Lamb Of God

Dec 24, 2022

Silent night, holy night

All is calm, all is bright

Round yon Virgin Mother and Child

Holy infant so tender and mild

Sleep in heavenly peace

It’s Christmas Eve, the night of Jesus’ birth.

Final meal prep is taking place for family celebrations, “Santa” is busy wrapping presents, and children everywhere are wondering if they’ll get the latest PS5. Soon there will be Christmas Eve services where families will end singing ’Silent Night’, candles lit, hearts filled with memories of Christ’s birth.

Today, even though it’s all about ‘baby’ Jesus, if we take a moment to look a little deeper, we see that it’s so much more.

Jesus was born as a baby, but his eye was already on the cross! He is the “Lamb of God”.

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

- John 1:29

Throughout the Bible, sacrifice was required.

When God tested Abraham’s love, asking him to sacrifice his own son, Isaac, we read in Genesis 22:8 that at the final moment, God provided the sacrifice - not Isaac, but a ram stuck in a thicket.

Remember the Passover lamb? Nine horrendous plagues were placed upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians. His heart grew harder with each one and he wouldn’t let the Israelites go to the wilderness to worship God. The final plague, the plague of the firstborn, the Israelites were to take an unblemished lamb, slaughter it, and place its blood on the ‘sides and doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs’ (Exodus 12:7). God told Moses in Exodus 12:12-13:

“On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.”

- Exodus 12:12-13

Throughout the Bible, sacrificial lambs were killed as payment for the Israelites’ sins.

Annually, there was a Day of Atonement when the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies to offer sacrifices for God’s people. And yet, all of this was ritual. Rituals that were a foreshadowing of Jesus.

This baby Jesus, born in a manger, has come to ransom us. We’re bought and paid for, not by any ritual or annual observance, but by the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross.

It is not because of anything we’ve done, but because He poured out His life for us so that you may live.

So as we celebrate Jesus’ birth tomorrow, let’s remember to give thanks that He came as a baby, taught us how to live, and then was the perfect “Lamb of God” sacrificed so we can live!

Merry Christmas!

Pastor Pam

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