Foolishness or Faith
Isaiah 55:8-9 I Corinthians 1: 18
I would like for us to look at one of the most fascinating and central themes of the word of God. The Lamb. And I hope as we go through this that we will see how God's ways and thoughts are higher than our own.
Events which take place in our lives that leave lasting impressions on our minds. One such for me was seeing the sunrise over the Grand Canyon. Another was visiting a church in Houston, Texas.
Robert Benjamin grew up in Monterey, Mexico in a conservative Jewish home. His parents had fled Germany during the holocaust. So, living in Mexico a predominantly Catholic country, he found himself going to Catholic mass. For many years he heard many things he didn't understand, things that didn't make total sense, but there was one thing that stuck out in his mind that made absolutely no sense at all. It was a responsive saying: The priest would say Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. And the congregation would respond Have mercy on us. He said for many years he heard this but didn't understand it made no sense, it was foolishness to him.
Then he met a Baptist missionary that would change his life forever. He began to talk with the missionary and came to know the Lord. At this point he began to have a desire to know more about the Word of God. He began to realize that not only was this phrase not foolishness, but that the phrase made full sense, that it was the divine plan of God and that in the divine plan of God, believing in the Lamb is not foolishness it is faith.
Three windows: Window of Creation- Adam and Eve in the Garden the tree of knowledge. Adam and Eve leaving the Garden. At the passage out of the Garden there was the Angel guarding the entrance but in this window there also stood a Lamb.
Window of resurrection- Three crosses the empty tomb and at the opening of the tomb there was the Lamb.
The Window of Revelation- New Jerusalem in gold, rivers of life and there is the Lamb.
From the beginning through the core of the gospels to the end there is a common bond the unfolding story of the lamb.
Today I want to look at three passages that are significant in scripture, depicting the Lamb of God.
Genesis: first reference to Lamb.
John: first reference in New Testament to the Lamb.
Revelation: last reference in the Bible to the Lamb.
Genesis 22: 1-2.
God is conducting a test. God never asks us to do evil. God knew Abraham would not conclude this test.
From perspective of heaven This is a test. From the perspective of Abraham this was reality. To God a fire drill but to Abraham this was a fire
Hard test- being asked to kill his own son. But as we look at verse 2 we see an overlap of John 3:16
God in his omniscience knew what would happen 2000 years later at Calvary and he was conducting a mirror test.
Back to Adam and Eve. Perfect fellowship and communion. No sacrifice.
Disobeyed - sin came - separation- they covered themselves with leaves - not satisfactory- was to them but not to God.
God performs the first sacrifice to clothe Adam and Eve. Innocent blood was shed because of them.
Next generation- Cain and Abel, both very much aware of the role of the sacrifice- sure their parents taught them. Abel brought the firstlings of his flock. To Abel it was faith. But Cain brought the fruit of the cursed ground, a product of his own means of his own ways. And he was not accepted. He thought this was foolishness.
Back to our passage: Abraham was different. Not asked to sacrifice an animal- asked to sacrifice his son. Reason for this test.
The Canaanites ultimate sacrifice was one of their children and Abraham had been in this land for awhile so God chose this as his test of faith.
Look at vs 1. These things. What were these things? 10 previous chapters.
Make a great nation with his seed. All nations of the earth would be blessed.
But to kill the seed would be a paradox - a contradiction. It is impossible. Seemed like foolishness.
What it was was the. ultimate test of faith. You see sometimes our greatest tests give us the greatest opportunities to shine for God.
And Abraham passes the test.
Let's look at vs. 3-6.
Here we see the parallel of Isaac and Christ. Isaac the wood - Christ the Cross
Isaac and Jesus both born of miraculous births. Both could have escaped - but both submitted.
v.s.7. First reference to the Lamb. It is in a question. Where is the Lamb.
V.s. 8 God will provide himself a Lamb.
v.s.9-14. Ready to kill his son and they see the ram in the thicket.
Called the place Jehovah Jireh- meaning the Lord will provide.
Speculation that this place mount Moriah where Isaac was about to be sacrificed was the same place where David built the temple. The same place where Christ hung on the cross.
OLD TESTAMENT A QUESTION WHERE IS THE LAMB?
As we move to the New Testament to john we see the question answered.
John 1: 1 and 1: 14 God himself was walking on earth.
John the Baptist 1 :29
0.1. typified not identified. Personified by the prophets. Now identified by John the Baptist.
John is baptizing Jews in the Jordan River. As he is baptizing he sees Jesus coming towards them. The seed of Abraham.
And he says behold the Lamb of God.
Didn't say behold the king of Kings or Behold the Savior of the World.
Behold the Lamb.
Why? You have to remember who John's audience was. Jews.
Jews understood the Lamb. For 1500 years sacrificed. 2 lambs each day.
7 on the first of the month.
7 on Jewish holidays.
All together over 1 million lambs sacrificed.
But this is different, this is a man. Born in a stable. Laid in a feeding trough.
Not only was he born a lamb but he died a Lamb.
The Passover Lamb.
To understand this better we could look at the Passover and what occurred.
Each spring there was a Passover supper - the sedar supper and at this supper the story from Exodus would be read of the exodus of the Jews out of Egypt and in this story. Every family back in Egypt had to take a Lamb into the household for 4 days and become familiar with the Lamb. They had to declare the Lamb spotless without blemish. And then it was slaughtered and its blood was taken to the front door and the blood was applied to the doorpost. And when the angel of death came it would Passover the home.
I'm sure back in Egypt these instructions seemed foolishness to those who did not believe painting your door with blood.. But to those who believed it was faith.
Jesus was the Passover Lamb. And for 4 days he was taken into the house of Israel.
He was examined in mock trials by Jewish and Roman leaders and after four days Pontius Pilate said "I find no fault in him."
Sinless innocent yet condemned. Isaiah 53:7 says" As a lamb before its shearers he did not open his mouth."
John says more "Who takes away the sins of the World"
Jews were also familiar with atonement. On their most sacred day. The day of Atonement - Yom Kippur- the high priest would take the sacrifice into the holy of holies and the sins would be atoned for but only for the year he had to repeat this each year
But now John the Baptist says, here is the man who takes away the sins forever. There is no more atonement needed Christ will settle the debt forever!
Paul says in Hebrews 1:3 when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
No more sacrifice needed. Not just exclusive to the Jews anymore but open to the entire world.
Typified in Genesis
Identified in the New Testament Glorified in Revelation
The Lamb did not stay in the tomb but the Lamb is alive.
Look at our last passage (Rev 22: 1 KJV) And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner offtuits, and yielded her ftuit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him.
Look at the enormity of the lamb in the plan of God
The Lamb by faith saves one man Isaac.
The Lamb by faith saves one nation Israel at Yom Kippur. The Lamb by faith saves an entire world at Calvary.
We need to do as John the Baptist said and Behold the Lamb. And realize that it is not foolishness. There's nothing foolish about God or his word. And we need to have faith in him.
Is what you believe foolishness or faith.
