Mary and Martha: Putting People in Boxes

Are you a Mary or a Martha? Or are you a bit of both?
 From as far back as I can remember, Mary and Martha from the Bible have been used as an example of what it looks like to follow Jesus well. Mary is the sister who gets it right - sitting at the feet of Jesus learning from Him, while Martha gets it wrong by being preoccupied with things that didn't really matter. Jesus even tells Martha as much when she complains to Him about her sister not helping her in the kitchen. She is trying to get Jesus to scold Mary, but instead she gets the gentle reprimand of  her own from the Messiah.

From this event in Scripture, books have been written, sermons have been preached, and comparisons have been drawn. There is even a book titled Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World. These are all good and helpful, but I think we may have missed out on some of the great lessons we can learn from these two women. For one thing, I think we have left Martha in a box.

After looking at Martha grumbling about preparing dinner for Jesus instead of pursuing relationship with Him, we say, "I don't want to be a Martha all wrapped up in the cares of this world. I want to be a Mary who sits adoringly at Jesus feet." Yes, but we are missing something. Martha didn't want to be a Martha either. If we look at what happened after this event, we see Martha did choose the better thing.

We learn of the change in Martha when she next appears in scripture. Her brother Lazarus has been sick. She and Mary had sent for Jesus, but He did not arrive on time (according to them), and Lazarus had died. By the time Jesus is coming to see them, Lazarus has been in the tomb for four days. Martha has a houseful of people trying to comfort and mourn with Mary and Martha. These are not the hired mourners that would be with the family for the first day or so after the death, as was custom of the time. By the fourth day, these mourners were friends and family coming alongside to grieve with the two sisters. So, Martha has a houseful of company, but what does she do when she hears Jesus is on His way? She does not start madly preparing for His arrival. She does not continue hosting her guests, as would be the proper thing to do. Instead she does the following.

Martha therefore when she heard Jesus was coming, went to meet Him, but Mary stayed at the house. John 11:20

Martha had changed. She knew what mattered. She knew WHO mattered. She sought Jesus in her time of anguish and need. She went to meet Him on the path and laid her questions and hurts at His feet. If you read the full account of this event in John 11,  you see Martha seeking to understand and communicate her hurts and cares to Jesus. You hear her profession of utter faith, not matter the outcome of the circumstance with her brother's death. She proclaims exactly Who Jesus is. Her statement is one of the powerful declarations of Jesus deity in the New Testament.

She said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world.” John 11:27
 
Lazarus dying did not make her question Who Jesus was. It did make her ask WHY Jesus had not come sooner. She did want to know why Jesus had not answered their request. Boy, can I relate to this! Just like so many times in my own life, Jesus shows Mary and Martha He had heard their request and did have a plan. It just wasn't their plan or their timing He was following. 

Does this mean practical Martha's personality was changed to be more like that of her sister? No, Martha was still practical Martha. When Jesus tells them to roll the stone away from Lazarus' tomb, it is Martha who informs Jesus that Lazarus will  be stinking by now. Also, her gift of hospitality is still there, but now with a right heart and motive. It is with the heart of a servant. In John 12 a bit of time after Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead, we are told Jesus is again dining at Martha's house. Lazarus is sitting at the table with Jesus, and Mary is about to anoint Jesus with some costly perfume and nard. But don't miss what it says Martha was doing. Martha was serving. The word in the Greek is diakoneo. This means to be a servant to one - to minister to one. The problem earlier in the story was not that Martha was doing work. It was what was in her heart when she was doing the work. It was not with the heart of a servant. It was with a grumbling, resentful heart. But now this had changed. Martha had been changed. She was no longer grumbling in the serving. She was serving with a right heart. This was now a ministry, not a burden. I love this picture. Praise God for doing a work in each of us and transforming us as we draw closer to Him.

Thinking of Martha and how she has possibly been misunderstood and left in a specific box for so long by so many of us makes me wonder to whom in my own life I have done the same thing. Who have I left in a box based on their past history or past events? Have I not allowed for people to change in my mind? Do I have an idea of a person that is a one dimensional understanding of them? Have I played God in acting like I have omniscience to see the hearts and minds of those in my life? These are sobering thoughts and ones I take before the Lord to ask Him to reveal where I am playing the Holy Spirit in someone's life. I want to rejoice in the freedom and change people have in Jesus. I have personally experienced the changes He has brought about in my own life, and I don't want to be left in a box of what I used to be or what I did in the past. We are new creations in Christ Jesus. This is a precious, wonderful truth to be rejoiced in. Praise God for His transformative work in each of us.

