Day 5 – The Lamb of God

The Lamb Has Arrived

In the first four days of The Open Gospel, we have been following God’s plan of redemption through Scripture.

We saw that the Gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ.

We saw that God’s plan of salvation was established from the beginning.

We saw that through Abraham, God promised blessing for all nations.

And in Isaiah 53, we saw the picture of the Suffering Servant who would bear the sins of others.

Today, we come to a name given directly to Jesus:

The Lamb of God.

When John the Baptist saw Jesus approaching, he did not simply say:

“Here is a teacher.”

He did not say:

“Here is a prophet.”

He did not say:

“Here is a great religious leader.”

He declared:

“Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

John was pointing people toward the sacrifice God had provided.

And to understand the words “Lamb of God,” we need to understand the story of Scripture.

The Lamb in God’s Story

The idea of a sacrificial lamb did not begin with Jesus.

Throughout the Old Testament, God was teaching His people something about sin, sacrifice, forgiveness, and redemption.

In the beginning, humanity sinned and became separated from God.

God then established a system of sacrifices that taught Israel that sin is serious and that forgiveness requires God’s provision.

The sacrifices themselves were never the final answer.

They pointed forward.

They were signs.

They were shadows of something greater that was still to come.

And eventually, the true Lamb would arrive.

The Old Testament was preparing God’s people to understand what Jesus would accomplish.

The true Lamb was coming.

The Passover Lamb

One of the most important pictures is found in Exodus 12.

God was about to deliver Israel from Egypt.

Judgement was coming upon Egypt, but God provided a way for His people to be spared.

Each household was instructed to take a lamb.

The lamb was to be without defect.

Its blood was to be placed on the doorposts.

And God said that when He saw the blood, judgement would pass over that household.

The Israelites were saved through God’s provision.

The lamb died.

The people lived.

This became the Passover.

And centuries later, Jesus would come during Passover.

That is not a coincidence.

The Passover lamb was pointing forward to Christ.

Paul would later describe Christ as “our Passover lamb” who has been sacrificed.

The picture was becoming reality.

The shadow was giving way to the substance.

The promise was being fulfilled.

The Lamb Had to Be Without Defect

The Passover lamb was required to be without blemish.

This teaches us something important about Jesus.

Jesus was without sin.

He was not merely a better person than everyone else.

He was completely sinless.

Peter describes Christ as:

“a lamb without blemish or defect.” — 1 Peter 1:19

Jesus could take our place because He did not need to die for His own sin.

He was innocent.

He was holy.

He was the perfect sacrifice.

Why Was a Sacrifice Necessary?

This brings us to an important question:

Why did Jesus have to die?

Because sin is not something God simply overlooks.

God is holy and righteous.

Sin brings separation from God.

The Bible tells us that:

“the wages of sin is death.”

Humanity’s greatest problem is not poverty, political instability, lack of education, or even suffering.

Our greatest problem is sin and separation from God.

And therefore our greatest need is reconciliation with God.

The Lamb of God came to deal with that problem.

The Lamb Takes Away Sin

John did not say:

“The Lamb of God who covers up sin.”

He said:

“who takes away the sin of the world.”

This is the heart of the Gospel.

Jesus came to deal with sin.

Not simply to make people feel better.

Not simply to give people moral teaching.

Not simply to establish another religious system.

He came to save sinners.

He came to deal with the barrier that sin had created between humanity and God.

He came to make forgiveness and reconciliation with God possible.

Not Our Good Works

This is where the Gospel differs radically from human religion.

Human beings naturally want to prove themselves.

We want to say:

“I am good enough.”

“I have done enough.”

“I have prayed enough.”

“I have given enough.”

“I have performed enough religious duties.”

But the Gospel tells us something humbling:

We cannot save ourselves.

If we could save ourselves through our own goodness, there would have been no need for the Lamb.

The cross demonstrates that our sin is too serious for us to solve by ourselves.

But God’s grace is greater than our sin.

He provided the Lamb.

Christ Is the Final Sacrifice

The Old Testament sacrifices were repeated.

Again and again.

Year after year.

They pointed toward the need for a perfect and final sacrifice.

The New Testament tells us that Jesus offered Himself once for all.

His sacrifice does not need to be repeated.

His work is sufficient.

His blood is sufficient.

His sacrifice is sufficient.

His righteousness is sufficient.

His grace is sufficient.

Christ is sufficient.

This is one of the great truths we must keep at the centre of the Gospel.

We do not add our works to Christ’s sacrifice to make it complete.

