians 5:10
Does this sound scary? I think it should scare us a little bit. January is a time for New Year’s resolutions, which usually involve dieting, going to the gym, and for Christians, a promise to start that One Year Bible and really finish it this time. But let’s also use it at a time not just to improve our bodies and our habits but to reexamine our hearts. Because the last thing Jesus said was, “Behold, I am coming soon.” (Rev 22:20)
Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!
GINA DETWILER is the author of the soon-to-be-released Penny’s Journal: Fortune Lost, a novella of the FORLORN series. She’s also written The Ultimate Bible Character Guide and The Ultimate Bible Character Devotional for Lifeway. She’s the co-author of the bestselling Prince Warriors series with Priscilla Shirer.
