Lamb of God

1. Lamb of God

2. Background • After 400 years of captivity a deliverer had come. • 9 plagues had been sent upon the land of Egypt, but the children of Jacob spared. • Pharaoh still refused to release them. • The 10th plague was coming. • Moses called for a meeting of the elders of the people. • In ten days they were to take a male lamb. Spotless. They were to separate it from the other livestock and keep it with them for four days and on the 14th day kill it. • They were then to take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood of the lamb and paint the awning and sides of their doorway with the blood. • That night God would pass thru Egypt to take the life of the firstborn of every house. But when He saw the blood, He would pass over the houses of the children of Israel. • So significant was this event, that God commanded the children of Israel to begin the first month of the year at this time according to Exodus 12:2. Ex 12:2 This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you.

3. Fast forward approximately 1500 years… (John 1:29, 36) • John the Baptizer began his ministry. • Perhaps the Passover was coming soon, or perhaps the Passover was recently over. • Regardless the mind of the people would recently have been drawn to that event. • John, in fulfilling the work of his ministry, points to Jesus and says, “Behold the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world.” • What the Lamb of God is… John 1:29 The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:36 and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!"

4. Sanctified — He is God’s Lamb • The lamb the children of Israel slew was to be dedicated to God. • It was to be separated from the other animals. • They were to care for it for four days. • It was to be given to God. • It was the Lord’s Passover (Exodus 12:11). Ex 12:11 'Now you shall eat it in this manner: with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste — it is the LORD'S Passover.

5. Sanctified — He is God’s Lamb • The lamb the children of Israel slew was to be dedicated to God. • Jesus is God’s dedicated Lamb today. • Because He is the only begotten of the Father. • Jesus was of a higher order than man, and of a different nature (John 1:14) • The mission of Jesus Christ was the fullest proof that God could give, or that man could receive, of His infinite love to the world. (1st John 4:9) John 1:14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth 1 John 4:9 By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him

6. Sanctified — He is God’s Lamb • The lamb the children of Israel slew was to be dedicated to God. • Jesus is God’s dedicated Lamb today. • Because He is the only begotten of the Father. • Because He fully dedicated himself to doing God’s will. • He never failed once to do exactly what God wanted Him to do. (John 5:30) • Though men had forsaken and rejected him, yet God attended him. (John 8:29). John 5:30 I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. John 8:29 And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him."

7. Sanctified — He is God’s Lamb • The lamb the children of Israel slew was to be dedicated to God. • Jesus is God’s dedicated Lamb today. • Because He is the only begotten of the Father. • Because He fully dedicated himself to doing God’s will. • Because He fully dedicated himself to the salvation of man. • Jesus’ mission was to seek and save (Luke 19:10). • Paul acknowledged that even the worst sinner can be saved (1 Tim.1:15) 1 Tim 1:15 It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all Luke 19:10 "For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."

8. Sinless — Without spot • The lamb was to be without blemish. • A male of one year. • We learn from Leviticus 22:22-24 that it was not to be blind, broken, maimed, crushed, bruised, scabbed, or having more than the normal amount of body parts. • It was to be perfect.

9. Sinless — Without spot • The lamb was to be without blemish. • Jesus is also the lamb without blemish or spot. • Jesus was without blemish in His spiritual life–he knew no sin. • Hebrews 4:15 • 1st Peter 2:22 • Because He knew no sin, He could bear the sins of mankind. • 2nd Corinthians 5:21 • The writer of Hebrews says that His innocence allowed Him to bear the sins of the guilty. (Hebrews 9:28). 2 Cor 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Heb 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet was without sin. Heb 9:28 so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him. 1 Peter 2:22 WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH;

10. A Sacrifice • The children of Israel were to kill the lamb in their house as a sacrifice to God. • They were to roast the lamb whole over fire. • They were to eat the lamb. • Whatever was left over they were to burn to ashes. • There was to be nothing left of the lamb on the next day.

11. A Sacrifice • The children of Israel were to kill the lamb in their house as a sacrifice to God. • Jesus is our perfect sacrifice today. • He sacrificed His station. (Philippians 2:5-7) • He sacrificed His livelihood. (Matthew 8:20) • No doubt he had learned the trade of carpentry from Joseph (Matthew13:55). • He asked others to sacrifice their livelihood (Matthew 4:19). Matt 13:55 Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? Phil 2:5-7 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Matt 4:19-20 And He said to them, " Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." Matt 8:20 Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."

12. A Sacrifice John 10:14-18 I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, 15 even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 "I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd. 17 "For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. 18 " No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father. • The children of Israel were to kill the lamb in their house as a sacrifice to God. • Jesus is our perfect sacrifice today. • He sacrificed His station. (Philippians 2:5-7) • He sacrificed His livelihood. (Matthew 8:20) • He sacrificed His very life. (John 10:14-18)

13. Salvation • The lamb that was slain provided salvation. • God was going to take the life of all the first born. • There was only one way that the Israelites could prevent death from entering their house. • They had to take the blood of the slain lamb and put it over and around their doorways. • Was the power to save in the door? • Was the power to save in the hyssop brush that put the blood on the door? • Was the power to save in the man’s work of applying the blood to the door? • The power was in the blood, but if not applied, then it would have done no good. • God said, “when I see the blood, I will pass over you.” (Exodus 12:13). • Death visited every house upon which the blood was not applied.

14. Salvation • The lamb that was slain provided salvation.. • Jesus is salvation today! • No other provides salvation (Acts 4:12) • The power of salvation today is in His blood. Jesus said, ” For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” • The sin of mankind merits eternal death, but when God sees the blood of Christ, He will pass over us and grant us LIFE! Acts 4:12 And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved."

15. Rom 6:1-11 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for he who has died is freed from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus Salvation • The lamb that was slain provided salvation.. • Jesus is salvation today! • But just as the blood would not cover them if they did not apply it, so today it will not cover us if we do not apply it. • We apply the blood of Christ to our life through baptism into Christ. • Peter says in Acts 2:38 that baptism is for the remission of sins. • When we are baptized, we come into the likeness of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection (Romans 6:1-11). • It is in obedience to God in baptism that we come in contact with the blood of Christ for Christ shed his blood during his death. • Is the power of salvation within the water of baptism? No. • Just as the power of salvation was not in that doorway for the Israelites–it was in the blood.

16. The Lamb of God stands before you this very morning. • He is God’s Lamb — there is no other through whom you may come for salvation. • He is the Lamb without blemish — He has left for us a perfect example. • He is the Sacrificial Lamb — He has given His all for us; will you give your all for Him? • He is the Lamb of Salvation — Will you receive the salvation that he offers today by applying the blood to your life? • If you are a Christian but have fallen away • If you sin willfully, there remains no more sacrifice for your sin (Hebrews 10:26). • Repent and bring the Lamb of God back into your life. • If you are not a Christian this morning . . . • The Lamb of God was slain for you to bring you out of sin and into salvation! • Paul declared, “Christ, our Passover, is sacrificed for us.” (1 Corinthians 5:7) • Will you not come to the blood of the Lamb this very hour? Heb 10:26 For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,

17. 0469 Faith Is The Victory