Easter Advent Day 4: A Psalm From the Cross Part 2: I am a Worm....

But I am a worm and not a man,  - Psa 22:6a 

It is time to come back to Psalm 22, the Psalm From the Cross, to look at a Psalm 22:6a. 

This first part of verse six is packed full of beauty and truth! How, you may ask? Are you ready for a truly awesome ride?!
When I was a kid I used to wonder why David would refer to himself as a worm. Then, when I saw it was also prophetic about Jesus, I wondered why on earth Jesus would call Himself a worm. Then, one day I found out, and it changed everything about this verse for me. 

The word for worm in the Bible is usually rimmah, but not in this verse. The word for worm here is the Hebrew word towla. When used, this word is usually translated worm, but can also be translated scarlet or crimson. There is a reason for this, and we will come to it, but first....

A towla is a type of worm that was in ancient Israel and is still around today. The towla worm looks more like a grub than a typical worm, and it behaves in a very unique way from other worms. For one thing, the female towla will have offspring only once in her lifetime, and this is for a very specific reason. 



When it is time for the towla to have her little family, she crawls up on the side of a tree or a wooden post and attaches herself. She is so firmly attached to the wood that the only way to remove her is to tear her off, killing her and tearing her apart in the process. Once attached she creates a hard scarlet shell around her body. After she has done this, she lays her little eggs underneath her protective shell. Once the little worm eggs hatch, they remain under the covering of her shell, but they have nothing to eat...except their mother who is still living. When the mother worm finally dies, she releases a scarlet dye that covers her little worms with a scarlet stain that will cover them for the rest of their lives. This will never come off. About three days later the babies are ready to leave the shell. The mother has to die in order for her little offspring to be born.

On the fourth day, the mother worm's tail pulls up to her head and takes on the shape of a heart. She is no longer red, but has now turned completely white. The little white heart then takes on the appearance of white wool which begins to fall off the tree in flakes that look like snowflakes. Once the towla is gone from the wood the towla died on, there remains a crimson stain.

In ancient times, they did not let the worm fall off. They would harvest the worms.While the shell remained on the wood and was still red, people would scrape this off and use it for dye. According to Scripture, this is the dye that was used in the High Priest's robes and for the coverings on the tabernacle in the wilderness. 

 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast [our] confession. - Heb 4:14 
And the Word became flesh, and did tabernacle among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. - Jhn 1:14 

I can't help but picture the Roman soldiers wrapping Jesus in a scarlet robe (And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. - Mat 27:28) to mock Him, all the while, among other things, they gave us a picture of Jesus as our towla, wrapped in scarlet as He prepared to go to the cross to willingly place Himself there for us. Yes, there is far more to the scarlet robe than this, but this is one of the precious pictures I can see given to fulfill what God had spoken long before, and I am so in awe of our God who has done this for us.  
  
How power packed and awesome one little word....one little worm turns out to be! I have never been a big fan of creepy crawly creatures, but I have to say, I feel an affection for the towla. What an incredible picture God painted for us with a worm! Don't forget WHO created the towla. I can't help but wonder if God didn't design the little worm for the specific purpose of being a picture for us. That would not surprise me at all. 

What awesome, beautiful truths are packed into this one little verse in Psalm 22 about the Cross and what Jesus' death did for us. In His death, we have life. He had to die in order that we may be given life. In His death, we are covered by the crimson blood He shed for us. He is pure, perfect, white as wool...white as snow. He is our tola! He willingly laid down His life for us.  Praise God!!! 

"As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me. - Jhn 6:57

While they were eating, Jesus took [some] bread, and after a blessing, He broke [it] and gave [it] to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is My body." - Mat 26:26

Easter Advent Day 5: Who is in Charge Here?

Who Is In Charge Here?


