The Sacrificial Lamb

The Sacrificial Lamb

1 Peter 1:18-19 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 ancestors, but the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. (NIV)

            Jesus’ main mission on earth was to save man from his sins and to show him the way of righteousness through faith. Romans 3:25-26 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood – to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished – he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. (NIV) Man had lost sight of God when he fell for deception in the Garden of Eden, yet God wanted to redeem man unto Himself once again. God longed for the intimacy, not physically as a husband and wife, but the spiritual connection that once existed prior to man’s fall where He could walk and talk with Him without having to cover himself because of the ugliness and destruction that sin had caused. Exodus 33:20 “But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” (NIV) Man was too sinful to see God face to face for sin cannot dwell in the presence of a holy God. Man would have been doomed to be lost without Jesus coming to be a sacrifice for all mankind. Revelation 9:12 In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise.” (NIV)

            Jesus was betrayed by one with whom he had once called a friend. Psalm 41:9 Even my close friend, someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned against me. (NIV) Judas allowed the devil to use him to carry out the most wicked thing imaginable and that was to betray the Son of God. Luke 22:3-4 Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. (NIV) Who would even think to do such a thing? Judas had heard all of Jesus’ teaching, seen Him heal the sick, raise the dead and do countless other miracles; nevertheless, that did not stop him from betraying his master. Matthew 26:24 “The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.” (NIV)

            Jesus was arrested, beat, mocked, spit upon and utterly humiliated as no other man had ever been done before. The agony that He went through could not be described in mere words for He not only endured physical pain, but He carried the weight of the sins of the world. With all that He went through, Jesus never said one unkind word, but only asked that his Father would forgive them. 1 Peter 2:23-24 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate, when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” (NIV) Jesus loved us so much that He bore our sins so that we could have eternal life. He rose on the third day and now we have a choice of eternal life. 1 Corinthians 15:3-5 ⁽³⁾For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, ⁽⁴⁾that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, ⁽⁵⁾and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. (NIV) Jesus paid it all and now the choice is up to YOU.