The Lamb that Did!
These study notes correspond with Study #3 of the “Jesus on Prophecy” series. Click here for the YouTube link.
Download the .pdf here
Do We Understand the Plan of Redemption?
As Christians, we look to Christ alone from our redemption/salvation. Many today claim the benefits of Christ’s redemptive work but fail to recognize the depth of the plan. What exactly is Christ’s work as Redeemer and what are the steps involved? According to Merriam Webster’s Dictionary to “redeem” is to buy back, to free from captivity by payment of ransom, to help to overcome something detrimental, to free from the consequences of sin. While many, easy enough, ultimately accept freedom from the consequences of sin, very few see in the plan Christ’s work in helping us overcome sin!
According to the Bible Christ’s work in the redemption plan as A LAMB is to buy us back for God. Yes. We’ll learn that while the Lamb does this in fact, it takes Jesus AS PRIEST to bring us back to God, to help us overcome that which has separated us from God (sin). (Isaiah 59:1-2). To pay the price and yet leave the purchase on the counter isn’t the plan at all. As a Lamb, Jesus bought us with a price (1 Corinthians 6:20). As a Priest, He helps us overcome our sin so that we can finally go home with Him (more on this later)... (Hebrews 8:1).
The most famous text in all of the Bible today contains all the necessary elements for us to begin to understand God’s plan of redemption...John 3:16
The very first thing we learn from this text is God’s motivation for putting this plan into effect. It wasn’t for power, it wasn’t to criticize or condemn people but it was because of LOVE! God is not moved by any selfish motivation to gain for Himself, He is moved ONLY BY HIS UNDYING LOVE FOR YOU!
There are 3 phases to this plan according to John 3:16. The 1st phase of the plan involves the death of the sinner (the responsible party). This is necessary, not because God desires His pound of flesh (Ezekiel 18:32) but because sin demands that price (Romans 6:23). That is the very nature of sin! It destroys those who hold on to it (Proverbs 5:22). The Bible declares ”the soul that sins IT shall die.” In order to die for us then, Christ would have to be more than a substitute, He would need to actually BECOME US. In order to die for any man, Christ must die as that man. That is what He has done... (Ezekiel 18:20, Hebrews 7:26, Hebrews 4:15-16, Galatians 2:20)
Phase 2 involves the everlasting removal of that which causes death (sin). God cannot promise everlasting life to any that hold on to the very thing Christ died to separate them from. We can be separated from God by sin or we can be separated from sin by Christ but we cannot experience both friends... (James 1:14-15, Matthew 1:21, John 1:29)
Phase three is just as necessary as the previous two phases. Once we are cleansed of that which causes death (sin), Christ must then fill that vacuum with a new element that perpetuates life instead (His righteousness)...(Proverbs 12:28, Proverbs 10:2, Romans 5:19, 1 Corinthians 1:30, Colossians 1:27)
The Sacrifices That Could Not:
There is nothing in the Bible that is unimportant or inconsequential to our understanding of God’s perfect plan of salvation. We need to take the whole of Scripture. We cannot safely discard any part of it. Many Christians today are content with knowing about the price paid by Jesus as a Lamb at the cross but don’t see the need of His work as our High Priest! Let’s first evaluate the need of Christ as a Lamb.
Without His sacrifice, there could be no “remission” or taking away of our sins (Hebrews 9:22). Why is that? Who does the sin belong to? It belongs not to Christ but to you and I according to Isaiah 53:6. In other words, God is not a thief! He cannot and will not take from another what He Himself has not paid for! The good news friend is that Jesus paid it all! As a Lamb, He has purchased both you and all of your sins by His death! You need not hold to them anymore, they belong to Him by purchase! Give to Jesus what He has purchased and be free at last!
The sacrificial system of ancient Israel, in which lambs were slain over and over again was designed to teach us a very important lesson. Those sacrifices COULD NEVER 1)PERFECT US or 2)TAKE AWAY OUR SINS...(Hebrews 10:1-4)
The Lamb That Did!
All these sacrifices, all those lambs were slain by faith looking forward to a better sacrifice! That Lamb of God THAT COULD accomplish those two things; 1)TO PERFECT US and 2)TO TAKE AWAY OUR SINS! There are many Christians today who scoff at the idea of Christ actually, by His power, making us perfect saints in this world but the Bible says that this is His desire for His Church (Matthew 5:48). To deny this fact is to miss the point of the entire Bible according to 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
“The sacrificial offerings were ordained by God to be to man a perpetual reminder and a penitential acknowledgment of his sin and a confession of his faith in the promised Redeemer. They were intended to impress upon the fallen race the solemn truth that it was sin that caused death. To Adam, the offering of the first sacrifice was a most painful ceremony... As he slew the innocent victim, he trembled at the thought that his sin must shed the blood of the spotless Lamb of God. This scene gave him a deeper and more vivid sense of the greatness of his transgression, which nothing but the death of God's dear Son could expiate.”
- “Patriarchs & Prophets” pg. 68.1
Most importantly, Jesus isn’t only the Lamb that COULD accomplish these things for us. He is in fact the Lamb THAT DID! That’s correct! In Christ today we find both perfection and recovery from sin! We can trust what He has accomplished as a Lamb and may this build our confidence in His successful work as our Priest in Heaven... (Isaiah 53:6-7, Hebrews 10:4-14)
Christ is therefore our Passover Lamb! Was Passover the end of the plan as shown to ancient Israel? If not. Every Christian, in order to grasp the full plan, must now inquire what comes next? Why are we still here?... (1 Corinthians 5:7)
“Whatever may have been your past experience, however discouraging your present circumstances, if you will come to Jesus just as you are, weak, helpless, and despairing, our compassionate Saviour will meet you a great way off and will throw about you His arms of love and His robe of righteousness. He presents us to the Father clothed in the white raiment of His own character. He pleads before God on our behalf, saying: I have taken the sinner's place. Look not upon this wayward child, but look on Me. Does Satan plead loudly against our souls, accusing of sin, and claiming us as his prey, the blood of Christ pleads with greater power!”
- “Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing” pg. 8.2