When the chief priests and scribes decided to get rid of their “little problem" named Jesus, they had no intention of it happening on or around Passover. Their plan was to wait until after all of the Passover festivities were over, but who was really in charge? The night Jesus was having his final meal with the disciples; Judas had no intention of betraying Jesus that night. He had his instructions…betray Jesus after the Passover, but who was really in charge? When the chief priests’ officers came with Judas to arrest Jesus, they were not planning on just letting the disciples go…but who was really in charge? When Jesus was stripped, beaten, scourged, mocked, spat upon, had his clothing divided for lots, and was hung on the cross...who was really in charge? When Jesus was hanging on the cross, the Roman soldiers had every intention of breaking Jesus’ legs, but who was really in charge? When Satan planned to kill Jesus, he had every intention of that being the end of his “problem”, but who was really in charge?
Every event during the most important week in history happened because the Father in heaven, the Holy Spirit, and the Son on earth allowed or commanded it. There is nothing that happened leading up to the cross, or on the cross, that was not a complete fulfillment of prophecy. Every single detail of what happened as Jesus hung on the cross only happened because He allowed it. There was not one moment in time where God was out of control or surprised by what was occuring.

Judas did not plan on betraying Jesus that night, but when your “victim” points out that He is not only aware of the plan, but tells you to get on with it…you don’t have much choice…especially when that "someone" is God. But there is something else we can miss if we are not paying attention here…It wasn’t just Judas whose timetable had been altered….it was Satan’s…and regardless of his rebellion against the Almighty God, he still had to obey when Jesus said “get moving.”

Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.” And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. Now AFTER the piece of bread Satan entered him. THEN Jesus said to him, “What you do, do it quickly.” John 13:26-27

Having received the piece of bread, he then went out immediately. And it was night. John 13:30

The word for night in this last verse is nyx. This can be translated; night, the time of death, or the time for deeds of sin and shame.

In the garden…

While He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came up accompanied by a large crowd with swords and clubs, who came from the chief priests and elders of the people. Now he who was betraying Him gave them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the one, seize Him.” Matthew 26:47-48

……..and he approached Jesus to kiss Him, but notice something….before he had the chance to carry out his plan to betray Jesus with a kiss….

But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” Luke 22:47-48

……….Judas immediately went to Him, saying, “Rabbi!” and kissed Him. Mark 14:45

“Friend, do what you have come for.”…….Matthew 26:50

Jesus is again speaking to not only to Judas, but to Satan…and He is giving His permission for things to proceed…

So Jesus knowing all the things that were coming upon Him went forth and said to them, “Whom do you seek?”

They answered Him, “Jesus the Nazarene.”

He said to them, “I am He.” And Judas also, who was betraying Him, was standing with them.

So when He said, “I am HE,” they drew back and fell to the ground. (AWESOME!!!!!)

Therefore He again asked them, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus the Nazarene.”

Jesus answered, “I told you that I am He; so if you seek Me, let these go their way,” to fulfill the word which He spoke, “Of those whom You have given Me I lost not one.” John 18:4

THEN they came and laid hands on Jesus and seized Him. Matthew 26:50

 
Just Who was in control here? Who was calling the shots? Even when it came to the fate of the disciples on that night, it was Jesus commanding His captors to let the disciples go their way. I love this!!

When Peter drew his sword and cut off ear of the high priest’s slave, what does Jesus say?

“How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say it must happen this way?” Matthew 26:54

When Jesus went before Pilate, Pilate mistakenly thought the power over Jesus' life was in his, Pilate's, hands to release Jesus or crucify Him. But Jesus corrected him on this error …
 
So Pilate said to Him, “You do not speak to me? Do you not know that I have the authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify you?”
Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered me to you has the greater sin.” John 19:10-11

Every single thing that happened HAD TO HAPPEN to fulfill the hundreds of prophecies that were given about Jesus in the Old Testament.

In the Old Testament it was said not one of His bones would be broken. However, the Jews wanted Jesus off the cross and dealt with before sundown because of the Passover. To speed things along, the Roman soldiers would break the legs of those crucified. This would cause a faster, even more painful death, because the person on the cross would no longer be able to hold themselves up, and they would suffocate more quickly. But before the Roman soldiers got to Jesus to break His legs, He had already given up the Spirit and died…..

