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2000-04-16 - Jesus as the Lamb of God
Passages about Jesus, Part 8
As Easter approaches, we are reminded that Jesus, the only man Who never
himself sinned, suffered the punishment necessitated by my sins and yours
-- our pride, selfishness, "fudging"on our taxes, lies, greed -- all our
weaknesses. He fulfilled the requirements of God's holy justice. The lambs
sacrificed under the Mosaic Law had to be unblemished, and Jesus surpassed
even them, was the most perfect Lamb Who ever lived.
Jesus was destined to be the sacrificial Lamb of God for us, before God
even created you and me:
1 Pet. 1:17 Since you call on a Father who judges each
man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.
18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as
silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down
to you from your forefathers, 19 but with the precious blood of
Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before
the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your
sake. 21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the
dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.
John the Baptist recognized that Jesus would be sacrificed for our sins:
John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him
and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
30 This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after
me has surpassed me because he was before me.'
Jesus was as submissive as a passive lamb, to a tortuous death:
Acts8:32 The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture:
"He was led like a sheep to the slaughter. And as a lamb before the shearer
is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 33 In his humiliation
he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life
was taken from the earth." (See Isaiah 53:7,8) 34 The eunuch asked
Philip, "Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone
else?" 35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture
and told him the good news about Jesus.
Jesus' sacrifice as God's Lamb should inspire holy lives:
1 Cor. 5:6 Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that
a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? 7 Get rid
of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeastas you really
are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore
let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and
wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth.
At the end of the age, the Lamb of God will receive the honor He
deserves:
Rev. 5:11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels,
numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand.
They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders.
12 In a loud voice they sang: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and
praise!" 13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth
and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: "To
him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory
and power, for ever and ever!" 14 The four living creatures said,
"Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped.
Jan
cfdevcfpray@yahoo.com
http://www.cfdevotionals.org
All verses today are from the New International Version (NIV). |
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