The Shepherd Leading His Flock across the Judean hills, calling each by name, leading them to good pastures and fresh streams, even placing himself between the flock and lurking danger, is a lovely series of pictures of redemption. In this scene, the pictures of redemption are by no means exhausted by contemplating the work of the shepherd. There is also the lamb.
The lamb in early sacrifice
From the very beginning, the lamb was a symbol of man’s hope and God’s salvation, of forgiveness of sins, and the restitution of fellowship with God. It must be so, for in the Revelation Jesus is referred to as “the Lamb that was slain from the foundation (or the creation) of the world” (Rev. 13:8). This suggests that Jesus and his redemptive work were to be seen, typically, in the very earliest chapters of Genesis. The slain lamb is found, for the first time of which we may be certain, in the life of Abel, a keeper of sheep, who offered to the Lord the acceptable sacrifice from among the firstlings of his flock (Gen. 4:4). A slain lamb may also be inferred, even earlier, in the garments of skin with which the angels clothed Adam and Eve after their initial sin in the garden (Gen. 3:21).
The lamb was also the offering of choice in various Mosaic ordinances, most notably in the Passover:
And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt saying, “This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. Speak unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: and if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year” (Exo. 12:1-5).
Characteristics of the lamb
The KJV translation offers a compelling progression of thought in the last three verses of this passage:
Verse 3: “You shall take a lamb!”
Verse 4: “And if the household be too little for the lamb.” Verse 5: “Your lamb shall be without blemish.”
This was just how the preparation of the meal was supposed to work: first, the Israelite was to take A lamb, any lamb, out of his flock — of course, it must be of the first year, and without outward blemish, but any lamb meeting these qualifications would suffice.
Secondly, it became THE lamb, special now because it has been set aside, and consecrated for this special purpose. In fact, as Exodus 12 goes on to explain, the lamb was to be kept close at hand, inspected, and watched carefully from the tenth day (v. 3) to the fourteenth day (v. 6), to make sure that it was, in fact, healthy and without blemish.
More than this, by virtue of its close association with the household, almost as a pet, for these four days, THE lamb has now become something greater still; it has become YOUR lamb. It is not only chosen and unique, but now it also belongs to YOU!
Understandably, it would De with some sadness and feeling of loss that the family would slay its own special — perhaps even cherished and loved lamb. This sense of loss and pain would only heighten the emotions at this time of Passover deliverance — for it was something that was close to them, virtually a part of the family, whose death was essential to the salvation of the family. Only those families which remained in houses whose doorposts and lintels were sprinkled with the blood of their special lamb would escape the visitation of the dreaded Angel of Death.
Jesus the lamb of God
This lamb, innocent and blameless, without defect or imperfection, pointed forward to Jesus. “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, `Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’ (John 1:29; v. 36). And again, “For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed for us” (I Cor. 5:7).
Jesus saw himself as the lamb when, at Passover time, he brought his disciples into the upper room, and taking bread broke it and passed it to each one of them. “This is my body, given for you” he exclaimed. There was no Passover lamb at this special feast instituted by our Lord, for it was the day of preparation at which point the lambs were yet to be offered. In the believers’ true Passover meal, there need be no other lamb than Jesus he was (and is still) the lamb. In partaking of the bread, they were, symbolically, eating of Jesus, the Passover lamb. In giving heed to his words of love, encouragement and hope, they were, symbolically, sprinkling his blood on the doorposts of their hearts (cp. Heb. 9:13,14; 10:22; 12:24). And, because they were “in him,” the angel of death would pass them by.
Characteristics of Jesus as the lamb
In what way was Jesus the lamb? In his death, of course, for he was the lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8). It was in God’s eternal plan that he lay down his life for the world, just as he did.
In addition to this, Jesus was the lamb of God in that he was harmless, blameless, sinless and pure (cp. Heb. 7:26), the perfect expression of the Father’s will. When Peter sets out to describe the character of the man whom he loved and followed, he uses the language of Isaiah 53: “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth. When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats” (I Pet. 2:22,23, alluding to Isa. 53:7) — “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.”
Likewise, the Ethiopian eunuch was brought to baptism by a contemplation of Isaiah 53: “The eunuch asked Philip, ‘Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?’ Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus” (Acts 8:34,35).
The lamblike character of this perfect man was manifested in two ways:
- his absolute refusal to fight back or in any way resist the evil that ultimately took his life, and
- his utter dependence upon his Heavenly Father.
In these ways, he was like the prototypical lamb: not resisting his enemies, but relying totally on his shepherd: in this case, the Shepherd of Israel his Father, Yahweh.
Such was the character of the lamb, in Bible figure, and such was the character of the Son, written large across his whole life. “Can any of you prove me guilty of sin?” (John 8:46), he asked. From any other man whomsoever, such a question might elicit raucous laughter. From him, such a question could have had only one answer: “No one ever spoke like this man” — or thought, or acted, or lived (John 7:46). All his life, his character made him the “lamb of God” before ever he approached the cross.
The lion and the lamb
In his death on that cross, he fulfilled all the picture of redemption of the Lamb who was in the mind of God — for then and there he became the lamb slain, the token and seal of God’s salvation promises to man, as well as the covenant-victim and the memorial meal of that covenant.
In Revelation 5 there is a scene in heaven, before the throne of Almighty God. A scroll which is sealed cannot be opened by any man or angel or any other creature. Seeing this in vision, John weeps because there could be found no one to open the great scroll. However, he is reassured: “The Lion of the tribe of Judah has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll” (Rev. 5:5).
Now comes one of those little twists that wonderfully characterize the Bible. The great conquering Lion of Judah now comes forward to open the scroll. But he doesn’t appear as a “lion” — John sees him as “a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain” (v. 6). And we are reminded that it was as the lamb to slaughter led, bruised, suffering, dying, and finally dead, that Jesus became the great conqueror! He stooped to conquer. He humbled himself to be exalted. He emptied himself before he could be filled. He knelt to wash the disciples’ feet before he sat as host at the table. He wore without complaint the crown of thorns before he ever thought to wear the crown of gold. He laid down his life, in abject and total self-before he ever donned the mantle of victor, lord and king.
The secret strength of the Lion is, ever and always, that he is first and foremost the Lamb of God.
Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes — who are they, and where did they come from?” I answered, “Sir, you know” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any sec reaching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ht., will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (Rev. 7 .1 %-1 7).
Like newly-washed sheep, bright, lively, clean, and contented, the flock
of Christ follow their Shepherd through great tribulation — walking through the valley of the shadow of death without fear, for he is with them, and his rod and staff protect them. At last they graze in wide and fertile meadows, and drink from sparkling clear waters, before the throne of God.
They have walked behind and with the Shepherd who became a Lamb, and the Lamb who became a Shepherd again. He is one of them, but he is so much more: he is protector and physician, provider, companion and dearest friend — in him they live and have their very being.
Because of him, and through him — and despite themselves — they who are his flock have become so much more than could ever be imagined.
And they will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One