The Hope of a Lamb
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Message of HOPE!
Beginning today, and for the next few Sunday mornings, I want to preach a series which revolves around the real reason for the Christmas season. I would like to take the focus off fat guys in red suits; off pretty packages under decorated trees; off fictional characters like Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman and the Grinch; and place it squarely where I believe it needs to be.
We have so many crazy things that people seem to focus on this time of the year and ultimately it culminates around giving gifts to people we don’t like or giving gifts to people that we do like that they don’t need.
I want us to look at a series I am calling Christmas Redemption.
What is redemption? - an act of redeeming or atoning for a fault or mistake, or the state of being redeemed.
This may seem like a strange place from which to preach a Christmas sermon. Yet, here in the midst of man’s greatest tragedy, is the revelation of man’s greatest hope. For it is in this tale of sin, judgment and death that we meet the message of the saving Gospel and the Person of the Lamb of God for the first time.
14 And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Ill. The Context.
The Bible, along with history begins in Genesis chapter 1 culminating with God making man in His image.
We find out in Genesis chapter 2 that God created man in perfect innocence and placed him in a perfect environment.
Adam has been given dominion over the Lord’s entire creation and he has been presented with a perfect companion, a woman called Eve. They live an idyllic existence, free from pain, disease, death and sorrow. Every need they have is met and they enjoy unbroken, unhindered fellowship with God Himself, Gen. 2:8–9.
Genesis 2:8–9 (KJV 1900)
8 And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
The only restriction they have regards one tree which is located in the Garden of Eden. This tree is called “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” Adam is warned to stay away from this tree, for to eat its fruit will bring death into the world, Gen. 2:15–17.
Genesis 2:15–17 (KJV 1900)
15 And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
Well, for an undefined period of time things go well in the Garden, until one day when Eve finds herself confronted by a serpent controlled by Satan. This serpent tells her that God is holding out on her and Adam. He tells Eve that God does not want them eating of the fruit because God knows that when they eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they will be like him. Eve succumbs to the temptation of the devil and eats of the fruit. Adam also falls for the lie and eats as well.
In an instant, everything changes! They are no longer innocent and pure, but they have become sinners; they have become fallen beings. Immediately, they are aware that everything has changed. They become ashamed because of their naked condition and seek to cover themselves with fig leaves, v. 7.
7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
In the midst of this tragedy, God comes into the Garden to fellowship with Adam and Eve. He calls out to them because they have hidden themselves from them, v. 8.
8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.
God knows what they have done and extracts a confession from Adam, v. 10–12.
Genesis 3:10–11 (KJV 1900)
10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. 11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?
Then the blame game begins. Adam blames Eve and God, while Eve blames the serpent, v. 12–13.
Genesis 3:12–13 (KJV 1900)
12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. 13 And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
God immediately pronounces judgment upon Adam, Eve and the serpent, and God casts them out of the Garden of Eden.
Yet, right in the middle of this tragedy is a flicker of hope. Verse 15 shines out of this darkness like a great beacon, illuminating the amazing grace of God.
This verse has been called the “Protevangelium.” That is a Latin word that means “First Gospel.” Here, in seed form, is the Gospel of salvation through the grace of God.
Here, for the first time, we see a glimpse of the Lamb of God Who will later give Himself on Calvary’s cross to redeem a lost and dying world. Here we can see the first stitch in the scarlet thread of redemption that courses its way through the entire Word of God. This precious verse gives us the very first promise in the Word of God regarding the coming Lamb. I would like to take a few minutes to look into this passage as I try to preach on The Hope of a Lamb. This passage reveals some precious truths regarding the promised Lamb.
The Lamb’s Personality
The Lamb’s Personality
Genesis 3:15 (KJV 1900)
15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Unique Origin
Unique Origin
We are told that this One Who is coming will the “the seed of the woman.” This is a strange statement because by God’s very design the “seed” is provided by the male members of every species. Here, we are told that the woman will produce an offspring without the aid of a man. This verse gives us the first kernel of a great truth that will be more fully revealed down the road. This verse is the first prophecy of the Virgin birth of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Satan did not understand it, Adam and Eve did not understand it; but God indicates that He will send His Lamb into the world through a woman without the involvement of a man!
Of course, we know this is how the birth of Jesus came about. Isaiah prophesied it,
14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, And shall call his name Immanuel.
and the angel Gabriel announced it to Mary,
26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
and to Joseph,
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.
20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.
Why is this important?
The Bible clearly teaches that sin and the sin nature are handed down through the man,
Romans 5:12 (KJV 1900)
12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
Every person who has entered this world through the old fashioned method of a sexual union between a man and a woman has inherited a sin nature, and is in fact a sinner at birth,
10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
15 Their feet are swift to shed blood:
16 Destruction and misery are in their ways:
17 And the way of peace have they not known:
18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.
