Behold the Lamb of God

 

Behold Him in His walk     John 1v35-39

As we ponder the intriguing title of the Lamb of God, we must see it in its broad treatment in the bible:

Genesis 22v7        The where of the Lamb

John 1v29             The work of the Lamb

John 1v36             The walk of the Lamb

Revelation 5v12    The worth of the Lamb

Revelation 6v16    The wrath of the Lamb

The symbolism is unique, for the Holy God chose to reconcile us to Himself not by force as in a strong lion, but in friendliness by a young lamb.  There is nothing so attractive as a frolicking young lamb in the freshness of spring after a long winter.  God reconciles people to Himself by wooing us in the symbol of the Lamb.  In gentleness, in loving friendship, in fun-filled happiness He approaches us to bring us the joys of spring.  The time will come when that gracious approach will change to unmitigated wrath, because of rejection, but in the present He offers mercy in the shape of the lamb our substitute.

John pointed two of his disciples to Jesus "Looking upon Jesus as He walked, he said "Behold the Lamb of God!"  He points them to the lovely walk of the Lamb who in majestic beauty walked a perfect life on this earth.  The Lamb to be slain for the world must be perfect in every way; "Without blemish..."Exodus 12v5, Leviticus 22v19-25; 1st Peter 1v19.  He was "Holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners..."-Heb. 7v26; He "...offered Himself without spot to God"-Heb. 9v14.  From birth to His death He was flawless, perfect, spotless, pure. 

The demon spirit called Him "the Holy one of God"-Mark 1v24

Those sent out to trap Him said "Never man spake like this man"-John 7v46

Pilate the Roman governor said "I find no fault in Him"-John 19v6

The malefactor on the cross said "This man has done nothing amiss"-Luke 23v41

Jesus Himself said "Which of you convinceth me of sin?-John 8v46

Then there is the ultimate vindication "God raised Him from the dead..."-Acts 2v24.  

A perfect life, a perfect sacrifice, John pointed Him out to his disciples. He was not in the business of accumulating disciples for himself.  There are examples of the opposite in scripture, of those who use their God-given talent to draw away disciples after them.  Absalom drew people away from loyalty to king David, to himself when he “stole the hearts of the people of Israel”-2^nd Samuel 15v1-6.  Paul warned the leaders in the church at Ephesus about those “…of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them”-Acts 20v30.  How many are using their influence to draw people to themselves in the name of God?  John directed his followers to follow Jesus.  This was a gesture of honest meekness by John whose new found popularity did not go to his head; instead he pointed his followers to One greater.  In the service of God are we gathering followers to ourselves or to the Lord?  Would we be drawn, like the disciples of John, to the lovely walk of Jesus upon earth, who became the sacrifice for our sins?  As Wylie McCleod penned:

"A perfect path of purest grace, unblemished and complete; was thine thou spotless Nazarite pure even to the feet....The vow was on thee thou didst come to yield thyself to death; and consecration marked thy path and spoke in every breath....Morning by morning thou didst wake amidst this poisoned air; yet no contagion touched thy soul, no sin disturbed thy prayer."

Will we follow Him as Andrew did, and the other disciple of John?  There's enough recorded of Him in all the bible to fill our lifetime with wonder as we journey to glory.

Next "Master where dwellest thou..."

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