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Series: General
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Additional file: 2014-04-20 The Lamb of God - Alan Yeater.docx


 S.R. Exodus 12:1-13

 

INTRODUCTION

  1. The New Testament presents what some have called “a violent, bloody religion.”
    1. The crucifixion was an essential act of God to reconcile man unto Him.
    2. A lot of blood has been shed since the beginning of time intentionally. (John 1)
  2. This is an announcement of God’s lamb, not your lamb or my lamb, but the Lamb of God.
    1. It is not the lamb that we will bring, but the one God will bring and it is a sacrificial lamb. (Matthew 11:1-5)
  3. The victory of God is achieved in ways we never imagined it would be achieved.
  4. The center of the whole story is Jesus, the Lamb of God.

 

OUTLINE

  1. PRECEDING LAMBS
    1. Passover Lamb
      1. Not the first lamb to be offered:
        1. Abel offered the firstlings of the flock (Gen. 4)
        2. Abraham offered the ram, in place of his son Isaac. (Gen. 22)
        3. Idea that somebody is released and somebody dies.
        4. Rule since the garden. Wages of sin is death.
      2. We know that the Passover Lamb points to Jesus because of Paul’s(1 Cor. 5:7).   “For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.”
      3. Stubborn will of Pharaoh was finally broken by the 10th plague in which the firstborn died (Ex. 11).
      4. The lamb was slain, set apart on the 10th day and slain on the 14th day (Ex. 12).
        1. It was perfect, without blemish, year old lamb. (Ex. 12:5)
        2. Firstborn of man and beast is going to die, but protection is extended to the children of Israel when God sees the blood. (Ex. 12:13)
      5. When God sees the blood He remembers His promise of redemption.
    2. Lambs slain in sacrifice at the tabernacle and later at the temple.
      1. Were you ever under the false impression that the sacrifice of those animals was a rather beautiful, euphoric scene?
      2. Slaughter is not pretty in any sense of the word. (Lev. 4,9, Numbers 28-29)
        1. A lamb, standing there quivering, waiting its turn to have a knife to its throat and its life blood come gushing out.
        2. The butchering process that prepared the lamb to be placed upon the altar was a violent and bloody religion (Lev. 9)
          1. Sacrifice for sins of the priest and then for the people.
        3. Wasn’t all lambs, also included bulls, rams, goats, etc. (Num. 28-29)
          1. Every day two lambs slain (continual burnt offering)
          2. Every Sabbath, four lambs slain (two in addition to continual)
          3. First day of the month, more animals slaughtered (Num. 28:11)
          4. Feast days – Tabernacle and later Temple sacrifices; not counting individual offerings. (Numbers 29:12-40)
      3. What is the purpose of all of this? Sin is a serious business. It cost lives.
        1. Israelites had to bring their sin offerings, trespass offerings, peace offerings and burnt offerings.
        2. Lev. 4 pictures what had to be done when sin occurred?
          1. i.Sacrifice brought to the tabernacle
        3. Read (Lev. 4:32-35)
          1. It was not beautiful and it was not intended to be beautiful. It was grizzly and revolting. Life is being poured out continually.
          2. Note: “'For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.'” (Lev. 17:11)
        4. You are worthy of death. You have sinned against God. If you don’t die then the lamb must die. The innocent lamb must die.
        5. “We suffer, in this generation, from the view that sin is not too good, but it is not too bad, either.”
          1. Sin always costs.Sin always resulted in a high cost to be paid by the sinner. Sin always costs someone or something their life.
        6. The Israelites were made to realize that sin is not something small it is going to costs me the life of my flock or herd.
          1. It is going to costs me financially, emotionally and spiritually.
          2. Sin always takes a toll.
          3. Innocent blood must be shed in order for me to be forgiven.
      4. Day of Atonement: Leviticus 16
        1. When man can exhibit the characteristic of holiness God has a union and relationship with man that is called spiritual fellowship.
        2. Holiness for man can only take place if the price for sin can be paid thereby removing sin.
        3. This relationship is only possible if man can be found in a state of holiness because this is the only realm of existence with God…but alas this is the problem of man
    3. Conclusion: Because of our sins, you and I are doomed!
      1. "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23).
      2. However, Jesus Christ died on the cross on our behalf as sacrifice for our sins (2 Corinthians 5:21). “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
      3. "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends" (John 15:13).
      4. How can we be saved? (Romans 6:1-5)

