Watch the Lamb

TEXT: Revelation 5:6-14

TOPIC: Watch the Lamb

Pastor Bobby Earls, Northgate Baptist Church, Florence, SC

Sunday morning, April 2, 2023

6 And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. 8 Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, 10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth." 11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!" 13 And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: "Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!" 14 Then the four living creatures said, "Amen!" And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever.

Revelation 5:6-14 (NKJV)

One of the most familiar images in the bible is that of the lamb. Throughout the Scriptures the imagery of the little innocent lamb is found. While most Christians may understand the importance of the lamb there are many who have never fully grasped the beautiful and powerful symbolism displayed by the lamb.

What we are going to do in this message is take a trip through the Bible and spotlight some of the more prominent passages dealing with the imagery of the lamb. And what I’m going to show you is that the lamb is a picture of Jesus Christ. In the OT most passages referring to a lamb speak of sacrifice (85 out of the total of 96).

What we are going to see is that the lamb is characteristically the animal sacrificed for the removal of sin. So as we take a rapid trip through the Scriptures this morning, be sure to keep your eye on the lamb.

Let’s begin our journey in the beginning. The Book of Genesis records the first reference to the shedding of blood as God’s acceptable offering for sin in Genesis 3:21. And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.

Many bible scholars believe that the innocent animals whose blood was shed for the garments of skins used to cover Adam and Eve’s nakedness were lambs.

But the more prominent passage is found in Genesis 22. And as we watch the lamb today, we see first the lamb provided.

I. THE LAMB IS PROVIDED, Genesis 22:7b-8a

Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”

8 And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.”

Hebrews 11:17-19

17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18 of whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called,” 19 concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead,

II. THE LAMB AS PASSOVER, Exodus 12:5- 6

5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, 6 and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight.

Charles Simeon comments that even the minutest details of the Passover seem designed to point to Jesus Christ. Let me give you ten of the most notable similarities between the events of the first Passover 3500 years ago and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross as the ultimate Passover Lamb.

1. It must be a lamb.

Exodus 12:3 says that each man was to “take a lamb” for his own household. It couldn’t be a bull or a dove, which were sometimes used in other Old Testament sacrifices. God was very particular–it was to be a lamb and only a lamb. Nothing else would do.

2. It must be a male.

Exodus 12:5 specifies that “the animals you choose must be year-old males.” Jesus fulfilled this in that he was the son born of the Virgin Mary. There were times in the Scriptures when God allowed a female lamb to be sacrificed, but not the Passover Lamb. It must be a male.

3. It must be a year-old lamb.

This means that the lamb must be in its prime, neither too young nor too old. Even so, “Christ offered up himself in the midst of his days, not in infancy with the babes in Bethlehem."

4. It must be without blemish.

Leviticus 1:3 – Hebrews 9:14

The Hebrew text uses a phrase that means “without defect.” This means that the Jewish men would have to carefully inspect their lambs to make sure there were no open sores, no patches of bare skin, no infections, no diseases, no blotches or blemishes, no sickness of any kind. This prevented a man from offering a lame or inferior creature while keeping the best for himself.

I Peter 1:19 picks up on this theme when it speaks of Jesus Christ as being “a lamb without blemish or defect.” Hebrews 4:14-16 emphasizes that though Christ was tempted in all points as all men are, he was without sin. When Pontius Pilate finished examining him, he declared, “I find no fault in him” (John 19:6 KJV). Even the hostile high priests could find no just cause to put him to death so they trumped up false charges against him.

Now listen to this: The Passover lamb was selected on the 10th day of the month but not sacrificed until the 14th day. That gave 4 days to carefully examine the lamb. If Christ entered Jerusalem on Sunday and was crucified on Friday, then the intervening 4 days fit the same pattern. During those momentous days his bitter enemies used every possible tactic to discredit him, but each attempt utterly failed. They could not find even the smallest flaw in his character. Thus, even his worst enemies had to concede that he was fit to be a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world.

5. It must be slain and roasted.

Exodus 12 is quite clear on this point. All the lambs were to be slain at the same time and the blood drained from them. Then the carcasses were to be roasted and eaten whole. They were not to be boiled or eaten raw (both pagan customs). Anything left over was to be burned. Thus, the lamb was to be completely consumed.

Both the slaying and roasting picture the sufferings of Christ on the cross. Not only did he die, but his death itself was a complete sacrifice.

6. It must have no broken bones.

Exodus 12:46 specifies that when animals were chosen for the yearly Passover sacrifice, none of the bones were to be broken. It was the custom of the Romans to break the legs of those being crucified in order to hasten their death. John 19:32-36 tells us that the Roman soldiers did not break Jesus’ legs because he was already dead. Verse 36 points out that this happened to fulfill the scripture that says, “Not one of his bones will be broken.” Although the quoted verse happens to be Psalm 34:20, the ultimate reference goes back to Exodus 12.

7. It must be offered “at twilight."

Exodus 12:6, the words literally mean “between the evenings,” which in Jewish thought meant between 3-5 P.M.

According to Josephus, it was customary in his day to slay the lamb at about 3:00 p.m. This was the time of day that Christ, the Christian’s Passover lamb died. MacArthur, J. J. (1997, c1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed.) (Ex 12:6). Nashville: Word Pub.

Luke 23:44-46 44 Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. 45 Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. 46 And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’” Having said this, He breathed His last.

