WEEK FIVE

BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD


Scripture passage: John 1:26-27,29


John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.”  The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!


As you consider Christ the sinless and spotless one click HERE to listen to “Behold the Lamb of God” by Andrew Peterson.


Meet John the Baptist! An interesting fellow whom God ordained from birth to serve as His messenger; a voice in the wilderness to make straight the path of the Lord and prepare the way of the Savior. He was a New Testament prophet, dressed like Elijah of the Old Testament. A descendant of Aaron, the first high priest, John’s birth itself was miraculous as both Zechariah and Elizabeth were too old to naturally bear a child. He was also the only biblical figure who recognized Jesus in utero


The gospel of Luke described how John leapt inside Elizabeth’s womb when Mary, who was carrying Jesus in her own womb, came to visit. It seems like from the very beginning, John was gifted with the capacity to recognize the Messiah.


There is a lot that could be said about John the Baptist that would never fit in a bulletin insert. Two things not to miss are: 1) his utmost devotion to God and His purpose; and 2) his humility in always pointing people to Christ instead of seeking his own glory. (John 3:30 “He must increase but I must decrease.”) The man spent his life in radical obedience to God’s call. In John chapter 1, we see him in action, doing what He was meant to do. 


His mission field was the people of Israel. His message was clear and direct: repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand. Committed to truth-telling, he took on the unenviable job of reminding his people of their sin and that they’ve turned away from God. Those who repented, he then baptized. 


Imagine the queue forming from the banks of River Jordan as more people were drawn to his teaching and responding through baptism. One could say he became popular, to the point that he caught the attention of the authorities. When the Pharisees questioned if he was the Messiah, John readily articulated that he was not.  He knew exactly where he stood in God’s master plan. It was evident that he was beholden to Someone much greater, the strap of whose sandal he was not worthy to untie.


Then one day, in fulfillment of Scripture, Jesus himself came to John to be baptized. John saw him, recognized him, and at once declared the truth about who He is, “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” This is the King he has been raving about all along; the Messiah he delighted in while still in his mother’s womb. What a day it must have been for this faithful man of God! And now we see that the humility of the servant is a reflection of the humility of the Lord He loves. 


For the sinless, spotless Lamb who had no need for repentance, came alongside sinners to be baptized in the same river. He who needed no cleansing, He whose blood alone cleansed us, immersed himself in the water, while Pharisees remained on the shores of self-righteousness. To behold the Lamb of God, is to behold His humility.  


Where are you in the river of life? Are you standing on the banks of self-sufficiency or have you given your heart to Him who was born that first Christmas? Friend, Jesus is everything that the bible says He is. He is the Lord and Savior that John (and others) lived and died for.  Let’s ask ourselves, who are we living for? Because there simply is no one more precious than Jesus. Behold, the Lamb of God! 


WEEK FOUR

BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GLORY


Scripture passage Revelation  5:6, 9-10, 12; 7:9-10; 22:3


As you reflect this week on the Glory of Christ and the hope of eternity click HERE to listen to "Labor of Love" by Andrew Peterson.  


After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could

number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” Rev 7:9-10


IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION, THE APOSTLE JOHN

GIVES US A GLIMPSE OF THE GRAND FINALE!


The conclusion of our lifelong Advent. The final chapter when God’s

glory is revealed and witnessed by all. The fifth chapter highlights a

critical moment that initially brought the apostle to tears because

no one was found worthy to open the scroll. But one of the elders

around the throne told him not to weep because there was in fact

One who is worthy. And that is Christ, the Lamb who was slain.


THE LAMB WHO WAS SLAIN, IS WORTHY OF ALL GLORY.


No one else deserves it for no one else could do what He has done

when He shed His own blood to save us and restore us in

relationship with the Father. The ultimate worship service will take place before the throne and before the Lamb. On that day, He will outshine everything we have ever given praise to. All creation will find Him more beautiful than anything that any man, woman, or child, has ever laid eyes on. He will be overwhelmingly glorious.


And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language

and people and nation, Rev 5:9


Friend, this is not a fairytale. This is truth from the Word of God himself. One day, every knee shall bend and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. And no matter what the world is like today, regardless of how painful our past has been, God’s endgame is certain and sure. The Lamb who was born on Christmas Day claimed victory on Calvary, and all who belong to Him from every tongue, tribe, and nation, will be with Him in glory forever.


Meanwhile, as we live in the already but not yet, longing for the

Lamb of Glory fuels our hearts to burn in love of Him and others and to shine brightly in the darkness of this fallen world. The thought of the glory that awaits those who serve Him strengthens us when we are weary. For we know that our labors are not in vain. This truth sustains our every step and stride, so that our eyes remain focused on the finish line as we run the race. For why should we be distracted by lesser things, when His Word promises that no eye has seen and no ear has heard what God has ready for those who trust Him? 