Christ’s work is complete.

The cross does not need our assistance.

The Lamb does not need another sacrifice to finish what He began.

Jesus accomplished redemption through His once-for-all sacrifice.

Our response is not to complete His work.

Our response is to believe.

The Lamb and the Cross

At the cross, Jesus became the sacrifice for sin.

He willingly gave His life.

He bore our guilt.

He suffered in our place.

He died.

But the story does not end with His death.

The Lamb who was slain rose again.

The resurrection declares that death did not have the final word.

Jesus conquered death.

And because He lives, the Gospel is not a message about a dead religious teacher. It is the message of a living Saviour.

The Lamb Is for the Whole World

John says something else that we must not miss.

“The sin of the world.”

Not merely the sin of one nation.

Not merely the sin of one culture.

Not merely the sin of one group of people.

The Lamb came for the world.

This connects directly with God’s promise to Abraham.

God promised that through Abraham all nations would be blessed.

Now John points to Jesus and says:

“The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”

The Gospel is for every nation.

Every person, every language, every culture, every background.

Everyone who comes to Christ in faith is invited to receive His grace.

The Gospel Is About a Person

It is easy to reduce Christianity to beliefs, traditions, ceremonies, or religious practices.

But John points us toward a Person.

Jesus.

The Gospel is not simply:

“Try harder.”

It is not:

“Become more religious.”

It is not:

“Make yourself worthy.”

It is:

“Look to the Lamb.”

Look to Christ.

Trust Christ.

Follow Christ.

Receive His grace. And give Him the glory.

Christianity is not ultimately about maintaining a religious identity.

It is about reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ.

The Gospel brings us back to Him.

What Does It Mean to Believe?

Believing in Christ means more than simply acknowledging that Jesus existed.

It means trusting Him.

It means recognising our need for a Saviour.

It means turning away from our own way and turning toward Him.

It means placing our confidence in Christ rather than ourselves.

The Gospel calls us to faith.

And faith means trusting the One who gave Himself for us.

We do not earn salvation through faith as though faith were another human achievement. Faith is the response of a heart that receives God’s grace.

A Message for Those Who Feel Unworthy

Perhaps someone listening today feels too sinful to come to God.

Perhaps you think:

“God could never forgive someone like me.”

But look at the Lamb.

He came precisely because we could not save ourselves.

The Gospel is not for people who have already made themselves perfect.

It is for sinners who recognise their need for a Saviour.

Jesus said:

“I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

You do not need to clean yourself up before coming to Christ.

Come to Him.

Trust Him.

Repent.

Receive His mercy.

Let Him transform your life.

A Message for Those Who Trust in Religion

Perhaps someone else has spent years faithfully practising religion.

You may know the prayers.

You may know the traditions.

You may attend services.

You may respect sacred places.

You may have inherited your faith from your parents and grandparents.

These things may have great personal significance.

But today, the question is deeper:

Do you know the Lamb?

Not merely:

“Do I know about Christianity?”

But:

“Do I know Jesus Christ?”

Not merely:

“Do I belong to a Christian tradition?”

But:

“Have I placed my faith in Christ?”

The Gospel always brings us back to Jesus.

Tradition cannot become our Saviour.

Religion cannot become our Saviour.

Our family cannot become our Saviour.

Our good works cannot become our Saviour.

Jesus Christ is the Saviour.

Look to the Lamb

John’s message was remarkably simple:

“Look.”

Look at Jesus.

The Christian life begins by looking away from ourselves and toward Christ.

When we see our sin, look to Christ.

When we see our weakness, look to Christ.

When we see our failures, look to Christ.

When we are tempted to trust our own righteousness, look to Christ.

When we fear judgement, look to Christ.

When we need forgiveness, look to Christ.

He is the Lamb of God.

The Invitation

Perhaps today you need to stop trusting yourself.

Or you have been trying to earn God’s acceptance.

Maybe you have been depending upon your religious background.

Perhaps you have been carrying guilt that you believe is too great to forgive.

Or you know about Jesus but have never truly placed your trust in Him.

Today, look to the Lamb.

Do not put your ultimate hope in your religious background.

Do not put your confidence in your good works.

Do not put your trust in human tradition.

Do not try to make yourself worthy before coming to Christ.

Come with repentance.

Come with faith.

Come trusting the One who has already done what you could never do for yourself.

We cannot save ourselves, but God provided the Lamb.

Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God who came to take away the sin of the world.

Look to Him.

Trust Him.

Receive His grace.

Follow Him.

And give all glory to God.