1 Corinthians 5:7 (NKJV) For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.

The New Testament tells us that Jesus was crucified at the “third hour,” meaning 9:00 A.M. Matthew 26:45 tells us that there was darkness from the sixth hour until the ninth hour, or from 12 noon to 3:00 P.M. Shortly thereafter Jesus uttered his final words and died. His body was then taken down from the cross before sundown. Thus, Jesus died “between the evenings” or at twilight at the exact hour the Passover lambs were being sacrificed throughout Israel.

8. It must be sacrificed by all the people.

Exodus 12 stresses that lambs must be offered by every man for every family in Israel. And all the lambs must be slaughtered at precisely the same time. Thus, the lambs represented the total participation of the nation in the blood sacrifice. By the same token, Christ was crucified by the Romans on behalf of the Jews. Everyone participated in his death. His death was made as a sacrifice for the sins of the entire world. What many lambs did for many people, Jesus the Lamb of God did for all people.

9. The blood must be sprinkled.

Again, Exodus is very specific in describing the ritual. Once the lamb had been slaughtered and the blood drained, the father must take a bunch of hyssop (a leafy bush), dip it in the blood, and then put some of the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe. The blood would be sign that the family had sacrificed a lamb as the Lord had commanded. “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.” (Exodus 12: 13).

This is a picture not of the death of Christ, but our application of his death to our hearts by faith. That’s why I Peter 1:2 speaks of the sprinkling of the blood of Christ. The lamb alone could not save an Israelite. Not even a dead lamb could save. Not even the blood in the basin could save. Only the blood sprinkled on the doorpost could spare the people from the terrible judgment of God.

Think of it this way. Jesus Christ is our only hope of salvation. He is God’s Lamb offered for the sin of the world. However, Jesus’ blood saves but only when taken by faith. The death of Christ our Passover Lamb and His shed blood must be mixed with faith, Hebrews 4:2. For those who reject the blood, even the Lamb of God cannot save them.

10. The meat must be fully consumed.

Not only was the blood shed and the meat roasted, but the family was to eat the meat together with bitter herbs and unleavened bread (a reminder of their days in Egypt). They were not allowed to keep the meat for later use. Any part not eaten must be burned. Thus the Israelites signified their complete participation in the death of the lamb. His life was taken, his blood shed, the blood applied, the meat roasted, and the meat consumed. Through these measures the Jews were reminded that their redemption came through the death of a substitute. The lamb died in their place. By eating its meat, they signified their complete identification with the lamb who died for them.

The meaning for us is plain. Christ saves us when we “eat his flesh and drink his blood” by faith. Jesus used these very terms in John 6:53-58. He said this speaking not of literal flesh and literal blood but of what saving faith is all about. We are to take Christ completely, wholly, absolutely, and without qualification.

III. THE DAILY LAMB, Exodus 29:38-39

38 “Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two lambs of the first year, day by day continually. 39 One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight.

The Book is all about the Lamb!

IV. THE SUBSTITUTIONAL LAMB, Leviticus 4:33

Then he shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering, and kill it as a sin offering at the place where they kill the burnt offering.

V. THE MESSIANIC LAMB, 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.

VI. THE LAMB OF GOD, John 1:29, 36

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29 (NKJV) 36 And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!” John 1:36 (NKJV)

VII. THE SACRIFICIAL LAMB, Hebrews 10:5-7, 10-14

5Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me. 6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure. 7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come - In the volume of the book it is written of Me - To do Your will, O God.’ ” 10 By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, 13 from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. 14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.

VIII. HEAVEN’S LAMB, Revelation 17:14

These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.”

“Worship is when we catch a glimpse of the Lamb of God!” Fred Wolfe, Senior Pastor of the Cottage Hills Baptist Church in Mobile, Alabama

The book of Revelation is the final book of the bible and explicitly calls Christ “the Lamb” 30 times.

From this ancient story we may glean four abiding lessons that apply to believers today.

1. Jesus Christ is God’s lamb

He is the only person who meets all the qualifications. He fulfills every detail of the Old Testament picture. No other person in the Bible meets the requirements.

2. There is no salvation without sacrifice

Hebrews 9:22 reminds us that “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” A living lamb may be cute and cuddly, but it saves no one. Unless the lamb dies, his blood does no good. In God’s economy, only shed blood can forgive sin. As God’s Passover Lamb, Jesus must go to the Cross in order to save the world.

3. Even Jesus cannot save you without faith.

You might say, “This story is absurd!” But I assure you that it is entirely true. Suppose an Israelite had refused to sacrifice a lamb. His firstborn would have died that night. Being a Jew could not save on that fateful night. It’s not national origin that matters to God, but faith in God’s appointed way of salvation.

The same is true for church members. You aren’t saved by belonging to the church. That doesn’t matter at all. When God looks down from heaven, the only thing that matters is that he sees the blood of the Lamb applied to the doorposts of your heart.

4. If you refuse God’s lamb, there is no other plan of salvation.

You Need a Lamb!

You need a Lamb! It must meet all the requirements laid out by God in Exodus 12. The lamb must die. And you must apply the blood to the doorposts of your heart. That is, you must trust in the blood for the forgiveness of your sins.

Where will you find such a lamb?

Look to the Cross! Gaze upon the bleeding form of the Son of God! Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

Jesus is the Lamb you need. He is God’s Lamb for your sin.