Behold the Lamb (1)

When John the Baptist first saw Jesus, he declared, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). John the apostle’s writing about the Lamb concludes with “the throne of God and of the Lamb” in New Jerusalem (Revelation 22:1, 3). The Lamb of God is mentioned in John 1:29, 36 and 1 Peter 1:19, then twenty-five times in Revelation. This post begins a look at the Lamb revealed in Revelation.

The Redeeming Lamb

John saw “a Lamb standing as having just been slain” (5:6) and many angels praised with a loud voice “Worthy is the Lamb who has been slain” (5:11-12). Because of His redeeming death, the multitude of the redeemed “washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (7:14). Our robes signify our conduct (Isaiah 64:6); the way to cleanse our conduct is by the forgiveness He provides (Ephesians 1:7).

The People-Purchasing Lamb

“You were slain and have purchased for God by Your blood men out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation” (5:9). The Lamb not only redeemed us from sin and sins but also purchased us for God and brought us to God out of every human distinction (tribes, tongues, peoples, nations). If we try to preserve anything of these human distinctions, we are temporarily annulling the Lamb’s purchase. In the Christian life we live to God in the new man, where there are no national, racial, or cultural distinctions (Colossians 3:10-11).

The Resurrected and Ascended Lamb

The center of the scene in Revelation 4 and 5 is the throne in heaven (4:2). The Lamb was slain but now is standing in heaven. His standing after being slain indicates His resurrection and His standing in heaven indicates His ascension. While we praise the resurrected and ascended Lamb we also remember that God “raised us up together with Him and seated us together with Him in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6).

The Worthy Lamb

The Lamb is proclaimed worthy in the universal praises (5:11-12, 13; 7:10). The Lamb is worthy to have all power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing. We too can and should say, Worthy is the Lamb! Praise Him! We can also sing to Him.

Photo, sunset from space, courtesy of NASA.

Posted by Don on December 19, 2012

https://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/2012/12/19/behold-the-lamb/