Follow the Lamb

Pastor Laurie DeWitt

Adam is just a few hours old.  He stands up and looks around at
the world around him.  There is so much new, so much to see.  He
tries to soak it all in.  He looks up at his Creator.  He smells
the freshness of the herbs and fruits around him.  A gentle
breeze brushes his face.  And then something brushes against his
leg.  It is a woolly white creature sniffing him.  Then it
rubbed it's head against him and lay down at his feet.

"What it that?" Adam asks his Creator?

"That is what ever you want to call it," replies the Creator. 
You must name all of the creatures that you see."

"His wool is so white it reminds me of you, Creator.  I think
I'll call it Lamb."

So the conversation might have gone on that first Friday
afternoon.

Man and lamb got on well.  Two other creatures seemed to take to
being around man, cat and dog.  But lamb was the most trusting. 
I can see Adam lying on the grass, his head leaning back on
lamb, looking at the clouds as they floated in the sky.  I can
imagine Eve taking a piece of fruit from a tree that was too
high for lamb to reach and feeding it to lamb.  I also think
that they probably would have run their hands through the thick
wool over and over, just to get the feel of it.

It was a happy world.

Until.

Until the worst day in the history of the world.

The day that lamb had to die.  

Well. lamb didn't have to die, but if lamb didn't die, the human
race would have stopped right there.  

We know the story only too well.  We live the results every day.

I can imagine in that world, that Creator took lamb aside and
talked to lamb in lamb's simple way, and explained that if
humanity was going to live that there had to be a substitute. 
Creator explained how he would eventually be the Lamb, and asked
lamb if he would stand in for him until Creator's time came. 
Lamb understood in his simple way, and agreed to do what the
Creator asked.

Adam and Eve are arguing over who is at fault.  The hostility is
strong.  Adam is resentful of Eve. Even suggests that Creator
made her faulty somehow. Eve, trying to deflect the criticism,
suggests that Creator made the snake faulty.

Meanwhile, lamb stands by, waiting for the awful moment. Then
Creator begins to explain to Adam and Eve what has happened, and
what must happen if they are to live.  He tells Adam that lamb
has to die.  

"Die? What is that?" Adam asks creator.

"Die means to live no more," explains Creator.  "Die means lambs
blood must be spilt on the ground.  His body torn."  And in this
case, his woolly fur become the clothes of the now-naked Adam
and Eve.  A covering that they could not make that lamb could
supply.

From his own body.

The arguing stops immediately.  The reality begins to set in. 
Their woolly little friend, the one that they had used for a
pillow, the one that followed them around, and constantly
watched them with those big round eyes.  Lamb would be no more.

But then reality sinks deeper.  It was not only lamb, but a
large portion of lamb's family would have to die because of what
they had done. Rivers of blood, centuries of agony.  Millennia
of suffering.  Until it would eventually be brought to a halt by
Creator providing Himself as a sacrifice.  

A sorrow deeper than we can ever know fills the hearts of Adam
and Eve, and Creator.  The first death was about to take place,
and they all had to watch the whole thing.

I don't know if Creator killed the lamb himself, or if he had
Adam do it, as he would have to do the rest of his life.  Either
way, it was done with anguish.  But lamb died.  Creator's lamb. 
Lamb that Adam had named.

Lamb provided protection for immediate death, and from eternal
death.

Let's continue to follow the lamb.

Isaac.  Child of the promise.  Born miraculously to a mother too
old to have children.  A special gift from God.  The miracle
child.  The son through whom uncountable numbers of descendants
were to come.  

Abraham is sleeping one night and God taps him on the shoulder. 
Abraham, get up and get ready for a special sacrifice.  I want
you to take Isaac to Mt. Moriah and there offer him as a
sacrifice.

Can you imagine what it would do to your heart if you were to
hear those words?  Take your son, take your daughter and drive a
knife through their heart and offer them as a sacrifice.  How
awful. 

Abraham gets up from his bed and begins to make the
preparations.  Each step that he takes seems to be taken in
thick mud.  The burden of his heart almost forces him into the
dusty ground.

Each step towards Mt. Moriah seems to be more difficult than the
last.  How can he possibly do what God has asked.  But with each
step something else is happening.  God has sworn by himself that
he would have descendants.  God's word is true, and he had heard
that word.  God will be faithful. God will provide.

Abraham dismisses the servants and asks them to wait at the foot
of the mountain.  Abraham and Isaac continue to climb through
the brush and over the boulders until they reach the top.

"Dad", Isaac asks, "Where is the lamb for the sacrifice?"  

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

Eventually the horrible truth comes out.  Isaac could have
thrown his dad down and escaped.  But he assists his dad in the
duty that has to be done.  He too, has faith that God will
provide.

There is Isaac, dying on a rock.  Fully made a sacrifice by
Abraham.  Abraham lifts his knife to plunge it down.  But his
arm is paralyzed. The strength of an angel of God holds his
hand. 

Genesis 22:11  But the Angel of the LORD called to him from
heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" So he said, "Here I am."

12  And He 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."

13  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.

14  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."

God will provide himself a lamb.

Let's continue following the Lamb.

It has been hard times in Egypt for Creator's people.  They have
been in slavery for hundreds of years.  Moses has come claiming
that he is representing the Deliverer.  The one who will restore
the nation and give them a land.  The one who will end their
slavery.  

There had been terrible things happening in the land of Egypt. 
The most terrible had bypassed the Israelites.  But something
worse was coming.  They had been told to pick out a perfect lamb
and bring it into their houses and take care of it.  As this
little lamb stayed in the house it became tame.  It learned how
to beg for morsels from the table. The children learned to love
lamb. 