It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour, because the sun was obscured; and the veil of the temple was torn in two….. Luke 23:44
Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!”....
John 19:30

And Jesus crying with a loud voice said, “Father, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT.” Having said this, He breathed His last. Luke 23:44(cont.)

…..and He bowed His head and gave up His Spirit.Then the Jews because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath, for that Sabbath was a high day, asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. So the soldiers came, and broke the legs of the first man and of the other who was crucified with Him, but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of them pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.
John 19:30-34(cont.)

For these things came to pass to fulfill the Scripture, “NOT ONE BONE OF HIM SHALL BE BROKEN.” And again another Scripture says, “THEY SHALL LOOK ON HIM WHOM THEY HAVE PIERCED.’ John 19:36

Jesus, at every step of the way, made the choice to ALLOW each thing to happen. This was to fulfill the prophecies that foretold all that He had come to accomplish. It was confirmation of WHO He was and is. It was to accomplish exactly what He came to do. It was to do exactly what He declared right before He drew His last breath…

 ”It is finished!” John 19:30

Jesus was, in that one sentence, declaring our sins and our penalty of death for our sins “PAID IN FULL!” That is exactly what  tetelestai means. In the first century when someone had paid their debt in full, tetelestai was written across the bill. When a criminal paid his debt to society, the Roman government would write, “tetelestai” across the decree of punishment. When Jesus was drawing His last breath, He was declaring our debt PAID IN FULL. This little word packed with so much power, because of Who said it and what it means for me, makes me want to shout and praise His AWESOME, WONDERFUL, HOLY NAME!!!

Oh, Jesus, I love you so much. Thank you for your sacrifice for me. Jesus, thank you for loving me. Thank you for Your blood that removed my sin. I cannot begin to imagine the suffering you endured, not only physical, but the ultimate suffering….Your separation from God for the first time in eternity. We can’t even begin to fathom what You suffered in death for us. You were cut off for us. You defeated death so that we will never have to taste eternal death and damnation. You did this of your own accord. You did this BECAUSE you first loved us…while we were yet sinners, You died for us! Father, thank you for loving us and giving Your Son, Jesus, in our place.

For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on my own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from my Father.”John 10:17-18  
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

Easter Advent Day 3: A Psalm From the Cross Part 1

Then I said, "Behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it is written of me. Psalm 40:7

And He said to them, "O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?" Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures. Luke 24:25-27

 Psalm 22 is one of those chapters in the Bible that makes you wonder how it was possible for anyone after the Resurrection to miss the fact that Jesus was the One spoken of in this passage, as well as other Old Testament passages with prophecy. Psalm 22  makes you feel like someone was standing at the foot of the cross as an eyewitness, reporting on the things they were seeing and hearing happen, instead of it being a Psalm written by Jesus' ancestor King David over a thousand years before the crucifixion. There are many of David's Psalms that have prophecy in them, but this one could be called the Psalm from the Cross. David was prophesying about his descendant, his Lord, as He hung on the Cross. The whole Psalm can be seen from the perspective of the Cross, but today we will focus on some of the key prophecies in the passage and their fulfillment or what they meant. It would be wonderful for each of us to read the whole Psalm with a heart of prayer, praise, reverence, and thanksgiving.

The Psalm:
My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning. - Psa 22:1

The Fulfillment on the Cross:
About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?" that is, "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?" - Mat 27:46 

I cannot fathom what this must have been like for Jesus. I can't even begin to imagine what was going on, or the depths of His sorrow and grief,  as He hung on the cross forsaken for us. The significance of how Jesus addresses God as He hung there must not to be missed. Jesus always addressed God as "Father" when He was speaking to Him or about Him. Even as a twelve year old boy in the Temple, He asked His mother, "Did you not know I would be about My Father's business?" (Luke 2:49). But not this time. This time He does not call God "Father." He calls Him "God". For our sake - an eternal relationship was broken for the first time in eternity when Jesus became sin on our behalf. He had taken this upon Himself. In order to reconcile us to God, to bring us to a place where we could call God "Father," Jesus had to come to a place where He could not call Him Father, but had to call Him "God". I will never be able to  comprehend what this was like for the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit during this time of broken communion with one another. It will not be until we see Him face to face that facets of the atonement and the cross will become more clear to us, but this is one of the things I don't think we will EVER be able to emotionally, spiritually, or physically comprehend the depths of. Just what I can comprehend, makes me want to weep with thankfulness.
  
