The title "Lamb of God" is a profound and theologically rich designation for Jesus Christ, encapsulating His role as the sacrificial atonement for humanity's sins. This title is deeply rooted in the sacrificial system of the Old Testament and finds its ultimate fulfillment in the New Testament revelation of Jesus as the Messiah.

Old Testament Background

The concept of a sacrificial lamb is central to the Old Testament, particularly in the context of the Passover. In Exodus 12, God commands the Israelites to sacrifice a lamb without blemish and apply its blood to the doorposts of their homes. This act of faith and obedience spared them from the plague of the firstborn, symbolizing deliverance and redemption. The Passover lamb thus becomes a type, or foreshadowing, of the ultimate sacrifice to come.

Isaiah 53 further develops this imagery, portraying the Suffering Servant as a lamb led to the slaughter, bearing the iniquities of many. Isaiah 53:7 states, "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." This prophetic passage anticipates the sacrificial death of the Messiah, who would take upon Himself the sins of the world.

New Testament Fulfillment

The New Testament explicitly identifies Jesus as the "Lamb of God." In the Gospel of John, John the Baptist declares upon seeing Jesus, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29). This proclamation affirms Jesus as the fulfillment of the sacrificial system, the one who would offer Himself as the perfect and final sacrifice for sin.

The Apostle Peter echoes this understanding in 1 Peter 1:18-19 , stating, "For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life you inherited from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot." Here, Peter emphasizes the purity and perfection of Christ's sacrifice, drawing a direct parallel to the unblemished lambs required in the Old Testament.

The Book of Revelation further amplifies the significance of Jesus as the Lamb. In Revelation 5:6 , John describes a vision of the Lamb standing as though slain, possessing seven horns and seven eyes, symbolizing perfect power and knowledge. The Lamb is central to the worship in heaven, as depicted in Revelation 5:12 : "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing!"

Theological Significance

The title "Lamb of God" encapsulates the core of Christian soteriology, emphasizing the substitutionary atonement of Christ. Jesus, as the Lamb, fulfills the requirements of the Law, offering Himself willingly and obediently to reconcile humanity to God. His sacrifice is once for all, rendering the old sacrificial system obsolete and establishing a new covenant through His blood.

Moreover, the Lamb of God signifies the ultimate expression of God's love and justice. In Christ's sacrificial death, divine justice is satisfied, and God's love is manifested in the offer of redemption to all who believe. The Lamb's victory over sin and death assures believers of their eternal inheritance and calls them to live in the light of this profound truth.

In summary, the designation "Lamb of God" is a central and cherished aspect of Christian doctrine, reflecting the depth of God's redemptive plan through Jesus Christ. It invites believers to contemplate the magnitude of Christ's sacrifice and to respond in faith, worship, and obedience.John 1:29
The next day John sees Jesus coming to him, and said, Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world.
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Revelation 6:16
And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
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Revelation 7:9,10,14,17
After this I beheld, and, see, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
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Revelation 12:11
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives to the death.
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Revelation 13:8
And all that dwell on the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
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Revelation 14:1,4
And I looked, and, see, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.
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Revelation 15:3
And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are your works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are your ways, you King of saints.
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Revelation 17:14
These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
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Revelation 19:17
And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the middle of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together to the supper of the great God;
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Revelation 21:9,14,22,23,27
And there came to me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come here, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife.
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Revelation 22:1,3
And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
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John Calls Jesus a "Lamb. " Why Does He Name this Animal Specially ...
... John Calls Jesus a "Lamb." Why Does He Name This Animal Specially? Of the Typology
of the Sacrifices, Generally. "And he sayeth, Behold the Lamb of God, which ...
/.../origen/origens commentary on the gospel of john/32 john calls jesus a.htm

The Difference Between Believing in the Name of Jesus and ...
... These believe the testimony of John when he says, "Behold the Lamb of God," or they ...
as they believe the signs and not in Him but in His name, Jesus "did not ...
/.../28 the difference between believing.htm

God Proclaiming his Own Name
... compose Thy name.' In the name specially so- called, the name Jehovah, was ... the guilty,'
are fused into one, when we 'behold that Lamb of God that taketh ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/god proclaiming his own name.htm

The Church and the World.
... Had heaven offered no mercy, showed no love, sent no Lamb of God to take away ... unbelief,
thrusts from him the forgiveness of sin, which, in the name of Jesus ...
/.../johnson/the new testament commentary vol iii john/the church and the world.htm

The Lamb of God in Scripture
... Come, every sinner, bring the Lamb of God; put Him on the altar, and you shall be
accepted at once, and you may at once begin to praise the name of the ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 39 1893/the lamb of god in.htm

Jesus Makes his First Disciples.
... that of a friend or a familiar acquaintance], and saith, Behold the Lamb of God! ...
3. On seven other occasions in this Gospel he withholds his name"John 13 ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/xxi jesus makes his first.htm

Origen's Commentary on the Gospel of John
... Christ is Not, Like God, Quite Free from Darkness: Since He ... Jesus is a Lamb in Respect
of His Human Nature ... The Difference Between Believing in the Name of Jesus ...
//christianbookshelf.org/origen/origens commentary on the gospel of john/

To Sano Di Maco and to the Other Sons in Christ While She was in ...
... you may give more zealously thanks and praise to His name. Oh, dearest sons, God
has heard the cry of His servants ... us with our holy father." Now the Lamb of God ...
/.../benincasa/letters of catherine benincasa/to sano di maco and 2.htm

The Dove and the Lamb
... When the eternal God chose to reveal Himself in His Son, He gave Him the name of
the Lamb; and when it was necessary for the Holy Spirit to come into ...
//christianbookshelf.org/hession/the calvary road/chapter 5 the dove and.htm

The First Disciples.
... John the Baptist, Jesus passed by, and again John said, "Behold the Lamb of God."
These two ... He did not reprove them for giving Him the honored name of Master ...
/.../lathbury/childs story of the bible/chapter viii the first disciples.htm

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