WILL YOU GET THE LAMB OF GOD FOR CHRISTMAS?

It is all over. Christmas that is. The cards come down off the mantle piece. The tree will be put out with the trash or perhaps stored in the garage until it can be planted. The decorations are gathered together and put back in the cupboards or wherever they were stored for another year. The season is over. The TV news people suddenly stop talking about the "season of rejoicing" or reporting the stories they have found of people sharing with those who have less of the world's goods. The staff of TV channels and other businesses who were filling the airwaves with statements of concern for our well-being become silent. As suddenly as it began the special "music" that stores expose their customers to ceases being particular "Christmas" tunes.

Isn't it striking that the changes that appear with the coming of that season disappear just as suddenly. --And that includes almost all the manifestations of joy.

Why the sudden change? Perhaps the joy disappears for the same reason that a shadow disappears when the object "creating" it disappears. What is your joy a response to?--is it still there?

If on Christmas day (or any other day) a lawyer had delivered a message to me, saying that a relative of mine had left me a large, indeed, an inexhaustible inheritance--an inheritance which would become mine to use when I reached a particular age would my joy disappear? How many people would feel indifferent if they had received that kind of gift on Christmas day--news that they had come into an inheritance? Few people would be unmoved a week later or a year later. The passage of time doesn't dampen such enthusiasm. why? Because the hoped for object--the inheritance--doesn't disappear. As long as the object remains its reflection remains--but no longer.

This was not just another baby. Who this baby was was not (and is not) a matter of little consequence. On the contrary, it is of the utmost importance. This baby was not even a rare or unusual baby. He was unique. What a person believes about the "identity" of the Jesus who was born on Christmas in Bethlehem is what separates Christians from all other people. To deny that he was and is who he later revealed himself to be is a sin.

It is certain suicide not to acknowledge who he was/is. There is no a gamble or risk involved. Particular consequences are inevitable. When one steps out the window of a 20 story building there is no risk or gamble involved--the earthly results are certain. It is almost the same with not acknowledging that Jesus Christ is God come in the flesh--the results are certain. What is different about not acknowledging who Jesus is is that the consequences will last forever. Jesus declared very bluntly: "If you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins." (John 8:24) The Bible says, "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." (John 3:36; see also  Matthew 25:41,46; 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9; 2 Peter 3:7; Revelation 21:8)

The Bible records three specific temptations of Jesus which the Bible explicitly states came from Satan. It is no accident that it is the identity of Jesus (whether he was the Son of God) that is the issue in two of these temptations ("in the Wilderness"). They both start with the word "if." Twice Satan said to Jesus, "If -- you are the Son of God" do such and such. "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." "If you are the Son of God throw yourself down for it is written... [how God's angels will protect him.]" (Matthew 4:3,6)

When this baby grew up, in the course of his public ministry Jesus wrought many, many, miracles. The primary purpose of his miraculous works was to identify Him as the One who had power over nature, disease and even over death. This display of His power manifested who He was--that He was the Son of God. (Matthew 9:2-6) These miracles were signs or credentials to identify him. The Bible says so. The apostle John, after pointing out that Jesus did many other miracles which are not recorded in the record [the Gospel of John] which he made, says, "But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name" (John 20.31).

When this baby grew up he did not speak and teach as did the religious leaders of his day--who gathered their learning from the wisdom of other men and quoting other men's statements as support for their own opinions. No, Jesus spoke and taught as the one who was the authority. The Bible records Jesus' words: "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me. '" (John 14:6) "'But so that you may know that the Son of Man [the title Jesus used when referring to himself] has authority on earth to forgive sins...' Then he said to the paralytic, 'Get up, take your mat and go home.' And the man got up and went home." (Matthew 9:6-7; See also: Matthew 7:29; 10:1; 28:18)

No, this was no ordinary birth. What made this birth such a wondrous event was that because of who/what he was--the Son of God taking on the form of a man--he had the power to alter the eternal destiny of believers through the sacrifice of himself. When this baby grew up He was going to bring about just this result. Nothing else, nobody else--no created thing could bring this to pass. (John 5:21,26)

What an amazing rescue operation this baby was going to accomplish later in his life. How glad you would be to see you rescuer coming if you were stranded on a flat desert island and each day the sea water came up higher covering more of the island. And here was a rescuer ("savior") coming into history who was able to alter eternal destinies! Christians cannot view the birth of the only one who had the power/ability to rescue them (or anyone else) from this world that is full of sin, sickness and death as a 'ho-hum' event. This is what makes the Christmas season special (for believers): We remember the birthday or the "coming" of the one who would (by his death on the cross) rescue us from our desperate predicament and make us heirs to an eternal inheritance.