The Psalm:
But I am a worm and not a man. Psalm 22:6a 
There is so much packed in this little portion of Scripture, it will be explored in a post of its own.   

The Psalm: 
A reproach of men and despised by the people. All who see me sneer at me; They separate with the lip, wag their head, saying, "Commit yourself to the Lord; let Him deliver him. Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him." Psalm 22:6b-8 

The Fulfillment on The Cross:
And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, "You who destroy the temple and build [it] in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross." - Mat 27:40 

"He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, 'I am the Son of God.' " - Mat 27:42-43 

The Psalm:
Many bulls have surrounded me; Strong [bulls] of Bashan have encircled me. They open wide their mouth at me, As a ravening and a roaring lion. - Psa 22:12-13 

This also needs a post of its own, but to summarize, these verses point back to elements from the Old Testament that let us know there were spiritual forces of darkness present at the crucifixion unlike anything we can imagine. Imagine what it would have been like on that day when the enemy thought he had accomplished killing Jesus and had won. The enemy thought it was only a matter of time before he could consume and devour.  

The Psalm:
I am poured out like water, And all my bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It is melted within me. - Psa 22:14 NASB

The Fulfillment at the Arrest and Crucifixion:
Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck [Him] with the palms of their hands, - Mat 26:67 

Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking Him and beating Him, - Luke 22:63 

Pilate then took Jesus and scourged Him. - Jhn 19:1
 
But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. - Jhn 19:34



The Psalm:
My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And my tongue cleaves to my jaws; And You lay me in the dust of death. - Psa 22:15 NASB

The Fulfillment on The Cross:
After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, "I thirst!" Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put [it] on hyssop, and put [it] to His mouth. So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. - Jhn 19:28-30 

The Psalm:
I can count all my bones. They look, they stare at me; - Psa 22:17

The Fulfillment During His Trials:
Then he released Barabbas for them; but after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified. - Mat 27:26 

The Psalm:
They divide my garments among them, And for my clothing they cast lots. - Psa 22:18 

The Fulfillment at the Cross:
Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet: "They divided My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots." - Mat 27:35


Psalm 22 is not the only Messianic prophecy in Scripture. There are hundreds of prophecies in Scripture that foretell the birth, life, death, resurrection, and return of Jesus. The Old Testament is full of these prophecies that tell us about the coming Redeemer. It is so awesome, and I am in awe of our God who laid out in advance what would happen down to the smallest of details, and then told people about it in advance. What confidence and trust we can have in Him, and in our Redeemer, our Lord Jesus. We have such awesome security in knowing there is NOTHING blind about our faith. It is built on a solid foundation of truth and actual events, real people, and most importantly THE LIVING GOD. Our Holy God laid out the end from the beginning, and we can see His plan and promises laid out and then being fulfilled in His Word. Prophecy is like God's built in validation system. We can have such confidence that He is Who He says He is, and we can trust He will accomplish what He says He will. His track record is perfect so far!

 I pray that as we continue to look to Resurrection Sunday and our planned celebrations with family, we will keep our focus fully on the One who is worthy of our praise and worship. and what He has done for us and who He is in our day to day, not just our times of remembrance and celebration.

Easter Advent Day 2: Behold the Lamb!

Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. John 1:29b

If you have ever had moments or times of doubt and questioned if God had a plan....if you have ever felt like maybe He has been playing catch up to get a step ahead of the enemy since sin entered the world, or He had to have plans B, C, and D in place just in case....rest assured. Rest very, very assured. This could not be further from the truth. God laid out His perfect plan for our redemption, our reconciliation of relationship with Him before the first Word of Creation was ever spoken. There is nothing that has ever caught God off guard, not even the events of the Crucifixion. One of the beautiful, reassuring, awesome ways we can see this truth is when we follow the threads that God has woven together to create the most amazing, beautiful tapestry of His love, truth, and salvation.

