Behold The Lamb Series

Pastor Allan Kircher

Shell Point Baptist Church

December 2, 2012

Behold The Lamb Promised

As we enter this Christmas season, it is a good time for us to reflect on the reason for this season.

Our society/embraced/season/time/merchandise/parties/foolish observances.

• People spend money they do not have to buy gifts for people they don’t even like

• In the hope that they receive something in return that they do not even need.

Many focus their attention on mythical characters

• Santa Claus, flying reindeer and busy little elves

• While neglecting the primary reason for the season.

I have no quarrel/anyone over how they celebrate Christmas.

• You can do it anyway you please.

• You can tell your children whatever you want to tell them about Christmas.

• But, while I have you in these pews

• it is my responsibility to share/true reason for this season. __________________________________________

Beginning today/and/next few Sunday mornings, I want to preach a series which revolves around the real reason for the Christmas season.

• I would like to take the focus off fat guys in red suits

• off pretty packages under decorated trees

• off fictional characters like Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman and the Grinch;

• and place it squarely where I believe it needs to be.

I want to focus our attention/next few weeks/Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.

I want to preach a brief series which I am entitling Behold The Lamb.

My desire is to magnify Him, edify you and help us all to be drawn closer to God during this special time of the year.

Genesis 3:1-21

The lamb is promised

Genesis certainly is a strange place to preach/Christmas sermon.

• Yet, here in the midst of man’s greatest tragedy

• is the revelation of man’s greatest hope.

• It is here that the tale of sin, judgment and death

• We meet the message/saving Gospel and

• The Person of the Lamb of God for the first time.

What more of a wonderful message to preach for Advent.

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• God has made man in His image.

• He created man/perfect innocence and placed him in a perfect environment.

• Adam has been given dominion over the Lord’s entire creation

• He was presented with/perfect companion/woman called Eve.

• They live an idyllic existence, free from pain, disease, death and sorrow.

• Every need they have is met and they enjoy unbroken, unhindered fellowship with God Himself, Gen. 2:8-9.

The only restriction they have regards one tree which is located in the Garden of Eden.

This tree is called “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”

• Adam is warned to stay away from this tree

• for to eat its fruit will bring death into the world

Well, for an undefined period of time things go well in the Garden, until one day when Eve finds herself confronted by a serpent controlled by Satan.

• This serpent tells her/God/holding out/her and Adam.

• He tells Eve/God doesn’t want them eat of the fruit.

• When they eat/fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they will be like God.

Eve succumbs to the temptation/devil and eats of the fruit. Adam also falls for the lie and eats as well.

• In an instant, everything changes!

• They are no longer innocent and pure

• they have become sinners

• They have become fallen beings.

Immediately, they are aware that everything has changed.

They become ashamed because of their naked condition and seek to cover themselves with fig leaves, v. 7.

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• In the midst of this tragedy

• God comes into the Garden to fellowship with Adam/Eve.

• He calls out to them because they have hidden themselves from them, v. 8.

• God knows what they have done and extracts a confession from Adam, v. 10-12.

• Then the blame game begins.

• Adam blames Eve and God,

• Eve blames the serpent, v. 12-13.

God immediately pronounces judgment/Adam/Eve/serpent, and God casts them out of the Garden of Eden.

Yet, right in the middle of this tragedy is a flicker of hope.

Verse 15 shines out of this darkness like a great beacon, illuminating the amazing grace of God.

• This verse has been called the “Protevangelium.”

• Latin word/means “First Gospel.”

• Here, in seed form/Gospel/salvation through the grace/God.

Here, for the first time

• We see/glimpse/Lamb/God who will later give Himself on Calvary’s cross to redeem a lost and dying world.

• We can see the first stitch in the scarlet thread of redemption that courses its way through/entire Word/God.

This precious verse gives us the very first promise in the Word of God regarding the coming Lamb.

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I would like to take a few minutes to look into this passage as I try to preach on Behold The Lamb Promised.