Bible Questions Answered:
Why was Jesus called the Lamb of God?
Terence/ Manila, Philippines
Bible Answer:
First of all let it be said, because of the humility of Christ.
Isaiah 53:7 KJV
He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth: He is brought as a Lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth.
Zechariah 9:9 NLT
9 Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your King is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious,yet He is humble, riding on a donkey— riding on a donkey’s colt.
Matthew 11:29 KJV
Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
John 13:5 KJV
After that He poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith He was girded.
II Corinthians 10:1 KJV
And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Philippians 2:8 KJV
And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
I Peter 2:23 KJV
Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously:
From before the beginning God knew a great sacrifice would be required to atone for the dark sins of mankind.
Genesis 3:6-8 KJV
6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
Adam and Eve's fig leaf covering, having lost the glorious Shechinah of God, was a failed attempt to cover sin.
Genesis 3:15,21 NLT (God's prophetic decree.)
15 And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.”
21 And the Lord God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife.
The promise of redemption, would come at a great cost for God's Son, who would be struck by the serpent.
Adam and Eve in their sin, brought about the need for the first bloody sacrifice, which God performed, so that their body and their sins could be covered (Adam and Eve passed this sacrifice, on to their sons Cain and Abel.)
Revelation 13:8 KJV
"... the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."
Genesis 22:7-14 NLT (Christ prefigured in Isaac.)
7 Isaac turned to Abraham and said, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “We have the fire and the wood,” the boy said, “but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?”
8 “God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son,” Abraham answered. And they both walked on together.
9 When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it.
Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood.
10 And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice.
11 At that moment the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”“Yes,” Abraham replied. “Here I am!”
12 “Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from Me even your son, your only son.”
13 Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son.
14 Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means “the Lord will provide”).
To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”
Psalm 85:2 KJV
Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah.
Bloody sacrifices which prefigured the coming Messiah's sacrifice, were only a covering for sin, but now our Lord's perfect sacrifice, cleanses from sin.
John 1:29,36 KJV
29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
36 And looking upon Jesus as He walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!
I John 1:7,9 KJV
7 But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Revelation 1:5,6 KJV
5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the Faithful Witness, and the First Begotten of the Dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth. Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood,
6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father; to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Galatians 1:3-5 KJV
3 Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,
4 Who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:
5 To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
I Peter 2:21-25 KJV
21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps:
22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth:
23 Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously:
24 Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
I John 2:2 NLT
He Himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.