In the Bible, especially in the Old Testament, God uses pictures and types to reveal truths about Himself, His plan, and His promises. He masterfully and intricately weaves the pictures and types throughout the pages of Scripture and in the doing foretells what is to come....WHO is to come. The plan for Jesus to come as the Lamb of God and offer Himself in our place...was foretold in this way. We can see this unfold from Genesis to Revelation. Just like in the way He gradually unfolded His plan for the genealogy of the coming Messiah, God also gradually unfolded the revelation of the Lamb. 

Genesis
The first hint God gave of the Lamb is in the first pages of Scripture in the story of Cain and Abel. A firstling of the flock was to be the acceptable offering - not the work of man's hands. Genesis 4:4-5

The first use of the word Lamb in scripture is in Genesis 22 when Isaac asks his father Abraham where the lamb for the offering is. Abraham's reply holds the first great reveal about the nature of the Lamb.

God will provide a substitute of a Lamb for the sacrifice - specifically, God will provide Himself a Lamb. 

And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. Genesis 22:8

God also reveals the place where the sacrifice will someday be given.
Abraham called the place The Lord will provide as it is said to this day, "In the Mount of the Lord it will be provided. Genesis 22:14 

 
Exodus

God reveals the Passover Lamb would provide protection from death. (Exodus 12) The lamb had to be a one year old (the prime of its life), a male, and without any blemish. The date the Lamb was to be slain was the 14th of Nisan and none of its bones were to be broken.

Leviticus -

The Lamb would provide atonement. Each person was responsible for bringing the Lamb to the doorway of the tent of meeting to be slain. Each person who brought the Lamb had to lay his hand (actually to lean on in Hebrew) on the Lamb and acknowledge their need for the Lamb to be the atonement for their own personal sin. It would have to die on their behalf. Each person who did this had to slay the Lamb personally. The priest did not do this for them. The priest took over after the death had been accomplished. (Lev 1)

The time of day the Lamb was to be sacrificed on the 14th of Nisan was given: In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight is the LORD'S Passover. (Leviticus 23:5)

Where the Lamb was to be offered up was outside the doorway of the tent of meeting - outside of the camp.

4. Isaiah -

 The Lamb is a person - Isaiah 53 (the whole chapter, but specifically Isaiah 53:7)

The Lamb is the center of our salvation and redemption spoken of in Isaiah 53- literally the center of the couplets of lines in Isaiah 53 point forward and backward to the Lamb. (We will cover Isaiah 53 more in another post)

He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. Isaiah 53:7

John -  

The Lamb of God is revealed.

Now it was time for God's big announcement! It was time for the messenger John the Baptist to make the proclamation announcing the Lamb of God. John knew he would make the announcement, but he did not know who or when it would be. However, God had given him instructions and John followed them perfectly. 

These things took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.  The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He on behalf of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.' I did not recognize Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water." John testified saying, "I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, 'He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.' I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God." John 1:28-34

His Name is Jesus!!

The Lamb is the Son of God

The Person...the Lamb of God has been announced. The thread from the Old Testament has come to this moment of revelation. The Lamb of God....His name is Jesus! Not only is He the Lamb of God, the public announcement has also been made of His deity. He is the Son of God.
 In case anyone missed the point of John's announcement and to stand as witness to what John had just revealed, God confirms what John has said after John baptizes Jesus in the Jordan.

After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold the heavens were opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, and behold a voice out of the heavens said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Matthew 3:16-17

Three years later when His time had come, when it was time for the next part of the plan to be fulfilled, the Lamb of God, the Son of God, God Incarnate, Our Lamb, Christ Jesus, was crucified on a hill that had been prophesied by Abraham (Genesis 22), outside the gates of the city. He was perfect, without blemish, and was crucified in the prime of His life, around 33 years of age (Exodus, Leviticus). Although He was beaten and whipped beyond recognition before His crucifixion, He did not open His mouth to His accusers (Isaiah 53), nor was a bone broken as He hung on the cross (Exodus). Jesus was crucified on the 14th of Nisan and died around the ninth hour, between the twilights when the national lamb was being slain at the Temple.

