The Lamb of God

QUESTION: The Lamb of God - What does this title mean?

ANSWER:

John 1:29 says, "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, 'Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!'" What does this title of the Lamb of God signify?

We can read in Genesis 22:8 that Abraham said God would provide a lamb to sacrifice: "Abraham answered, 'God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.' And the two of them went on together." The lamb which Abraham said God would provide, is the lamb which had to be sacrificed to save Abraham's son. Genesis 22:13 says, "Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son."

We understand that Old Testament sacrifices were a temporary arrangement, a substitute sacrifice, which was prepared until the real Lamb of God came. The real Lamb would be much better than any animal because He could take away the sins of all men!

Before Jesus was crucified He said this of His life, "No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father." Jesus chose to lay down His life as a sacrifice for you and me. In giving His life as a sacrifice, Jesus fulfilled the words which Abraham spoke to his son all those years before, "God himself will provide a lamb for sacrifice." This is the lamb which takes away the sins of all men. His sacrifice still has the power to save men from sins today because He is not dead, but alive.

Hebrews 9:13-14 says, "The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!"