19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Galatians 3:22 (KJV 1900)
22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
The birth of Jesus was, however, very different. Since He came into this world without a human father, He was born without the taint of sin! He was born pure and sinless, thus He was qualified to die for the sins of humanity, 2 Cor. 5:21.
2 Corinthians 5:21 (KJV 1900)
21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
Of course, what makes the birth of Jesus particularly unique is the fact that He was no ordinary baby, but He was, and is, God in the flesh,
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Genesis 3:15 (KJV 1900)
15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Unique Occupation
Unique Occupation
This Lamb was coming into the world to do battle with the forces of evil. We are told that He was coming to “bruise” the serpent’s head. This refers to a fatal injury. This Lamb was coming to this world not to show men a better way to live. He was not coming to improve their environment. He was not coming to improve their social standing. He was coming to defeat evil. That was His sole mission,
John 18:37 (KJV 1900)
37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
Hebrews 2:14 (KJV 1900)
14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
This promised One was coming to deliver humanity from the sin into which it had just fallen. Many men and women would battle evil over the years; this One would deal it a death blow. He was coming to do for men that which they could never do for themselves. He was coming to secure their liberty and salvation from sin. More will be said about this in a moment.
The Lamb’s Purpose
The Lamb’s Purpose
Genesis 3:15 (KJV 1900)
15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
He Will bring War
He Will bring War
The word “enmity” means “hatred or enemy.”
Of course, it brings to mind the natural hatred humans have for serpents, but there is much more in view here. The enmity or hatred referred to here runs far deeper than that of a man hating a snake. It refers to the hatred Satan possesses toward the Lord and all that the Lord represents.
It refers to the hatred that resided within the heart of the devil that caused him to attack Adam and Eve in the Garden and tempt them to sin. It is a hatred that desires nothing less than the overthrow of the Lord and His kingdom. It is a hatred that demands the death of God and the installation of Satan as god,
Isaiah 14:12–16 (KJV 1900)
12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
16 They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;
11 Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
12 Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.
13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.
14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.
16 By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.
17 Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.
18 Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.
19 All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.
This is the battle that was raging in Eden! It had less to do with mankind than it did with Satan’s desire to wage war on God Almighty.
We are told that the One Who is coming was coming to this world as a Warrior. He was coming as One Who would engage in warfare with a determined enemy. He would take up the fight that Adam had lost in the Garden of Eden. He would come to do battle with Satan!
Of course, Jesus did just that! From the instant this prophecy was given in Genesis 3:15 until the moment Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose again from the dead; Satan did everything in his power to stop “the seed of the woman” from being born.
He worked through Cain to kill Abel, Gen. 4.
He sought to corrupt the human blood line through evil marriages, Gen. 6.
He tried to kill the people of Israel in Egypt, Ex. 1–2. He tried to bring about their destruction by leading them into gross idolatry during the kingdom years of Israel.
Then when Jesus was born, Satan tried to destroy Him as an infant, Matt. 2.
He tried to lead Him to sin on the Mount of Temptation, Matt. 4.
He tried to get Jesus to claim the crown without going to the cross, John 6.
He tried to kill the Savior in the Garden of Gethsemane, Luke 22. And, surely he thought he had won the victory when Jesus died on the cross. What Satan did not realize was that the greatest blow fired by Heaven was the instant God became sin and died in the sinner’s place. Jesus, the blessed Lamb of God, came into this world as a mighty warrior!
Genesis 3:15 (KJV 1900)
15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
He Will Win
He Will Win
The serpent is told that he will “bruise the heel” of the seed of the woman, but the seed of the woman will “bruise” the head of the serpent.
Bruising the heel refers to an injury that is not fatal; while bruising the head refers to a fatal wound. The word “bruise” has the idea of “crushing or striking.” The serpent might strike the heel of the coming Lamb, but the Lamb would crush the head of the serpent.
Of course, this was fulfilled at the cross. The Lamb of God endured death for God’s elect, but death could not hold Him! On the third morning, He arose from the dead as the Victor in the greatest battle ever waged. But, in His dying and rising again, He inflicted a mortal would upon the head of the serpent that will ultimately end with him sentenced to an eternity in the Lake of Fire,
10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
The Prince of Life entered the arena of battle with the Prince of Death. When the battle had ended, the Prince of Life emerged as the lone Victor. Now, all those who know Him enjoy His victory and share in the spoils of His conquest. When He arose, He became the “Firstfruits from the dead”, 1 Cor. 15:20;
1 Corinthians 15:20 (KJV 1900)
20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
and as such He promises eternal life to all who receive Him by faith,
24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
John 11:25–26 (KJV 1900)
25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
We are not just “on the winning side”, we are on the side that has already won!)
