The Lamb

John 12 When He had washed their feet and put on His outer garments and resumed His place, He said to them, Do you understand what I have done to you?

Do you? Do I? Do you understand what He has done for you? What happened at the cross? What happened in the garden?

Jesus said, For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will but the will of Him who sent Me. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I should lose nothing of all that He has given Me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.

Was the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil worth it?

It seems like such a small thing. Trivial really. It was one act of disobedience. Seems a little harsh to sentence the entire world to death, doesn't it? On the other hand, the man and woman were placed in paradise. Everything was perfect. All they needed to do was obey one law. Do not touch it. It should have been simple. But God's laws were absolute and so through the sin of the one man, all became guilty before God.

So, in their one act of disobedience the entire world came under the penalty of sin. The tree of life was hidden to prevent them from staying in that condition for all time. And the first blood offering was made to atone for their sin and to cover them in the skin of the sacrificial offering.

So it began. The slaying of the innocent for the guilty. Over and over. The sacrificial lamb is brought and slain. The blood atones and the guilty put on the robes of the innocent. It was God's way. The Law was given to show us the depth of sin. Impossible to keep. Impossible to attain perfection. Israel labored under the burden of the weight of it. She labors still. So when the time was right, God chose for Himself a sacrificial lamb. Without spot or blemish. A sacrifice worthy to satisfy the penalty of the entire world. Sinless. Royal blood. A priestly offering. God's own Son. His only Son. God would provide for Himself a passover sacrifice.

So what did Jesus do for you? He was willing to honor His Father. Obedient unto death, even the death on the cross. He glorified His Father.

John 1 Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.

Hebrews 9 But as it is, He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.

Hebrews 10 Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired but a body You have prepared for Me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings You have taken no pleasure. Then I said, Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God, as it is written of Me in the scroll of the book.

So by His sinless life and sacrificial death for the penalty of our sin, Jesus satisfied the Father. He atoned the debt. Once again, and for the last time, innocent blood was shed to cover the sin of the guilty and the offender was clothed in the righteous coverings of the lamb's skin. He who knew no sin became sin for you. For me.

Philippians 2 Therefore, God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the Name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Do you understand what I have done to you?

He paid your debt. He satisfied the Father. The innocent for the guilty. His blood for yours. His righteousness for clothing. He gave a way to live for eternity with Him and the redeemed. He is the ONLY way. There is no other. I assure you that any alternative is grim. There is no other sacrifice. There is no other pathway that leads to salvation.

Jesus said, I AM the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father but by Me.

So what do we do to attain this salvation?

Romans 10 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

And that is the miracle that He did for you. He lived a sinless life. He died a sacrificial death. Resurrected from the dead on the third day. Seated at the right hand of His Father in the heavens. Coming again. He is high and lifted up. Worthy Lamb of God. Coming King of Kings and Lord of Lords. To receive His own. Amen? Amen!

Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus.

Father, words are inadequate to say thank You for all You have done. So we will offer ourselves as a sacrifice of praise to You. It is a reasonable offering of worship. Take what we have and make much of it for Your kingdom. See us Lord and be pleased. Hear us Lord and be pleased. Receive us Lord and be pleased.