I cannot stop crying as I write these words. I am so overwhelmed by how much He loves me. I am so overcome with gratitude and feel so unworthy. It is my sin that He bore on the cross. I have leaned against the Lamb and acknowledged my need for His atoning sacrifice and asked for Him to be my propitiation. It is my sin that His blood washed clean. No one else could ask for me. No one else could lean on the lamb for me. Only I could do that, and I cannot lean on the lamb for anyone else. Only for myself.

But the picture of the Lamb does not stop with the cross....
The tomb is empty!! The Lamb is Risen!!

Revelation:

The Lamb that was slain will rule and reign...

And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood [men] from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. "You have made them [to be] a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth." Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying 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." And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, "To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, [be] blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever." And the four living creatures kept saying, "Amen." And the elders fell down and worshiped. Rev 5:6-14 NASB  

 The Lamb will be their Shepherd

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and [all] tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches [were] in their hands; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." And all the angels were standing around the throne and [around] the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, "Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, [be] to our God forever and ever. Amen." Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, "These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?" I said to him, "My lord, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. "For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them. "They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat; for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes." Rev 7:9-17 

The Lamb is the Bridegroom

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and spoke with me, saying, "Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." 
Rev 21:9 

 The Lamb is the Temple. The Lamb is the lamp of the New Jerusalem.

"I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp [is] the Lamb." 

I am forever in awe of our God! I am eternally thankful! What confidence, what joy we can have knowing that even when we don't know all of the whats and the whys in our lives, we do know the Who and How. Our perfect Lamb hung on a wooden cross for you and me. He laid down His life for us. He took on sin and defeated death so that we could live in Him, through Him, by Him and with Him eternally. During this time of Resurrection week when we celebrate our risen Lord and what He did for us, and in all the days of our lives, let us live with hearts overflowing with gratitude, praise, and adoration for our precious, spotless, perfect Lamb - The Lamb of God.

Easter Advent Day 1: The Lamb and the Donkey

Now the LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, "This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you.  Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, 'On the tenth of this month they are each one to take a lamb for themselves, according to their fathers' households, a lamb for each household. Now if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his neighbor nearest to his house are to take one according to the number of persons [in them;] according to what each man should eat, you are to divide the lamb. Your lamb shall be an unblemished male a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month, then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel is to kill it at twilight.'" Exodus 12:1-6

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout [in triumph,] O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Zec 9:9

These two Old Testament prophecies become intertwined in their fulfillment with an event that marks the beginning of Jesus' final days before going to the cross. Three of the Gospels record how these prophecies are fulfilled.

As they approached Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples, and said to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find a colt tied [there,] on which no one yet has ever sat; untie it and bring it [here.] If anyone says to you, 'Why are you doing this?' you say, 'The Lord has need of it'; and immediately he will send it back here. They went away and found a colt tied at the door, outside in the street; and they untied it. Some of the bystanders were saying to them, "What are you doing, untying the colt?" They spoke to them just as Jesus had told [them,] and they gave them permission.  They brought the colt to Jesus and put their coats on it; and He sat on it. And many spread their coats in the road, and others [spread] leafy branches which they had cut from the fields. Those who went in front and those who followed were shouting: "Hosanna! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; Blessed [is] the coming kingdom of our father David; Hosanna in the highest!" Jesus entered Jerusalem [and came] into the temple; and after looking around at everything, He left for Bethany with the twelve, since it was already late. Mark 11:1-11 NASB

This passage is familiar to so many of us. It is known as the Triumphal Entry. This is where Jesus was entering Jerusalem during His final days on earth on the back of a lowly donkey. As He was making His way towards the city, the people of Israel were making a way before Him with their garments and palm leaves. They were lifting their voices of one accord announcing Him as their King, their Redeemer, the Chosen One. For three and a half years, Jesus had been in their midst preaching and performing miracles, but this was the first time that a corporate, public declaration was made by the people of Israel declaring who Jesus was, and they were welcoming Him into the very center of the house of Israel: Jerusalem. 

Many centuries before this day, God had given the people of Israel instructions for what was to take place during Passover. His directions for them included the selection of the lamb for the Passover. The selection of the lamb had to take place days before the Passover sacrifice would occur. 