The Lamb’s Portrayal
The Lamb’s Portrayal
Genesis 3:21 (KJV 1900)
21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
After God pronounces judgment on the guilty parties, He does something very remarkable. God Himself slays a beast of some type and uses its skin to make garments for Adam and Eve. In this graphic scene of death, there is a wonderful portrait given of the coming Lamb.
Of Sacrifice
Of Sacrifice
Imagine the horror that must have filled the hearts of Adam and Eve as they witnessed death for the very first time! They had never seen blood before, now they watch as God, with His Own hands, slaughters an animal to provide a covering for their nakedness. It was in that instant that they saw first hand just how much their sin really cost. They finally understood that the wages of sin is death,
Genesis 2:17 (KJV 1900)
17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
Romans 6:23 (KJV 1900)
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
What we see in this verse is a clear portrait of what the coming Lamb would do for us. Remember that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Remember that He had never sinned,
1 Peter 2:22 (KJV 1900)
22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
, and that He did not deserve to die.
Remember that He came to this world to have His heel bruised so that He might crush the head of the serpent.
Now, look away to Calvary. See the Lamb of God nailed to a cross. See His tormentors as they spit in His face. Watch them as they pluck the beard from His cheeks. Listen as they mock Him. Curse Him and deride Him. Watch as the very people He came to this world to save deliver Him up to be crucified.
Can you hear the sound of the whip as the cruel strokes fall again and again upon His back?
Can you feel the agony as He is nailed to that cross of wood and lifted up between Heaven and earth to die? Watch Him as the blood pours from the wounds in His head, His hands and His feet. Look at Him as the blood runs down the cross pooling up on the ground.
Now, understand that everything He went through; every stripe on His back; every agony He suffered; every disgrace He endured; everything He suffered during His life, His trial and His death was because of your sins! He was marred for you, Isa. 52:14. He bled for you. He died for you,
Isaiah 53:4–6 (KJV 1900)
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, And carried our sorrows: Yet we did esteem him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: The chastisement of our peace was upon him; And with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned every one to his own way; And the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Realize that Calvary is God’s billboard, screaming out His love for fallen man,
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Look at that scene and see the awful hatred God has for sin. Look at that cross and see the boundless love God has for sinners. Look to the suffering Savior and live!
Of Sufficiency
Of Sufficiency
After Adam and Eve sinned and became aware of their nakedness, they attempted to cover themselves by making aprons of fig leaves. But, their efforts were insufficient and God killed an innocent animal to provide a covering for their bodies. God wanted to show them, and us, that the works of the flesh can never atone for, or cover, sin. It requires the death of the innocent in the place of the guilty. Sin is taken away only through the shedding of innocent blood, Heb. 9:22.
22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
This is a clear picture of the inability of man to make himself presentable to God through his own efforts. The very best we can produce will always fall woefully short, Isa. 64:6.
6 But we are all as an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; And we all do fade as a leaf; And our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
Man has always tried to craft for himself garments of righteousness and garments of religion. But, man’s effort never succeeds in covering his sins from the terrible gaze of Almighty God. Man needs a covering that he cannot provide for himself. When Jesus, the Lamb of God, came into this world and died on the cross, He provided a sufficient covering for the sinfulness of man. When a person come to Jesus by faith and is born again, He robes them in His righteousness, and makes them worthy to stand in the presence of God, Phil. 3:9; 2 Cor. 5:21.
9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
(Ill. When the Prodigal Son returned home, he was dressed in the Father’s robe. His filth was covered and he would have easily been mistaken for the Father, Himself.)
The whole point is this:
You can try anything you please, whether it is religion, good works, clean living, etc, to please the Lord; but, nothing will be sufficient to deal with your sin problem, until you come to Jesus and are saved by grace.
Then, and only then, can you stand before the Lord and be accepted by Him, Eph. 1:6!
6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
Only Jesus Christ and His shed blood is sufficient to allow us to stand in His presence, John 1:29.
John 1:29 (KJV 1900)
29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
Conc: I am sorry that Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden. Imagine what the world would be like today if they had not. But, they did, and because they did you and I were born into this world with a desperate sin problem. I thank God that He saw our need and sent His Son Jesus Christ into the world to die on the cross as the perfect Lamb.
As we enter and move through this Christmas Season,
Do you know for sure that you know the real reason for the season?
Do you know Jesus as more than a baby in a manger?
Is He your personal Savior?
Or is He just a story in a book; a sweet thought but nothing more, during the busy holiday season? You need to be sure!
You see, just as surely as Adam and Eve came to end of their lives and eventually died and went out into eternity, you will too! You need to know where you will go when that event happens. And, where you go hinges upon what you do with Jesus Christ.
Are you saved? If you are then praise the Lord! If you are not, you need to know you can be. If the Lord is calling you to come to Him, now is the time to do just that. Why not come to Jesus today and meet the Lamb of God?