First, let’s go back to the Old Testament to find the significance of what a lamb means to the life of a follower of God. Look at Genesis 22. We are all familiar with the story of Abraham and Isaac. God tells Abraham to take Isaac to a mountain and offer him as a burnt offering before the Lord as a test of his obedience. In verse 7, Isaac asks his father, “Where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” It was already understood by the people of God that He required the death of a lamb as an acceptable offering for sacrifice..

Next, turn to Exodus 12. The people of Israel are enslaved in Egypt, and God has just brought nine plagues on their captors – yet Pharoah and the Egyptians refuse to let God’s people free. In the final plague, how does God provide a way for his people to avoid having their firstborn killed?
In verse 5, what kind of lamb must be set aside for the sacrifice?

This is called the Passover – when the Angel of Death passed over the houses which had the blood of an unblemished (perfect) lamb sprinkled on the doorposts. The blood of the Passover lamb equated to life to the people of Israel. We will see later how Christ fulfills the role of our Passover Lamb.

The book of Leviticus provides us a context for what God requires as an acceptable sacrifice for sin. Look at Leviticus 4:32. Again, what kind of animal is to be offered before God as an acceptable sin offering? What must be true of this animal?

God has always required the death of a perfect, unblemished lamb without defect to be a sacrifice for one’s sin.

Now, let’s jump ahead to the New Testament where Christ enters our world. Fully God, He became fully man and walked among us – He was in every way human. Yet, there was something about Him that set Him apart from any other man that would ever put on flesh. What does Hebrews 4:15 tell us about how Christ lived?

When Christ died on the cross, what significance did this have based on our study to this point? Can you see from our study of some Old Testament passages how God’s plan has been fulfilled in Christ? Look at 1 Corinthians 5:7 for more evidence of God’s thoroughly cohesive plan for our salvation. What name is Christ referred to in this passage? Based on our study in Exodus, why would this have special meaning?

Look at Hebrews 7:26-27 and Hebrews 9:24-28. We can see that in God’s plan, He offered Christ as our perfect sacrifice – our unblemished and spotless Passover Lamb – to pay the price for us so that death would have no hold on us.

This has great significance for us as worshippers. He IS our Passover Lamb. He IS the sacrifice that took away our sins. He IS our King who reigns forever on His throne. The book of Revelation provides an incredible picture of future worship in heaven. Read Revelation 5:11-14.

Here, encircling and falling before the throne are thousands and thousands of angels and living creatures, and every creating thing in heaven and on earth – calling out with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing… To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.” Someday, we will fall down before the throne – before the perfect Lamb of God - Jesus Christ. And we will worship Him with all that we are. We have that opportunity now as well. Our Passover Lamb is worthy of our most excellent praise – and our life of worship.

All hail the Lamb
Enthroned on high
His praise shall be
Our battle cry
He reigns victorious
Forever glorious
His name is Jesus
He is the Lord

Gen. 22:7; Exodus 12; Exodus 29:37-46; Leviticus 3; Leviticus 4:32; John 1:29; John 1:36; I Corinthians 5:7; Hebrews 4:15; Hebrews 7:26-27; Hebrews 9:24-28; Revelation 5:12-13; Revelation 7:9-17