SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON 04, October 11, 2009

      Who do you say that I am?
             The Lamb of God
Theme Verse: "Who do you say that I am?" Matthew 16:15
Readings: John 1:29-39, Exodus 12:1-7,12-14, Isaiah 53:3-9
Optional: Isaiah 53, Romans 5:6-8,10
Memory Verse: "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" John 1:29 (Pre-K to grade 3)
      In order to understand what calling Jesus, the "Lamb of God" means, we have to look at the events in the Old Testament, centuries before Jesus. First, when God used Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt where they were slaves, the King of Egypt, called the Pharaoh, refused to let them go. God warned his people what to do to escape the last plague and escape from Egypt. Now look at Exodus 12:1-7, 12-14. It was the first Passover, when God "passed over" the homes of the Israelites who had the blood of a lamb they had sacrificed painted on their door posts so no one would die when the first-born of the Egyptians did. The lamb had to be a perfect, male lamb a year old. (Jesus was without any sin.) Exodus continues (vs.26-27) when you repeat this in the future and "your children ask what does this mean, tell them, "'It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD (God's name), who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.' "
      This event is a fore-shadowing of the blood of Christ, the Lamb of God, shed for us for the forgiveness of our sins. In 1 Corinthians 5:7, Paul talks about "Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us."
      Jesus deliberately picked the festival of Passover to link his death on the cross to the Passover Lamb. That is why the reference to the cup of wine at the Last Supper (and in Communion) is to Jesus' blood. "This is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." (Matthew 26:28 ). Another time in the Old Testament when blood was central was the Covenant God made with Moses and the Children of Israel at Mt. Sinai. In Exodus 24:8 Moses sprinkled the blood on the people and said, "This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you." Hebrews 9:22 in the New Testament echoes this understanding. "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness."
      When Jesus knew the authorities had decided to kill him, he always managed to escape or stay away till he chose to come to Jerusalem at Passover time. They arrested and tried him at night. The first most people knew about it was the next morning when he was on the way to the cross.
      The other thing we need to know about lambs is that before the coming of Jesus and during his lifetime is that the Israelites were to sacrifice animals as a part of their worship of God. Perfect lambs were offered daily to God, but the lamb of Passover was a special sacrifice linked to a meal remembering the deliverance from Egypt. God used their animal sacrifices to teach his people the cost of forgiving their sins. The animal's life was a substitute for their lives till the cross of Jesus.
      Now look at Isaiah 53:3-12. In the prophecies of Isaiah, centuries after the Exodus but also centuries before Jesus' time, God told the Israelites about a future Servant of God who would be despised, rejected and yet was (vs.3) wounded and killed for their transgressions (rebellious sins) (vs.5). His suffering and death was like a quiet, gentle lamb (vs.7) and was to be used by God to make many righteous and healed.
      This was part of God's plan from the before the Creation (Revelation 13:8 ) "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world". In the end, after he made himself an offering for sin (vs.10), he would live again and "see the travail of his soul and be satisfied" (vs.11). A few thought it might refer to the Messiah, others had other ideas but it was not till after the death and resurrection of Jesus, that his disciples recognized that it referred to him.
      WHY was this necessary? Isaiah 53 says, "We all like sheep have gone astray. Each of us has turned to his own way." That is the core/essence of sin against God--choosing to go our own way rather than the way of life that God calls us to choose. We cannot undo the damage by just feeling sorry, although that is the beginning. Psalm 49:7-8 tells us, "No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for him--the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough." God is holy and hates all wrong doing, but loves the sinners. The consequence of sin is death. God wanted to rescue us. God knew from the time he created people about the wrong choices they would make. Yet he wanted them to CHOOSE and LOVE him freely so he had to allow them to make bad choices. So before creation God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, had this plan for dealing with sin and its results--a perfect sacrifice that God himself paid in Jesus. Jesus and the Father (one God) were absolutely united in this and that is why Jesus came.
      Remember what Jesus said in John 10. He is both the Good Shepherd and the Lamb of God. He is both the person offering the sacrifice and the sacrifice. Jesus said, "I lay down my life for the sheep (us)…No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord…I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."
      When we turn away (repent) from our own way (sins) and ask for God's forgiveness through the death and resurrection of Jesus, and ask him into our hearts by the power of the Holy Spirit, we receive God's gift of new life, but we have to choose to keep on choosing to live in him and asking him to live in us.
      Go look at the carving on the front of the altar in the sanctuary of Christ Church and think about what Jesus did 2,000 years ago as being offered to YOU and me NOW in Holy Communion (Eucharist).
      God showed both his holiness, righteousness and love in Christ's death and resurrection. Romans 5:8-10 says, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of is Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!"
      Let us praise and thank God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ for his incredible gift!.
      Now think about some words the Lord gave the teachers about Isaiah 53:4-9.
"Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted." (Isaiah 53:4) A word received: I bore your sins and your burdens on my way to the cross. I carried them to the cross -- leave them there.

"But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5) A word received: Let me bear your bruises and your wounds.

"All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all." (Isaiah 53:6) A word received: I have to gather up my lost sheep -- come to me, I AM the Good Shepherd.

"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." (Isaiah 53:7) A word received: Be prepared to trust me -- be prepared for the day of testing; be prepared to leave your burdens in my hands.

"He was taken from prison and from judgment, and who will declare his generation? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgressions of my people he was stricken." (Isaiah 53:8 ) A word received: I was cut off so that you may live.

"And they made his grave with the wicked--but with the rich at his death, because he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth." (Isaiah 53:9) A word received: Listen to me -- my words are true and faithful.