The word lamb always makes me smile as I imagine a precious baby sheep frolicking on a pasture of green grass, but what do you think of when you hear the phrase Lamb of God? What is the difference between a lamb of God and The Lamb of God?
Lambs are considered innocent and need a shepherd to guard and provide for them. Unsurprisingly, Jesus is called the Good Shepherd, but He is also called the Lamb of God. This seems like a contradiction, but a closer look at what the Bible says can help us reconcile these two terms.
Where Does the Bible Talk about the Lamb of God?
While discussions about lambs are found throughout scripture, the proper title “Lamb of God” first appers in the New Testament in John 1:29:
“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
From the beginning, Jesus came to offer his life as a sacrifice.
Clarence L. Haynes Jr. observes in his article “Why Is Jesus Called the Lamb of God” that references to Jesus as “the Lamb of God” or” the lamb” appear in the following scriptures:
- John 1:35-36 is another verse where John refers to Jesus as the Lamb of God.
- 1 Corinthians 5:7 refers to Jesus as the Passover (lamb).
- 1 Peter 1:18-19 describes Christ as the sacrificial lamb without blemish.
- Revelation 5:5-8 says that Jesus is the Lamb who was slain but now sits on the throne.
All these references describe Jesus as the sacrificial lamb who came to offer himself as a pure and unblemished offering whose blood reconciles us to God if we are willing to accept His gift of salvation.
There are references to the Messiah throughout the Old Testament, including references to the sacrificial lamb, although it doesn’t specifically use the phrase “lamb of God.” BibleStudyTools.com provides a detailed look at all the terms and words translated as lamb or lamb of God. However, to better understand the references in prophecy, it helps to understand a little about typology.
Are There Hints of the Lamb of God Earlier in Scripture?
Typology is studying and interpreting types and symbols that foreshadow something else. People, places, and things in the Old Testament sometimes point to people, places, and things in the New Testament that are greater than what came before. For example, the book of Hebrews draws many connections between the Old Testament and New Testament, many of them referencing either sacrifice and faith in general or Jesus in particular:
- Hebrews 9:16-22 shows the link between Moses’s sacrifices and Christ’s blood sacrifice. Summing it up in verse 22: “And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.”
- Hebrews 11:4 references Genesis 4:1-10: “By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.” This references the earliest sacrifices required for worship, the requirement of a right heart, and the gift of grace by God in return.
- Hebrews 11:17-19 references Genesis 22, where Abraham was willing to sacrifice his only son Isaac, but a ram was provided wearing a crown of thorns. So, Abraham’s offering Isaac is tied to John 3:16, where God gave His only son who wore a crown of thorns at the crucifixion and now wears a crown in Heaven.
Another example can be found in Isaiah 53:7, where we see the prophecy of the suffering servant with a reference to a lamb: “He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.” Christ fulfilled all of these prophecies when he refused to respond to those who mocked and beat him.
Finally, the sacrificial system of the Old Testament is a foundation for our understanding of Christ’s blood sacrifice. In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul discusses the connection between Adam and Christ as physical man versus spiritual man as seen in verse 45: “And so it is written, ‘The first man Adam became a living being’ The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.” Adam (and Eve) rebelled, and sin entered the world. Jesus came into the world sinless and redeemed humanity from sin.
Since the Old Testament and the law are the foundation, let’s look at lambs from the perspective of Jewish laws and practices to better understand the concept of Christ as the Lamb of God.
What Did Lambs Mean to the Israelites?
In “Why Did John the Baptist Call Jesus the Lamb of God,” Hope Bolinger details what lambs meant in the context of Judaism. The main purpose of a sacrificial lamb was to atone for the sins of the people, notably during Passover. Leviticus 4 describes the processes and purpose of Moses’ sin sacrifice to God. The law required a sacrifice for redemption, so Christ came to be the ultimate and final atonement for our sins. When John the Baptist pointed toward Jesus as a lamb, the Jews would have a picture of a lamb being brought to the altar for sacrifice. Romans 8:3 sums it up this way:
“For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh.”
What Does Jesus Being a Lamb of God Tell Us about His Qualities?
In an article on what it means to be the lamb of God, the author says lambs represent gentleness, purity, and innocence. Jesus embodied all these traits during his time on earth. A lamb’s white coat symbolized purity and cleanliness, and Jesus was stainless, perfect, and free of sin. The Passover lamb’s purpose was to atone for sin. Jesus gave His life to atone for our sins because only He could atone for sin once and for all time.
So, how is Jesus both the Lamb of God and the Good Shepherd? John 10:11 says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” Jesus loved us, His sheep, so much that He offered himself as a sacrifice to save us from the curse of sin and give us eternal life. The Good Shepherd became the Lamb of God to die for His sheep.
We become His lambs when we choose Jesus as our savior and Lord. However, as lambs of Christ, we no longer face a death sentence. Instead, we are now living sacrifices: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1). As lambs of Christ, we live our lives to honor Him and His sacrifice because He has broken the curse of sin so that we are no longer enslaved and given us eternal life with Him in Heaven.
Jesus truly is the Lamb of God who takes away the world’s sin. Since Christians are the lambs of God, we should also embody Christ’s gentleness, purity, and innocence in our daily walk in the power of the Holy Spirit and follow the Good Shepherd wherever He leads us.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/PatrikStedrak
Linda Lyle is a writer, teacher, knitter, and unintentional collector of cats. She has written articles for the Alabama Baptist, Open Windows, Refresh, as well as multiple novels and novellas. Her newest book, 5-Minute Prayer Plan for When Life Is Overwhelming, is set to release in October. She spins yarns on her blog The End of My Yarn at lindalyle.com.
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