Out of His goodness, even in this broken world and despite our imperfections, He grants us a foretaste of heavenly glory when we come before Him in worship, when a person turns to Christ, when a destructive habit is broken, when a relationship is restored, when the hungry are fed and bodies are healed. Praise Him for each and every time He reminds us that for those who believe in Him, the very best, the indescribable best, is yet to come. 


Let us therefore exalt Him and live in constant awe of who He is and what He has done. As I rest my head on my pillow and lay on my bed each night, my heart finds joy in knowing I am another day closer to beholding the glory of the Lamb.


ARE YOU IN AWE OF HIM? DO YOU SEE THE FINISH LINE?

 

WEEK THREE

BEHOLD THE LAMB OF RANSOM


Scripture Passage 1 Peter 1:18-21, 2 Corinthians 5:18-21


“...knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 


As you reflect this week on Christ who gave His life as our ransom, click HERE listen to “Deliver Us” by Andrew Peterson.


RANSOM. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?


I’m sure you’ve read books and watched movies that revolved

around this familiar plot. Innocent victim gets kidnapped. Bad guy

demands a ransom. Hero cop/dad/husband works his way against

all odds to rescue the victim. He succeeds, victim goes free, bad guy

gets caught, the end. But wait! Sometimes, a subplot unfolds in the

midst of the drama, revealing that the supposedly innocent victim is

not innocent after all. She’s in cahoots with the bad guy! That’s when

I begin to think, “No! She should not be rescued. She’s not worth it.

She’s terrible!” I’m so glad God does not think the way I do. Out of His great love and mercy, He paid our ransom while we were yet sinners. 


The word ransom refers to a sum of money or another form of payment that is demanded for the release of a prisoner or slave. In his letter, Peter reminds us that it was not through silver or gold but through Christ Himself that we have been set free. The Messiah, the Son of God, was THE Ransom. Therefore, while it is true that salvation is free, it does not mean that it is cheap. It cost Someone His life. It required the precious blood of the Lamb.


When we consider that the Greatest Gift-Giver gave the Greatest Gift to the least worthy, the story of Christmas proves to be way bigger than anything we can celebrate in a day or a season. It is a radical act of love by an extraordinary God who chose to save a broken and weary world. We who once sided with the enemy, no longer need to live in fear and bondage, for the ransom He paid was enough. Our hope is secure, and we get to live with joyful anticipation in our present-day Advent because the Son of God who died once for all is coming again to unite us with Himself forever. We were ransomed to be reconciled to Him.


2 Corinthians 5:19 “...that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.” Can we take credit for any part of this story? Not at all. Our Amazing God initiated and orchestrated everything. He wanted our freedom more than we did. He desired to have fellowship with us when we didn’t have the faintest idea that apart from Him, we can do nothing. He sought us before we knew the sweetness of His presence. Day by day, His grip remains tight and sure when our hands are feeble and reluctant.


HOW THEN SHOULD WE RESPOND TO THE LAMB WHO

RANSOMED US FROM SIN AND DEATH?

IS THERE ANYONE MORE WORTHY OF OUR LOVE AND AWE?

IS THERE ANY VALUE THAT WE CAN ATTRIBUTE TO OURSELVES

THAT IS GREATER THAN THE VALUE HE BESTOWED ON US

WHEN HE DETERMINED THAT WE ARE WORTH DYING FOR?


Let us pray that the Holy Spirit may open the eyes of our hearts to

behold the Lamb who paid our debt, and delight in all that we have

received in Him. May we stand firm in our priceless identity - sinner

saved by grace, forgiven, and reconciled to a Holy God; as we walk

in loving obedience until He takes us into glory.


WEEK TWO

BEHOLD THE SUFFERING LAMB


Scripture Passage Isaiah 53:6-7


All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—everyone—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that

before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.


As you reflect this week on Christ who willingly became the suffering Lamb click HERE to listen to “So Long, Moses” by Andrew Peterson.


SERIOUSLY? MUST WE TALK ABOUT THE SUFFERING

SERVANT NOW? 


It doesn’t sound like the right passage to reflect

on while decorating Christmas trees or baking Christmas cookies.

If this is how you feel, you are not alone. But let’s step back for a

moment and look at the bigger picture. Way before that glorious

night when the sky shone bright and a multitude of angels sang

of Jesus’ birth, God has been powerfully at work, carving out the

lineage of the Messiah and exercising His sovereignty generation

after generation, through a complex history that highlights a loving

God who was repeatedly rejected by those He loved. Such reality

was expressed by the prophet Isaiah who boldly spoke about sin in that they (and we) have all gone astray, everyone to his own way.

Yet Isaiah also prophesied with hope. Hope will be found in the One

whom he called The Servant, who will fulfill God’s purpose.


HOW WILL THE SERVANT ACCOMPLISH THIS? BY GIVING

HIS OWN LIFE FOR OUR SAKE.