  2. THE LAMB OF ISAIAH 53
    1. The book of Isaiah is a mother lode of Messianic prophecies.
      1. Chapter 7 - virgin birth
      2. Chapter 9: 6 “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time”
      3. Second half of the book 40-66 is one messianic reference after another.
      4. Heart of this section, its very center is the 53rd chapter.
    2. Evidence that the Bible is from God is that no man would ever dream of an unfolding plan as God reveals here. An innocent, bloody, slaughtered lamb. Did Isaiah understand all of which he was speaking?
      1. I doubt it. “things into which angels long to look” (1 Peter 1:10-12).
    3. Isaiah 53:1-2a “Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?   2a He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground.” (NIV)
      1. How in the world did God think the birth of Jesus was going to impress anybody?
    4. Isa. 53:2b-3 “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”
      1. Why? Because he had no money and didn’t care.
      2. Because he was not of the social elite and did not care.
      3. Why did God present us with this nobody who comes to be His Son who speaks about being the Son of Man, the Son of God.
    5. Isaiah 53:4-5 “Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.”
      1. If we would have seen him on the cross that day we would have thought there is a bad man coming to a bad end.
        1. “Cursed is every man who hangs on a tree.” (Gal. 3:13)
      2. It was not Jesus who was bad. We are the bad ones “our transgressions…our iniquities”
      3. And the cross and death of Christ demonstrates how bad we are.
      4. This is what it cost God to forgive us of our transgressions.
    6. Isaiah 53:6 “All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”
      1. Definition of sin: “gone astray…to his own way;”
      2. Turning your back on God, wickedness, sin.
      3. God laid on Jesus the iniquity of us all (Isa. 53:10; 2 Cor. 5:21).
    7. Isaiah 53:7 “He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.”
      1. This is not weakness, “Father, forgive them, they do not know what they are doing.”
      2. When somebody is being murdered by unholy people and He is able to say to his Father, please forgive them, that is power and we need to know it as Christians.
      3. We are to respond to real or imagined wrongs in the same format as this bloody lamb.
    8. The Lamb of God bled and died alone for your sins and mine? Does that matter to you?

  3.  THE LAMB OF REVELATION 5
    1. He is not the dying lamb anymore. He is the reigning, resplendent Christ.
      1. When John saw Him he fell at his feet like a dead man.
      2. This scene follows the throne scene of chapter 4 that poignantly reminds of Isa. 6.
      3. Read Rev. 5:1-3
        1. a.This strong angel could not open the seals.
        2. b.What is this scroll? It represents the future as God intends it to be.
        3. c.God has plans for you. He schemed a plan for you.
        4. d.If you don’t accept it all the blessings of God will be lost for you?
      4. Rev. 5:4-6 Read.
        1. The Lion of the tribe of Judah is seen as a lamb, slain, but now alive.
        2. Who is worthy, it is not carnal strength, but holy living
      5. Because the lamb was killed, murdered for our redemption (Rev.5:8-10)
      6. These saints, especially in Asia Minor, were being slaughtered because of their allegiance to Christ.
      7. They were asking, God, do you know, do you care and what are you going to do about it? We ask those same questions.
        1. God says, “I know about what is going on.”
        2. God says, “I care about it and you.”
        3. God says, “I am able and I will do something about it.”
    2. How are we redeemed? By the blood of the lamb, and He purchased us to be “kingspriests to our God;” and such we are.
      1. Rev. 12:7-11 Read
        1. Waiting for the power and strength of God has come.
        2. How could Satan be cast down?
          1. Because he couldn’t accuse us anymore (Cf. Romans 8:31-34)
          2. We are washed, sanctified and justified in the blood of the Lamb.
        3. How could they overcome? (Rev. 12:11) "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”
        4. Will we? The lamb is triumphant.