John: Lamb of God

The next day, he [John] saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. 
 John  1:29 [NRSV]

When I was a little kid, I loved going to church each week to attend my very own class.  There were lots of fun songs, and so many cool things to see and do.  My favorite was the sandbox!  No, not like an outdoor sandbox - this was a little table/desk specially constructed to hold sand.  Our teacher would tell us fascinating Bible stories using colorful paper or felt figures of people, animals, trees, boats and buildings, each glued on a popsicle stick.  She would put up the backdrop figures, placing the sticks in the sand just so. Then each child would get a person, animal or some other object to place in the sand at just the right time in the story.    

When God called the Hebrews out of Egypt, He knew that the huge crowd of Hebrews, Egyptians and a mixture of others [estimates of the total population of the Exodus have ranged as high as 3 million] would need to be taught regarding right, wrong, and their need of a Savior.  So much of the Hebrews’ heritage had been lost during the long years of slavery.  What was the first order of business?  Build a sandbox illustration.   

When camped in the vast desert, the people were divided into four quadrants for their living space, and in the very center was the Sanctuary.  Every aspect of the Sanctuary service was a living lesson in God’s plan of salvation, and at the very heart of the story was the sacrificial lamb.  The pure, innocent lamb was slain for the sins of the people, for “without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin.”   Israel sacrificed untold thousands of lambs over hundreds of years.  Imagine the impact on John the Baptist's disciples when he spotted Jesus in the crowd at the Jordan, and shouted, “Behold! The Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.”   When Jesus died on the cross, the unseen hand of the Master Director shredded the curtain of the temple from top to bottom, signaling the close of the sandbox theater.  The first act had come to an end.  The remainder of the drama would play out on the stage of the universe.

Hear the story from God’s Word

That kings and priests and prophets heard

There would be a sacrifice

And blood would flow to pay sin’s price.

Precious Lamb of glory,

Love’s most wondrous story.

Heart of God’s redemption of man –

Worship the Lamb of glory.