This is who appeared on earth that first "Christmas." This coming of Jesus the Christ into the world was no accident or chance event which just happened to come about at that particular moment in history. Nor was it an after-thought of God like a parent starting a savings account for a child's college education when the child is in his or her senior year of high school. Oh, no. It was part of God's plan from the beginning and it became a reality in this world just when it was planned for. What was happening on that first "Christmas" was movement of God--God beginning to fulfill in history what he had promised to his people from the beginning.

What else could we expect but that the angels would shout about the birth of this child? "The angel said to them [shepherds in the field near Bethlehem], ' I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.'" And again, "Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests.'" (Luke 2:10-14)

The Bible also records for us the witness of some human "prophets"--people living at the time of the first "Christmas" whose eyes God had opened to "see" that it was God who was fulfilling his promise. They perceived that the birth of this child was a unique act of God on behalf of his people. "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people. He has raised up a horn [a champion] of salvation for us in the house of his servant David." (Luke 1:68-69) (It is exciting to be alive at the time and to witness God fulfilling his promises because God's actions sometimes are taking place over a period of time much longer than a single human life time) (2 Peter 3:8)

What does all this have to do with the "Lamb of God that the title of this meditation refers to? This baby was the "Lamb of God." Although the title or designation "the Lamb of God" was not publicly revealed until many years later when this child-Jesus was just starting on his public ministry (John 1:29,36) it revealed yet more truth about who this baby was; it pointed to the mission he was to accomplish on behalf of believers: to rescue believers. This designation "the Lamb of God" was like a echo from the halls of Jewish history; it was a reminder to the faithful Jews that God was faithful. It conveyed a message of extreme comfort to the people; It conveyed the message that God was remembering the prophecy/promise he had made and repeated in different words since the beginning of human history.(God's Promises)--Gen.3:15; 15:18; 18:18; 22:18; 26:4; 28:13,14; Lev.26:42; Psa.105:8-10,42; Acts 3:21-22,25-26; Gal.3:8,16; Gen.17:7; Jer 7:23; Jer 24:7; Eze.14:11; 34:30; Heb.8:10; 2 Cor.6:16; Zec.2:11; 9:10; 2 Sam.7:16; Psa.89:35-37; Jer.3:14-17; Isa.9:7; 53:8; 59:16; Psa.72:8; Psa.130:8; Luke 1:32,33; 24:27,44; Mic.5:2; Mat.2:6; Luke 1:69-75) This is why the birth of this baby, the birth of the Savior-Jesus (the Christ) was of tremendous significance. This birth was a milestone; this was the turning point of history.

But what was it about that title or designation that brought to mind God's promises and God's redemptive acts in the past? "The expression, "the Lamb of God" did not refer to a new toy from "Kiddie City." The "Lamb of God" did not refer to a special kind of lamb that certain farmers breed. It did not refer to a new invention or new discovery such as a new drug for the cure of some disease. No, it referred to the practice of sacrifice which God himself had prescribed for a particular people in the earlier stage of the history that God had chosen to record for us--that period of time which is covered by what we call the "Old Testament."

God had been requiring sacrifice for all sorts of sins from the beginning--because God's holiness demands it. What he is "demands" it. Because God is what he is everything which is contrary to his nature is not acceptable. The Bible says so. The Bible describes God's character: "Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong..." (Habbakuk 1:13) Because there is evil in the world something had to be done. That is the basis of sacrifice. The Bible declares the fact that--"Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness" (or cancellation of sin). (Hebrews 9:22)

While the law that informed God's people that sacrifices were required to atone for sins was not formally set forth until after God had rescued his people from their extended bondage in Egypt because of this necessity of sacrifice from the beginning the proper response to God included sacrifice. (Genesis 4:3-4) The Law which specified when sacrifice was to be made was not a law passed by some legislature; it was the Law which God himself had given to the Jews after he had rescued them from bondage in Egypt. So for centuries the Jews had been sacrificing lambs and other animals on a daily basis as well as at other times. (See Sacrifice)

But the designation "Lamb of God" (which this child born on the first Christmas was to fulfill) is more than an allusion to sacrifice in general; it was an echo from the history of God's people especially as being the fulfilment of that specific sacrifice--the Passover Lamb. (1 Corinthians 5:7) The Passover lamb was that lamb sacrificed by each household on that very special occasion--just before God wrought that great earthly salvation for his people--delivering them from their bondage in Egypt. Speaking of the blood from the lambs that God commanded his people to provide and sacrifice on that unique occasion, God said: "And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they shall eat it [the lamb].... For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt....Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are, And when I see the blood, I will Pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt" (Exodus 12.7,12-13).

