AGNUS DEI! SUCH BEAUTIFUL WORDS! NO, NOT BECAUSE THEY ARE WRITTEN IN LATIN BUT BECAUSE OF WHAT IT MEANS: “LAMB OF GOD.” ITS SIGNIFICANCE EXPRESSES OUR BELIEF THAT JESUS IS THE SACRIFICIAL LAMB, THE PASCHAL LAMB, WHO CLEANSES US FROM SIN, SHOWS US HIS MERCY, AND GRANTS US HIS PEACE.
WE CAN BOLDLY PRAY, “JESUS, LAMB OF GOD, WHO TAKES AWAY THE SINS OF THE WORLD, THANK YOU FOR YOUR MERCY ON US. JESUS, LAMB OF GOD, WHO TAKES AWAY THE SINS OF THE WORLD, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PEACE.”
BACK IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, LAMBS WERE SACRIFICED TO ATONE FOR SINS. BUT WHEN JESUS STEPPED IN, HE BECAME THE ULTIMATE LAMB, SACRIFICING HIMSELF FOR THE SIN OF THE WORLD. SO, EVERY TIME YOU SEE THE AGNUS DEI, IT’S A REMINDER OF CHRIST’S INCREDIBLE ACT OF SACRIFICIAL LOVE.
1 PETER 1:18-19, “FOR YOU KNOW THAT GOD PAID A RANSOM TO SAVE YOU FROM THE EMPTY LIFE YOU INHERITED FROM YOUR ANCESTORS. AND IT WAS NOT PAID WITH MERE GOLD OR SILVER, WHICH LOSE THEIR VALUE. IT WAS THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST, THE SINLESS, SPOTLESS LAMB OF GOD.
THE AGNUS DEI ISN’T JUST AN ANCIENT CHURCH EMBLEM—ITS IMAGERY PAINTS A SIGNIFICANT PICTURE TO REMIND US OF JESUS’ SACRIFICE AND HIS TRIUMPH OVER DEATH IN ORDER TO SAVE US.
ST. AUGUSTINE SAID, “CHRIST WAS BOTH THE LION AND THE LAMB: THE LION TO VANQUISH, THE LAMB TO SUFFER.” THAT’S THE POWER OF THE AGNUS DEI: IT’S CHRIST’S HUMILITY AND STRENGTH, SACRIFICE, AND VICTORY, ALL WRAPPED INTO ONE SYMBOL.
NOW WE CAN UNDERSTAND WHY JOHN, WHEN HE SAW JESUS, SAID “BEHOLD!” WE FOCUS OUR ATTENTION UPON JESUS! HEBREWS 12:1-2, “…LET US THROW OFF EVERYTHING THAT HINDERS AND THE SIN THAT SO EASILY ENTANGLES. AND LET US RUN WITH PERSEVERANCE THE RACE MARKED OUT FOR US, FIXING OUR EYES ON JESUS, THE PIONEER AND PERFECTER OF FAITH….”
JOHN THE BAPTIST SUMMARIZED THE GREATEST WORK OF JESUS: THE ONLY ONE WORTHY AND CAPABLE OF DEALING WITH THE SIN PROBLEM AFFLICTING HUMANITY! HE WOULD BE, AND IS NOW, THE PERFECT SACRIFICE TO ATONE FOR SIN.
WHEN JESUS SHED HIS BLOOD, HE SAVED US FROM DEATH. JESUS MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO BREAK OUT OF THE SLAVERY OF SIN AND DEATH. HE GAVE US THE HOPE OF REACHING OUR PROMISED LAND, HEAVEN. HE IS WORTHY TO BE CALLED THE LAMB OF GOD!
REVELATION 5:9, “AND THEY SANG A NEW SONG WITH THESE WORDS: “YOU ARE WORTHY TO TAKE THE SCROLL AND BREAK ITS SEALS AND OPEN IT.FOR YOU WERE SLAUGHTERED, AND YOUR BLOOD HAS RANSOMED PEOPLE FOR GOD FROM EVERY TRIBE AND LANGUAGE AND PEOPLE AND NATION.” JESUS IS THE SUPREME SACRIFICE.
