Today we will begin exploring a basic understanding of Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God. This topic has been widely and deeply covered by many great theologians, and it is not our aim to fully exhaust this subject in these short blog posts. Nevertheless, it is vital for us to understand what God has done for us through Christ, the Lamb of God, and the price He paid for us to have eternal life.
We will begin our study in the book of Genesis, the first book of the Bible. Here we read how Adam and Eve were warned by God not to eat the forbidden fruit of the ‘Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.’
Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." Genesis 2:15-17
God desires us to love and serve Him freely by an act of our will. He never forces this on anyone. We must choose because He has given us the power and responsibility to make choices, including whether to obey Him or not.
Sometime after God commanded Adam to not eat of the ‘Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil’, Satan, through the serpent, lured Eve into questioning God’s goodness. By doing so, he seduced her into eating fruit from the forbidden tree. She, in turn, convinced her husband Adam to also eat from the tree.
Immediately, there was the sudden realization they were naked and had broken fellowship with God (Genesis 3:1-7). They no longer had peace in their hearts and minds but hid themselves from the Lord, who came walking in the garden. As a result of their sin, they were now fearful and spiritually disconnected from their Creator.
Note: Many believe Adam and Eve were covered with the glory of God, and only after their sin, the glory departed, leaving their uncovered bodies exposed. All we know for sure is there was a sudden realization of their naked condition.
What was God’s response when they succumbed to temptation and sinned? Was there a way out? Was there a path for them to ever enjoy fellowship with God again? Was their sin unpardonable? Let’s see what God provided for them and the promise He gave them.
Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?" So he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself." And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?"
Then the man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate." And the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."
So the LORD God said to the serpent: "Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life. And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel." Genesis 3:9-15
Notice God’s response to Adam’s hideous crime and sin. He laid out the consequences for his disobedience, BUT He covered their nakedness, and gave them the Promise of a Saviour who would crush the serpent’s (the devil’s) head (verse 15). God often speaks in parables, riddles, and analogies to get His point across. Here He describes a natural and spiritual truth that would take place until the end of time.
It's obvious most women do not like snakes, but here God is saying there would be something far greater than a natural enmity between a snake in the grass and women. He was prophesying of a spiritual enmity between the serpent (the devil) and the woman AND her SEED.
Wait a minute! Women do not have seed. Men are the ones who have seed. Where would this SEED come from and how would He bruise the head of the serpent (the devil)?
God’s prophetic riddle was to be played out through the centuries, culminating at the cross of Calvary, where Christ would fulfill this promise, and die for the sins of the world, including Adam’s. There Christ was bruised (through death) for us, BUT the Serpents head was crushed forever through Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. Hallelujah! Glory to the Lamb of God!
God, in His great mercy provided a way of escape for mankind through His sacrificial Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ. He became the only way to escape eternal separation and damnation. This spotless Lamb was manifested to take away man’s sins, and to redeem us (buy us back) to God. We were all prisoners of sin and lost without hope until Jesus paid the price to bring us out of darkness into His marvelous light and kingdom. The price has been paid.
Now we have a choice, either to walk in our own ways and reject God’s gift of salvation, through His Son Jesus Christ… or to humble ourselves, admit we need a Savior, and turn our lives over to the Christ Who loves us, died for us, and rose from the dead to give us eternal life in His Kingdom and glory forever.
More about the Lamb of God next time. Until then, may God our Heavenly Father, richly bless and keep you.
James Brown CST 08/23/2023