If it is our hearts’ desire to fully behold the Lamb of God this season

of Advent, we need to take a closer look at the Lamb that was led

to the slaughter, and be in awe of how great a sacrifice He bore on


our behalf. A lamb that is taken to the slaughter does not return to

the pasture to graze. It is led to its death. There is no greater sacrifice than the giving of one’s life, and that’s exactly what Christ, The Suffering Servant, did. Furthermore, let us ponder and be amazed at the humility of Christ as He obeyed the will of the Father, like a sheep that remains silent before its shearers. This is a portrait of absolute surrender, one that I yearn and pray for in my own life. As we rejoice in the freedom that was bought for us by the Lamb who bore our iniquity, may we who have been pardoned, also fervently ask the Holy Spirit to transform us into the image of the Savior we celebrate; a Son whose only joy was to do His Father’s will.


HOW WONDERFUL THAT JESUS DID NOT ONLY TELL US,

BUT HE ACTUALLY SHOWED US WHERE TRUE JOY AND

MEANING CAN BE FOUND. Joy that does not fade when the

holidays are over. Joy that lasts forever. It certainly isn’t in a safe and

cozy bubble that leaves no room for God’s greater glory in self-denial and sacrifice. Neither do we find meaningful existence by seeking a life devoid of any risk and suffering. The big message of hope in the Suffering Servant who was obedient unto death, is that we can place our total security and find our complete satisfaction in God Almighty, regardless of the circumstances. The Author of life who provided a way for His creation to be saved and restored will not cease to love us. He is always faithful and good. In Him, we have joy that will ring through our worship, sustain our walk and empower our witness.


ARE YOU LONGING FOR JOY?

ARE YOU SEARCHING FOR MEANING?

ARE YOU IN A SEASON OF SUFFERING?

Take heart for our Savior has been called a man of sorrows and

acquainted with grief. Turn your eyes upon Him. Behold the Suffering Lamb. Rest in Him for He is Christ, our Lord.


WEEK ONE

BEHOLD THE PASSOVER LAMB

Scripture Passage Exodus 12:21-27


As you reflect this week on God’s provision and on Christ who is our perfect Passover lamb click HERE to listen to "Passover Us" by Andrew Peterson.


“For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on the lintel and the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your

houses to strike you.” 


Around the world, there are people who dwell on hurricane-prone

islands and live with a heightened sense of preparedness for disaster,

especially during specific times of the year. A forecast of a potentially

high-risk weather system triggers standard protocols of stocking up

on food and emergency supplies, as well as physically reinforcing

homes. Sometimes an evacuation would be necessary. Many times,

the locals would simply wait for the storm to pass. But every so often,

wind patterns would change directions and the towns that have

braced themselves for the worst are pleasantly surprised that they

have been spared from disaster. No storm, no flooding, no driving

accidents, and most of all no loss of lives. 


Oh to be spared from destruction and death! Imagine what it was like

in Egypt that night. They thought they had seen it all - frogs, locusts,

the bloody Nile. That night, however, was to be the worst of all, as

death was bound to claim all their firstborn. But God in His goodness

did not hold back from His people the way to be saved, and that

is through the blood of the Lamb. The lamb was their solution; the

only means for death to pass over them. The assurance they were

given was clear and simple in that when the Lord sees the blood of

the Lamb, no harm will befall them. It didn’t matter who owned the

home or if they were personal friends with Moses. It didn’t matter

what they did the day before or the year before. It didn’t matter how many people belonged to a household; they could be three or

twenty-three. Their salvation depended entirely on God’s ordained

way, and that was through the blood of the Lamb. 


That night, Almighty God fulfilled His promise by saving His people

from death and releasing them from the cruel grip of Pharaoh.

What an incredible story! So important that God commanded His

people to celebrate it as a feast and to proclaim it from generation

to generation. That salvation was brought about by the blood of the

Passover Lamb must be inscribed in the minds of His people through

the course of time and history. For God knew then as He had known

from the beginning, that on another silent night, the purest, spotless,

Lamb would be born, to save us from death and release us from the

cruel grip of sin. Christ is the Perfect Passover Lamb whose blood was

poured out for us in Calvary, that we may have life eternal, free from

the slavery of self and sin; free to follow Him wholeheartedly, free to

delight in all that He is. 


May we begin this Advent Season by remembering and proclaiming

the most wonderful story of our salvation through Christ. Let us pray

that our hearts may soften once more in recalling His mercy toward

us who were once lost and now are found. Let us ask the Holy Spirit

to rekindle the joy and peace of knowing we have been forgiven

and washed by His blood. There is no need to live in fear as slaves to

sin and self. In the furnace of His truth and grace, every chain that

binds us to anything other than Christ will be consumed. In Him is our

salvation. In Him is our freedom. He is the Christ, our Passover Lamb.


HAVE YOU MET THE PASSOVER LAMB?

HAVE YOU TOLD HIS STORY TO THE NEXT GENERATION?