Morning Dew
Key Passage: John 1: 29-36
Key Text: John 1: 36 – “Behold, the Lamb of God!”
I believe human beings are either animal lovers or not, and very few are just indifferent. I love animals and as a child one of my favourite places was the zoo. I am so fascinated by animals and I often wonder what they are thinking. I also look at them and see that God is quite humorous. Some animals just make you laugh. It also makes you see the creativity of God. His practical creativity in that most of the animals are so well designed and fit for purpose. Understanding these points, it is quite a revelation that God chose the image of the Lamb for His son. Jesus is known as the Lamb of God.
What is it about a Lamb that is so powerful that God chose it among all animals to be representative of His Son? (I know Christ is also the Lion of the tribe of Judah. So I would do something on the Lion later on.) The Lamb as an animal is quite humble. You can’t look at a Lamb and think arrogance or pride. You see humility and simplicity. Jesus is the epitome of humility. Secondly Lambs are peaceful. I have been on farms in the UK and France and watched lambs all day. They hardly fight or jostle for position. This is an incredible quality among animals. Jesus is the Prince of Peace and He is the reason we have peace with God.
Lambs are gentle though I have heard that they are quite strong and rugged. I have heard that sheep can withstand quite a lot of pain without looking sad or ill. They are pictures of meekness. Jesus is the perfect example of meekness. Though all-powerful, He kept His power absolutely under perfect control. He never once tried to assert Himself. He even helped His enemies.
Lambs are submissive. They follow the shepherd. This quality of obedience is quite important when we consider the person of Jesus Christ. He came in complete submission to His Father’s will. He was obedient even to the point of death. He said, “not my will, but yours be done.”
In the Old Testament, God commanded that Lambs be used in sacrifices. But the most important sacrifice in the Old Testament is the night of the Passover. God told the Israelites to take a lamb without blemish and kill it and dab the lintel and doorposts of their homes with its blood. That night, when the angel of death went through Egypt killing the firstborn of Egypt, he would Passover the homes where he sees the blood applied. This most holy day, which is still celebrated every year in Israel and Jews the world over, is centred on the meat of Lamb.
The bible tells us that 1 Cor 5:7 “For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.”
In calling Jesus the Lamb of God, John the Baptist sent out a multi-faceted message to all who would hear him. Jesus is God’s perfect sacrifice, Jesus is the epitome of what God expects of humans, Jesus is God revealed to men. Jesus is The Lamb of God.
One last thing, I really have not been able to prove this point, but I heard that the Lamb is the only animal a dove can alight upon. If this is true, then it says a lot about the nature of the lamb and the nature of God. The humility, the purity and the gentleness. The Holy Spirit loves the the Lamb!!!!
Let us Pray: Father God as we behold the Lamb of God, let us enter into the understanding of the nature of the lamb that pleases you. Help us to be gentle, humble, simple and pure as the Lamb of God. In Jesus name we pray. Amen