The Lamb of Heaven Proclaimed

Series: Heaven on Earth

🎯 SERMON TITLE: The Lamb of Heaven Proclaimed

Subtitle: The Proclaimed Lamb and the Strength to Remain

Phrase of the Day:

“The Lamb that was slain gives us the power to maintain.”

🎬 INTRODUCTION — STORY & HOOK

Over the past two weeks, we’ve been following the story of the Lamb. We’ve seen Him before Bethlehem—eternal, with the Father, fully God. We’ve seen Him prepared—promised, formed, and sent according to God’s plan. And today, we come to the moment where the Lamb is no longer hidden or hinted at—He is proclaimed. From prophecy to the womb, from the temple to the cross, God makes sure the world knows who Jesus is and why He came. But this proclamation was never meant to stop at information. God proclaims the Lamb so His redemptive work would not only save us, but sustain us. Because the Lamb that was slain gives us the power to maintain.

Christmas is often remembered as a moment. But Scripture presents it as a movement. Christmas is not the beginning of God’s plan—it is the execution of it.

Before Bethlehem, Jesus spoke.

At Bethlehem, Jesus arrived.

From Bethlehem, Jesus completed the work.

From start to finish, Jesus is proclaimed as the Lamb—not simply so we would know Him, but so we could live changed lives because of Him.

Today we are going to follow the proclamation of the Lamb through Scripture and see what it produces in us.

Here’s where we’re going:

The Lamb was foretold to guide us

The Lamb was identified to cleanse us

The Lamb was faithful unto death to sustain us

And all of it leads us to this truth:

The Lamb that was slain gives us the power to maintain.

🧭 THE LAMB WAS FORETOLD TO GUIDE US

Isaiah 9:6–7 ESV

6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Before Jesus ever walked among us, God announced who He would be. Names matter because names reveal purpose.

The 4 names of the Lamb

Wonderful Counselor: The Word for guidance.

Mighty God: The Spirit for power

Everlasting Father: The Father for relationship

Prince of Peace: The Son of serenity (i.e. sanity)

The Lamb proclaimed allows you to maintain

Jesus is proclaimed as Wonderful Counselor—not helpful advisor, not optional consultant, but divine guide. God did not redeem His people and then leave them without direction.

Illustration — The Last Samurai

There’s a scene in The Last Samurai where the main character is learning to fight with the samurai. He keeps getting knocked down—not because he lacks strength or desire—but because his mind is everywhere.

His instructor finally tells him, “Too many minds.”

Mind on the sword.

Mind on the enemy.

Mind on the crowd.

Mind on fear.

He wasn’t failing because he was weak.

He was failing because he was unfocused.

And the moment he learns to quiet the noise and center his attention, everything changes.

Application

That’s how many people are trying to live life.

Too many minds:

Mind on the past

Mind on the pressure

Mind on the opinions of others

Mind on fear of the future

And we wonder why we have no peace.

Jesus is proclaimed as Counselor because He brings focus to a distracted life.

When we walk in the counsel of the Lamb:

Hope replaces confusion

Direction replaces drift

Peace replaces noise

God foretold the Lamb so His people would not live scattered lives.

The Lamb that was slain gives us the power to maintain—by guiding our steps and quieting our minds.

🧭 POINT 2 — THE LAMB WAS IDENTIFIED TO CLEANSE US

The Proclamation of John the Baby

Elizabeth Identified Jesus as Lord.

Luke 1:39–45 ESV

39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

Zechariah identified Jesus as Savior.

Luke 1:67–69 ESV

67 And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying, 68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people 69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David,

Luke 1:76–79 ESV

76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, 77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, 78 because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high 79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

The Proclamation of John the Baptist

The Lamb of God that takes aways sin.

John 1:29 ESV

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

The Weight You Were Never Meant to Carry

There’s a difference between carrying something for a season and carrying something that slowly wears you down.

People can carry heavy backpacks for a hike.

But if you never take it off, eventually it affects how you walk, how you breathe, how far you can go.

Application

Many people are trying to live life carrying guilt, shame, and regret they were never meant to carry long-term.

John identifies Jesus clearly—not as someone who helps us manage sin, but as the One who takes it away.

Some of us are forgiven, but not free.

Saved, but still burdened.

You can’t maintain joy, peace, or obedience while carrying what Jesus already removed.

Hebrews 12:1–2 ESV

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

God identified the Lamb so His people wouldn’t walk bent under burdens.

The Lamb that was slain gives us the power to maintain—by removing what weighs us down.

🧭 POINT 3 — THE LAMB WAS LIFTED UP TO SUSTAIN US

Lifted up by Simeon

Luke 2:26–32 ESV

26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, 29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; 30 for my eyes have seen your salvation 31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”

Lifted up as the Serpent

John 3:14–15 ESV

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

Moses lifted up the Serpent

Numbers 21:5–9 ESV

5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.” 6 Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. 7 And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. 8 And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.

Jesus lifted up as the Savior

We’ve all been bitten by sin and disbelief.

There is nothing you can do to save yourself.

Only the Lamb of God can take away your sins.

Isaiah 53:4–7 ESV

4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. 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. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.

🧩 CONCLUSION (SERIES-FAITHFUL, LIFE-AIMED)

Christmas is God’s plan of redemption in action.

The Lamb was foretold so we would not wander without guidance.

The Lamb was identified so we would not live burdened by sin.

The Lamb was lifted up so we would have life when death was certain.

And the Lamb was faithful—even unto death—so we could endure.

From prophecy to proclamation, from the womb to the cross, God made sure the Lamb was never hidden. Because God’s plan was never just to save us for a moment, but to sustain us for all eternity.

When we proclaim the Lamb, we proclaim God’s redemptive plan over our lives.

Not just that we are forgiven—but that we are strengthened.

Not just that we are saved—but that we are sustained.

Church, hear this clearly and carry it with you:

The Lamb that was slain gives us the power to maintain.

✅ NEXT STEPS (C = D × V × F)

1. Dissatisfaction: Where are you struggling to maintain right now?

Peace?

Faith?

Obedience?

Endurance?

Be honest. God already knows.

2. Vision: What would change if you trusted the counsel, cleansing, and sustaining power of the Lamb in that area?

Imagine a life:

Less scattered

Less burdened

More steady

More at rest

That is what the Lamb provides.

3. First Step: This week, intentionally lay down one weight you were never meant to carry and look again to the Lamb who was lifted up for you.

🙏 ALTAR CALL / GOSPEL INVITATION

Some of you need to respond today not because you don’t believe—but because you are tired of trying to maintain life on your own.

For the unbeliever

You’ve been bitten by sin, just like every one of us.

There is nothing you can do to heal yourself.

But God has lifted up the Lamb so that whoever looks to Him in faith will live.

Today can be the day you stop striving and start trusting.

For the believer

You believe the Lamb was slain—but you’ve been living like the burden is still yours to carry.

Today is not about starting over.

It’s about surrendering again.

Look to the Lamb.

Trust His finished work.

Receive His sustaining grace.

The Lamb that was slain gives us the power to maintain.