Day 4 – The Lamb of God
JOHN 1:29-34
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me.’ I myself did not know Him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that He might be revealed to Israel.”
Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on Him. I would not have known Him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is He who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God” (John
1:29-34).
The Holy and Righteous God of Heaven and earth wants us to live lives without sin. But humankind has sinned since the beginning of our walk on earth. God, who wants to be close to His creation, needed to give us a way to eliminate this sin so that He can draw near to us. The Lord taught Israel that the forgiveness of sin required a sacrifice. Such a sacrifice must, of itself, be without sin. Only the Son of God could accomplish this.
Reflection
- Can the “Lamb of God” be a person?
- Why would God make a person for sacrifice?
EXODUS 12:3-8
Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household. If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat. The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the door-frames of the houses where they eat the lambs. That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast (Exodus 12:3-8).
Imagine living under Pharaoh’s command. You would be a firsthand witness to ten devastating plagues, and then you would be told to follow these instructions. God went into great detail in guiding His children. He wanted Israel to remember His plan of salvation down through the ages.
Reflection
- Why was the lamb without blemish?
- Why did this lamb stay inside the house from the 10th to the 14th day?
- What does the blood of the lamb symbolize?