 "Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, 'On the tenth of this month they are, each one, to take a lamb for themselves, according to the fathers' households, a lamb for each household. Now if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his neighbor nearest to his house are to take one according to the number of persons [in them;] in proportion to what each one should eat, you are to divide the lamb. Your lamb shall be an unblemished male a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month, then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel is to slaughter it at twilight." Exodus 12:3-6

According to God's command, the Israelites would bring their chosen little lambs into their homes to be the sacrifice they would offer a few days later. This would be the lamb they would kill to bring about their freedom from death and slavery. But little did the Israelites know, they were not only being obedient to what God had told them to do for their annual Passovers, they were in fact acting out a picture God intended as a type of Who was to come. 

On that first Passover in Egypt,  each family that decided to listen to God's command took their chosen lamb into their house, lived with it, and examined it from the 10th of Nisan until the 14th of Nisan when, "the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel is to kill it at twilight. Exodus 12:6." While the lambs were in their homes, the families made sure there was no defect that had been missed by anyone before the little lamb had officially come into their houses. Then on the 14th of Nisan, they would take their little lamb and offer it as a sacrifice. However, in Exodus 12:6 the language changes. 

"You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month, then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel is to slaughter it at twilight."

Now, this lamb that had been taken into the home is being offered by the whole congregation of Israel. Notice the change in language, how there is only one lamb being referred to and it is the whole assembly offering this lamb. In their preparation for Passover every year, the Israelites were unknowingly part of a picture pointing to the true Passover Lamb Who was to be offered for all. On this day as Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, the picture that had been a shadow of things to come was now actually happening. 

Those who went in front and those who followed were shouting: "Hosanna! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; Blessed [is] the coming kingdom of our father David; Hosanna in the highest!" 

The people were singing and shouting Scripture as they escorted their Lamb into Jerusalem, the seat of the House of Israel. They were leading Him in with shouts of "Hosanna!" In Aramaic Hosanna means, "Save, we pray." 

"This is the day which the LORD has made; Let's rejoice and be glad in it. Please, O LORD, do save [us;] Please, O LORD, do send prosperity!  Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD; We have blessed you from the house of the LORD." Psalm 118:24-26

The people of Israel were bringing the Lamb into Jerusalem to spend the next few days being inspected by the representatives of the House of Israel. The picture was no longer a shadow of things to come. Prophecy was being fulfilled. 

Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion! Shout [in triumph,] daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is righteous and endowed with salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Zec 9:9

On the 10th of Nisan nearly two thousand years ago, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey being proclaimed the Savior and King of Israel. After the public declaration by the people, Jesus spent His next few days, the days leading up to His crucifixion, being examined one last time by the people, the chief priests, and the elders of the House of Israel.  

During this time, the chief priests and elders inspected Jesus each day in the Temple, the very heart of the House of Israel, trying to find a flaw... any way they could condemn Jesus. By the end of their examinations, Scripture tells us they did not ask Him any more questions. This was because they were unable to find a single fault or flaw in Him or any of His sayings. They found nothing. He stumped them at every turn. So they waited for their opportunity to lay their trap to do away with their little problem: Jesus (we will save that for another day). You can read about the days between the Triumphal Entry and the crucifixion in the Gospel accounts. As you read, take note of how Jesus is examined by those around Him. The people had chosen their perfect lamb. The leadership, the representatives of the people are examining the perfect Passover Lamb in the House.  

Now, remember that any lamb offered as a Temple sacrifice had to be without spot or blemish. It could have no marks or injuries. Well, the countryside around Jerusalem was pretty rough going when it came to terrain. So, how could you transport little lambs from the countryside to the Temple in Jerusalem and still ensure they were not injured or marred on the journey? Would it surprise you  to find out that for millennia donkeys have been used to transport lambs, among other animals, from place to place? They are still being used to this day in the Middle East for such a purpose. There is also a very special connection between the donkey and lambs. Many shepherds use donkeys to nanny little lambs. I find it awesome that a picture the people of that region and time would have been familiar with is one God would use. The people would see the Lamb of God, being brought into Jerusalem, being carried on the back of a donkey and her colt. I love this picture!!! God is so awesome!!

As Augustine so beautifully put it, "The New Testament is in the Old Testament concealed. The Old Testament is in the New Testament revealed."
Every detail...every word....it all points to Jesus. It all points to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.  

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace. Ephesians 1:7