Mary had “the Lamb” that came into this world for one purpose. Jesus came for the sole purpose of dying! He came to be the sacrificial Lamb that would take away the sin of the world (John 1:29). You see, Jesus came to die for the sins of humanity. Luke tells us that His mission in this world was “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). If He was going to accomplish this, there was a price that had to be paid, and He paid that price when He went to the cross and died for our sins. Notice these three thoughts about the sacrificial Lamb of God.
He Was a Spotless Lamb…..Before any lamb could be offered as a sacrifice, it had to be examined thoroughly and be declared spotless according to God’s word (Numbers 28:9). An animal that was impure or deformed could not be offered up as any type of sacrifice. For Jesus to be the sacrifice for our sins He had to be a perfect specimen. He had to be a human without spot or blemish. Jesus filled this bill perfectly. Not only was He the Son of God, but He was the sinless Son of God, as we see in (2 Corinthians 5:21) (1 Peter 2:22). When Jesus Christ died on the cross, He was shedding innocent blood. He was dying in the place of all the guilty sinners who had ever and would ever live. He was a pure Lamb dying for a wretched world.
He Was A Submissive Lamb…..Jesus willingly submitted to all that the Father asked of Him. He endured it all out of a heart of love for you and me. Remember, Jesus was God in the flesh! This is the Creator of the universe that we are talking about. He could have called down 12 legions of angels to stop His crucifixion He wanted to (Matthew 26:53). He could have spoken the word and His executioners would be no more. But He didn’t! He endured the shame and the pain without uttering a word. He submitted to the Father’s will and paid the price for sin. He was a submissive Lamb at sacrifice (Isaiah 53:7). When He did speak, it was to pray for the forgiveness of His tormentors. Even in the Garden of Gethsemane when the cross was still hours away Jesus could be found in prayer calling for the Father’s will to be done (Luke 22:42).
He Was A Sacrificed Lamb…..All the rest meant nothing unless this part was fulfilled. It wasn’t enough for Jesus to be sinless and surrender. He had to suffer and die before sin could ever be done away with (Hebrews 9:22). On that cross, Jesus paid the price for our sins and literally became sin for you and me that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him!
If that was all there was to talk about that would certainly be sufficient. But there is more reason to celebrate the birth of Christ. Three days after Jesus died on that cross, He came forth, alive, from the tomb (Matthew 28:1-6). And, He is still alive today (Hebrews 7:25). Since this is true, I want to show you what the Lamb of God can do for you.
He has the power to save sinners. Those who are lost and dead in sin (Ephesians 2:1), can have hope today! They can turn to the Lord Jesus and He will save them. There are three basic things that He will do in the heart and life of every sinner that will come to Him by faith.
1. He Can Cleanse Sin – His blood has the power to wash away sins forever! (Psalm 103:12) (1 John 1:7). When you put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and accept His death and resurrection as the payment for your sin, He washes you in His blood and your sins are no longer an issue!
2. He Can Convert You – The human spirit is a wicked thing. It is lost and undone and cannot have fellowship with God. However, when a sinner trusts Jesus for salvation, Jesus takes that life that was so far away from God and brings it near to God (Ephesians 2:12-13). When Jesus does His saving work in you, He makes you pleasing in the sight of God and allows you to enter into a relationship with Him. This is what the Scriptures refer to as being “born again.”
3. He Can Change Sinners – When He saves someone, He also changes that person (2 Corinthians 5:17). We have heard this verse until it seems commonplace to our hearing. However, the truth needs to be understood by everyone, that if you are saved, you have been changed! You cannot be like you were before you came to Jesus any longer! Everything has changed and can never be the same again! Jesus takes the worst sinners and turns them into the best saints (2 Corinthians 4:7).
4. He Has The Power To Secure Saints – Those who come to this Lamb never need to fear losing what they have been given. When Jesus saves a soul, He does it for all eternity! If you are saved today, you will always be saved (John 10:28) (1 Peter 1:5) (John 6:37-40). The question is were you really saved? You will know if you have been, there will be no uncertainty, and one’s life will show it. In that, there is eternal security. If you have been putting off salvation because you are afraid that you cannot do it, then let me encourage you to quit looking at yourself and what you can do. Salvation belongs to the Lord! If He can save you then He can keep you saved! If He can’t keep you then He can’t save you to begin with. After all, that is His greatest miracle!