Advent at Ararat - Day 17 & 18: The Lord provided for Himself a Lamb.
- araratchurch
- Dec 19, 2022
- 3 min read
“Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.”
Luke 2:8-9 NKJV
Looking at the same portion of the biblical story concerning the birth of our Lord as yesterday we now turn today to consider the question: “Why shepherds?” Of all the people in the world—great and small—at that point in time, what was it about the shepherds that made them the appropriate recipients of the greatest announcement that has ever been made?
To digress for a moment, it is said that in the time of Jesus, Bethlehem was the place where the lambs were raised for Temple sacrifice. Indeed, every firstborn male lamb in that area was considered holy and was to be considered for sacrifice. I say that it would be “considered” for sacrifice because the lambs ultimately used had to be without blemish. Now, whether or not it is the case that this was the area where the sacrificial lambs were raised, it does not take away from the fact that the people hearing this wonderful announcement were definitely shepherds.
Many of you are familiar with the story of Abraham: how—being tested by God—he intended to sacrifice Isaac. We know that when Isaac made the observation that they had all the wood and things needed to make the fire for the sacrifice, yet they had not brought a lamb to sacrifice, Abraham gives a very prophetic answer to his son’s question:
“But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went together.”
Genesis 22:7-8 NKJV
Indeed, the Lord did provide a sacrifice for Abraham to offer; but that ram caught in the thicket was only a symbol of what the Lord would do to bring lost humanity back into fellowship with Him.
“And He [the Angel of the Lord] said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.””
Genesis 22:12-14 NKJV
John the Baptist made the pronouncement that indeed Jesus was the Lamb of God:
“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
John 1:29 NKJV
The Lord provided for Himself a sacrifice by taking on flesh and living a sinless life so that He could be offered as the only sacrifice capable of atoning for the sins of the world.
For today meditate on the unfathomable love of our Father in offering His son to be the perfect sacrifice to pay for our sins.
Additionally, consider how our Lord—appearing as a sacrificed Lamb—is the only one worthy to open the seals on the scroll to set in motion the events of the Last Days.
“But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.” And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.”
Revelation 5:5-7 NKJV
Ultimately, He will return—no longer as a Lamb for the slaughter—but as the conquering King of Kings, the Lion of the tribe of Judah!
Peace to you.
תגובות