The word ‘lamb’ is frequently used in the Bible (150 times) because of Israel’s pastoral economy. It became a strong symbol in both the Old Testament and the New Testament.
In the Old Testament the flesh of lambs was used as food (2 Sam. 12:4), it was used of the innocence of people (Nathan’s reference to Bethsheba – 2 Sam. 12); and of Gods’ care for his people (Isa. 40:11); but basically the use of the lamb involved the sacrificial system. Every day, morning and night, a lamb was sacrificed in the temple (Exo. 29:39-41); on the first day of each month (Num. 28-29); and at all feasts: of the Passover, Feast of Weeks, Day of the Blowing of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, Feast of Tabernacles; and at all times of special offerings for birth, death, peace and sin. On all of these occasion lambs were offered singly, in twos, sevens and even forties.
The Passover held the central meaning in the sacrifice of the lamb (Exo.12). The lamb was the symbol of the faith that delivered Israel from death in Egypt. The lamb’s blood was the means of deliverance. However, nowhere in the Pentateuch does the lamb bear the sins of the people. Josiah gave 30,000 lambs for sacrifice at one Passover (2 Chron. 35:7).
In the New Testament there were three major references to Jesus as being the Lamb of God. John the Baptist recognised him as such (Jn 1:29); Philip interpreted Jesus to the Ethiopian (Acts 8:1), and Peter spoke of His blood cleansing our sin (1 Pet. 1:18-19). In these references Jesus was likened to a lamb in terms of purity, gentleness and submission, and because of His sacrifice for the sin of others. This was a fusion of Old Testament ideas from the Passover Lamb and the Suffering Servant (Isa. 53:7-12).
The Book of Revelation uses another term translated as lamb 29 times in referring to Jesus. This time the lamb is also protector, warrior, saviour and ruler. He is still the sacrifice (5:6, 12), the means of cleansing (7:14), but also He has worship (5:12-14), wrath (6:16), the authority (13:8), and the victory (17:14). He is the centre of the throne of God and is betrothed to the Church. This lamb of Revelation has seven horns (5:6) a traditional symbol of a fighting, powerful lamb that protected the flock.
John has combined the picture of the sacrificial lamb of Passover and the powerful lamb of the Apocrypha. He sees Jesus dying as Saviour and reigning as Lord.
FOR TODAY
There must always be in our worship the wonder of our salvation: “He loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20).
An old Scottish preacher preached on John 1:29 each year with such regularity that his congregation warm-heartedly referred to the date as “Lamb of God Sunday”. As his life drew to an end he lived on only to that day the following year when, weak and ill, he preached at the morning service from a chair on the same theme, and surprised the congregation by preaching on the same theme again from a chair at the evening service. When his daughter asked him why he should repeat the theme he replied, knowing that he was soon to die, “Dear, Jesus is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. That is all they need to know.”
Paul makes the point that we must remember both the severity and kindness of God (Rom. 11:32). We need to see Jesus both as the meek sacrifice and the powerful Lord. The Lamb of God was also the Lion of Judah (Rev. 5:5).
Tommaso Campanella, the 16th century Italian poet, stormed at the artists of his day, “Why do you keep painting Christ in weakness, Christ dying, and most of all Christ hanging dead? Paint Christ not dead but risen, with His foot set in scorn on the split rock with which they sought to hold Him down! Paint Him the conqueror of death! Paint Him the Lord of Life! Paint Him the irresistible victor!” He saw the sacrificial lamb and the powerful seven-horned lamb as one, as did John.
REV THE HON DR GORDON MOYES AC MLC