(After the Passover occurred) the deliverance that the Passover Lamb symbolized was the central event of Old Testament times. This event, this salvation which God had wrought when he brought his people out of bondage in Egypt, is referred to hundreds of times in the Old Testament. (See Central Event) It was far more foundational to the people of the Old Testament than the founding of America or the American revolution is or has ever been to the American people.

While the Passover and the deliverance of God's people from Egypt was the central event and symbol of salvation throughout the Old Testament it pales beside the work of God/Christ at the cross (as the New Testament explanations of that work clearly bring out). (The great difference between these two works of God is the "quality" and the duration of the results. The salvation which God's sacrifice would procure for his people would, in a sense, dwarf what God had already done.

The "effectiveness" of the sacrifices made under the Old Testament (or old "Covenant") was limited even though it was God's law that required them. That is because they were earthly sacrifices which was all human beings could give. The "effectiveness" was limited to atoning for past sins only; sins committed after sacrifices had been made required further sacrifices to atone for them (the same way, for example, the correcting of one misspelled word on a page does nothing to correct subsequently misspelled words). (Hebrews 10:1-2,11; Leviticus 4:13-14,27-28; 5:5,10; 6:7; Exodus 30:10)

No earthly sacrifice could make anyone forever free of the burden of guilt, forever free of liability for all sin. This included even the sacrifice of the Passover Lamb. The history of the Israelites subsequent to that deliverance from bondage in Egypt clearly reveals that that deliverance resulted in only a temporary freedom from bondage, a deliverance from captivity under a particular earthly regime, not in a permanent deliverance from the penalty for all sin and from the dominion of allsin. (See Rebellious People)

God has made it clear that even that deliverance which God brought about for his people when he "saw the blood of the lambs on the doorposts," when he caused his judgment to "passover" them was an earthly type or foreshadowing of a far greater act of salvation yet to come. What God did when he "passed over them" because of the blood was an earthly illustration of the spiritual reality which was still to come--when God himself would provide the sacrifice: his own Son.

Now back to the first "Christmas."

It was that greater deliverance which God was beginning to fulfill (in history) on that first "Christmas." The deliverance which was to be accomplished by this baby, by the sacrifice which God provided--the Lamb of God would be a permanent deliverance. (Hebrews 10:14)

Because God's sacrifice was a "heavenly" sacrifice, a perfect sacrifice--the perfectly obedient Son of God--this sacrifice was able to accomplish what the earthly sacrifices which God required of the people could never do. (Hebrews 10:1,4; 9:12-15,23-24)

God uses different expressions to tell us what the mission of this particular baby-Jesus-who was born "on" Christmas was. He came to give his life as "a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45; Matthew 20:28); He came to "lay down [his] life for the sheep." (John 10:15) "For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man." (Romans 8:3) "... Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." (Ephesians 5:2)

The different terms God uses to describe what the Lamb of God won (for "whoever believes") reminds us how permanent and irrevocable that salvation is. It is an inheritance. God has made us heirs. He has given believers irrevocable title to a prize. He made me (and every believer) an heir to an inheritance "If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." (Galatians 3:29) "The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." (Romans 8:16-17) It is God who has made us heirs; it is "the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves." (Colossians 1:12-13)

"Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged." (Hebrews 6:17-18)

The inheritance is guaranteed: "Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his glory." (Ephesians 1:13-14; See also John 10:28-29; Romans 8:33-34) The inheritance is being kept for me: "He [God] has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade-- kept in heaven for you, (1 Peter 1:3-4; See also Matthew 25:34)

This is what the one time sacrifice of the "Lamb of God" was going to earn for you (if you are a believer). That is the gospel.

It was the "Lamb of God" who was born on "Christmas." Remember the words of what is perhaps the most familiar verse in the Bible; how "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son"? And why did God do that?--"that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16) What better inheritance could you receive? What more lasting source of joy could be given? Though it was not on Christmas that the inheritance of eternal life was given but it was "on" that first Christmas that the one who would earn that inheritance came; it was on that first Christmas that the one (Jesus the Christ) who would rescue believers permanently from liability for sins and from the domination of sin came. What makes Christmas the season of rejoicing--permanent rejoicing? Christians remember it as the the day that God gave them the "Lamb of God."

Is it because of God's gift--the birth of the "Lamb of God" on the first "Christmas" that you are rejoicing?

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