Behold the Lamb! He Is Alive!
In a loud voice they sang: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor
and glory and praise!” (Rev. 5:12)
Before the great Revelation to John the Apostle at the Island of Patmos – he beheld the exalted Lamb, before him some leading people of God interacted with ‘a lamb’ that changed their lives and generations. It is a good thing for us to go back and trace the journey of the Lamb, and finally, our celebration today will be deeply rooted and will rise to greater heights.
The lamb of Abraham saved Isaac from the sword. When he said to inquisitive Isaac, ‘God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son’ (Gen 22:8), did Abraham really understand what he was saying? Had not God asked for his only son as the sacrifice? And this father was determined to obey God at all costs; yet the whole future generation would now be cut off! After God’s intervention, Abraham saw a lamb – the lamb slain to take the dangerous place of his only son.
The lamb of Moses saved the firstborn of the Hebrews when the angel of death visited all the families in Egypt. God called Israel his firstborn nation and the Egyptians who oppressed them would lose their first born that night as a final blow to secure release from bondage that had lasted more than four hundred years. After clear instructions from God, Moses saw a lamb – the lamb slain to provide blood for the much needed protection (Ex 12). This lamb suffered and died every year at the commemoration of this great deliverance, at the Feast of Passover. This feast was instituted to remind the Jews of the mighty hand and outstretched arm that brought them out of that bondage.
The lamb of Isaiah was innocent, but was silent and submissive to suffering and death; he was oppressed and afflicted, pierced and crushed, punished and wounded (Is 53). Even Isaiah saw a lamb – the lamb slain ‘for our transgressions’ and ‘for our iniquities’. Could this be the lamb that takes away the sins of the world as John the Baptist declared? He may not have known what would become of this lamb; indeed he was beheaded long before Jesus Christ went to the cross; but when he said, ‘Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world’, John the Baptist must have reminded many of the lambs that suffered and died to bring freedom to the people of God.
Finally, the Lamb of John the apostle – this one only looks ‘as if it was slain’ but He is alive! And He receives ‘praise and honour and glory and power, forever and ever!’ (Rev 5). How beautiful the song of heaven! Celebrate the victory as you determine to remain faithful in the worship of this victorious Lamb – He is our salvation and our life, today and in eternity.
God bless you as you all!