SCRIPTURE FOCUS
Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
John 1:29
PRAYER FOCUS - The Lamb of God
Strange things had been happening in Egypt. Water had turned to blood; frogs, then lice, then flies had been everywhere! These plagues seemed to go on and on. Finally, one night, the word came to the slaves in Egypt. Tonight, they were to kill a lamb, put its blood on their doorpost, and then roast and eat it. Oh, and by the way, do not leave your house, but stay inside. Since there would be no time for the bread to rise, only unleavened bread would be permitted. Every year, these newly freed slaves would commemorate their miraculous deliverance by celebrating this Feast of Passover.
When John the Baptist declared that Jesus is the Lamb of God, his Jewish hearers knew what he meant. Every morning and every evening, an unblemished lamb was brought to the temple to be sacrificed for sins (Ex 29:38-39). However, this temporary sacrifice had to be offered daily. The writer of Hebrews explains to us how Jesus was the Lamb of God in His sacrificial death. “And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God” (Heb 10:11-12). During Passover, Jesus offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins! Millions of lambs had been sacrificed over the centuries, but Jesus was the unblemished spotless Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world – once for all time.
John described his vision of the heavenly celebration of Jesus’ sacrifice. “Then I looked, and I heard, around the throne and the living creatures and the elders, the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” (Rev 5:11-12).
RESPONSE
Our sins have been forgiven by Jesus’ sacrifice – once for all! John the Baptist declared that Jesus was the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29). All of our sins – past, present, and future – are forgiven because of the sacrifice of the Lamb of God. So, today, let’s join with the heavenly ones to voice our praise to the Lamb who was slain. He is worthy to receive power, wealth, wisdom, might, glory, and blessing!
Thank Jesus for His sacrifice today. Thank Him for paying for the sins in your life. Remember that it was His joy to do that for us.