GOD’S LOVE FOR US IS SO GREAT THAT HE WILLINGLY PAID THE PRICE BY GIVING US HIS SON, JESUS, TO PAY THE PRICE FOR OUR SIN. AS OUR CHURCH BOLDLY STATES: “CHRIST OFFERED ONCE AND FOR ALL THE ONE PERFECT SACRIFICE FOR THE SINS OF THE WHOLE WORLD. NO OTHER SATISFACTION FOR SIN IS NECESSARY; NONE OTHER CAN ATONE.” 1 JOHN 2:2, “HE IS THE PROPITIATION FOR OUR SINS, AND NOT FOR OURS ONLY BUT ALSO FOR THE SINS OF THE WHOLE WORLD.”
PROPITIATION IS NOT ONLY A BIG WORD, BUT A GRACE-FILLED WORD MEANING THAT THE SACRIFICE OF JESUS PACIFIED, CALMED, AND APPEASED GOD'S WRATH TOWARDS THE SIN OF THE WORLD. MAY WE EMBRACE THIS WORD BECAUSE IT KEPT US FROM ANNIHILATION!
HEBREWS 10:10-13, “FOR GOD’S WILL WAS FOR US TO BE MADE HOLY BY THE SACRIFICE OF THE BODY OF JESUS CHRIST, ONCE FOR ALL TIME. UNDER THE OLD COVENANT, THE PRIEST STANDS AND MINISTERS BEFORE THE ALTAR DAY AFTER DAY, OFFERING THE SAME SACRIFICES AGAIN AND AGAIN, WHICH CAN NEVER TAKE AWAY SINS. BUT OUR HIGH PRIEST OFFERED HIMSELF TO GOD AS A SINGLE SACRIFICE FOR SINS, GOOD FOR ALL TIME.” WE HAVE MUCH TO BE GRATEFUL FOR!
BECAUSE OF ALL THAT JESUS HAS DONE FOR US, WE ARE BEING CALLED TO JOIN OUR SACRIFICE TO HIS BY OFFERING OURSELVES, OUR BODIES, OUR LIVES, OUR ALL – AS ROMANS 12:1, TELLS US TO “AND SO, DEAR BROTHERS AND SISTERS, I PLEAD WITH YOU TO GIVE YOUR BODIES TO GOD BECAUSE OF ALL HE HAS DONE FOR YOU. LET THEM BE A LIVING AND HOLY SACRIFICE—THE KIND HE WILL FIND ACCEPTABLE. THIS IS TRULY THE WAY TO WORSHIP HIM.”
WHEN WE “DIE TO SELF” AND PICK UP OUR CROSS TO FOLLOW JESUS, WE OFFER OURSELVES TO HOLINESS AND CHRIST-LIKENESS. IT GOES BEYOND JUST AN INTELLECTUAL CONCEPT TO UNDERSTAND TO BECOMING A LIFE-CHANGING AND LIFE-ALTERING PURSUIT.
JESUS TOOK OUR PLACE AND PAID THE PRICE FOR OUR SINS. THE BLOOD THAT JESUS SHED AS THE ATONING SACRIFICE FOR ALL SIN IS JUST FOR THAT; ALL SIN! EVERY SIN OF OUR PAST. EVER SIN WE ARE STRUGGLING WITH TODAY. SINS WE HAVE YET TO COMMIT WHICH INCLUDES SINS OF OUR THOUGHTS AND DESIRES THAT WE HAVEN’T EVEN ACTED UPON YET.
FORGIVENESS AND REDEMPTION CAN BE OUR REALITY! THAT IS WHY WE MUST ACCEPT IS THAT THERE IS NO SIN THAT WE CAN COMMIT THAT WOULD EVER BE CONSIDERED AN EXCEPTION TO ATONING SACRIFICE OF JESUS.
WE CAN BRING ANYTHING, THROUGH CONFESSION, TO JESUS TO PARDON AND DELIVER US. WE CAN RECEIVE FORGIVENESS AND HAVE OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD RESTORED.
1 JOHN 1:9, “BUT IF WE CONFESS OUR SINS TO HIM, HE IS FAITHFUL AND JUST TO FORGIVE US OUR SINS AND TO CLEANSE US FROM ALL WICKEDNESS.” AGNUS DEI! THE LAMB OF GOD WHO FORGIVES SINNERS. SAVES SINNERS. RESTORES SINNERS. LET US WELCOME THE REDEEMING BLOOD OF THE LAMB TO TAKE AWAY OUR SINS!