But then the bad news came.  On the 14 th day of the month, lamb
had to be killed.  It's neck had to be slit, the blood collected
in a basin, and then painted on the doorposts of the house. 
Then lamb had to be taken whole and roasted and eaten.  

Up until this moment, the avoidance of the plagues had been
dependent only on the mercy of God.  Now they  had to take part.
 An active effort to put themselves under the blood of lamb.  An
active partaking of lamb was necessary if they were to survive
to reach the new land.  

Try to imagine that fateful night.  I have.  I am a firstborn. 
I would have continually checked to see if the blood were on the
doorpost.  I might have even applied it over again, just so
there could be no mistake.  The only salvation for me was under
that blood.  I could have that blood on the doorpost of my
house, or I could die.  No third choice. 

I could have killed a dog and put that blood on the doorpost,
but the destroying angel would have known the difference.  It
had to be the blood of the lamb.  Acts 4:12  "Nor is there
salvation in any, other than the Lamb, for there is no other
name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

But under the blood of the lamb, I am safe.

Let's continue following the lamb.

John the Baptist is preaching his heart out.  He has become
quite the phenomenon.  You have gone to the wilderness to see
him.  And his preaching is powerful.  Sinners are turning from
their evil ways and seeking to live right.  Even the Pharisees
are being convicted and baptized. The afternoon that you come
you are drawn to the power of his preaching.

But suddenly, he pauses, and looks at a figure coming towards
him.  He lifts hands towards the man and shouts.

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

Hmmm.  Lamb of God?  What does that mean?  You don't see
anything significant in this simple man.  The man walks straight
towards John and asks to be baptized.  There is some kind of a
discussion, and then John takes the man into the water and
baptizes  him.  As he comes up out of the river,  you hear a
powerful voice say "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well
pleased."  That voice could have only come from heaven, you
think.  You are not sure what to think, so you store this in
your mind, but you think of it frequently.

It is Passover.  You are in the temple.  It's Friday afternoon
and the sacrifice is about to be killed.   A lamb.  A lamb to
remind you of the deliverance from Egypt.  A lamb to remind you
that sin is awful, but that another bears the penalty for you.  

The trumpets blast a fanfare to announce the taking of lamb's
life.  You briefly think that perhaps this has become routine. 
Perhaps the meaning has faded somewhat.  But you feel it.  You
cringe as the priest prepares to do the deed.  Your thoughts go
to the cross outside of the city where Jesus is hanging.  Your
thoughts wander.  Lamb.  My beloved Son.  Behold the lamb of God
that takes away the sin of the world.  

Then it strikes you.  The lamb that is about to die here is
foretelling the one dying out there.  At that moment, the ground
trembles, and someone shouts. "The veil is torn. The veil is
torn."

  In the commotion lamb escapes, and goes bounding out of the
temple.  Freed by the Lamb of God.  Forever more released from
duty as surrogate for the Lamb of God.

That afternoon, the blood of the Lamb of God is shed.  That
afternoon, the blood was applied to the door to the kingdom, the
cross on Golgotha. 

1 Pet 1:19  "......... the precious blood of Christ, as of a
lamb without blemish and without spot."

Let's keep on following the lamb.

Rev 5:5  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."

6  "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 was being killed, having seven horns and
seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all
the earth."

7  Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him
who sat on the throne.

8  Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures
and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each
having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the
prayers of the saints.

9  And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the
scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have
redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue
and people and nation,

10  And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall
reign on the earth."

11  Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around
the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number
of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of
thousands,

Rev 5:12  "saying with a loud voice: "Worthy is the Lamb who was
slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and
honor and glory and blessing!""

Behold the lamb.  The dying lamb is a lion.  His death conquered
all of the enemies of righteousness.  In one bold stroke, the
blood of the dying lamb stopped the march of death forever.  In
one selfless move, apparent defeat became eternal victory.  The
lamb is a warrior that cannot be conquered.

Rev 6:16  "and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and
hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the
wrath!!! of the Lamb!"

Behold the warrior lamb fighting for his people.

Let's take another step with the Lamb.

Rev 7:9 "After these things I looked, and behold, a great
multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes,
peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the
Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their
hands, 

10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation belongs
to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!""

11  All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and
the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the
throne and worshipped God,

12  saying: "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving
and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever.
Amen."

13  Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, "Who are
these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?"

14  "And I said to him, "Sir, you know." So he said to me,
"These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and
washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 

15 "Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him
day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will
dwell among them. 

16 "They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the
sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; 

17 "for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd
them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will
wipe away every tear from their eyes.""

Rev 14:1 "Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount
Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having
His Father's name written on their foreheads. 

2 And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many
waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the
sound of harpists playing their harps. 		

3 They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the 
four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn 
that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were 
redeemed from the earth. 

4 These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they
are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He
goes. These were redeemed from among men, being first fruits to
God and to the Lamb."

Behold the Lamb of God. See those who follow the Lamb singing
praises before God.  See those who are so filled with love for
the Lamb that they follow him where ever he goes.  Are you
there?  Are you a follower of the Lamb?

Rev 19:9  "Then he said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who
are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!' " And he said to
me, "These are the true sayings of God.""

Have you answered the call to the marriage supper of the Lamb? 
Have you made the dying of the lamb your death?  Have you made
the resurrection from the dead your resurrection from sin?

Rev 21:22 "But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty
and the Lamb are its temple. 

23 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in
it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light."

Are you following Lamb? Has the Lamb become your light?

Rev 22:1  "And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear
as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 

2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river,
was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree
yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for
the healing of the nations. 

3 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."

God provided the Lamb.  The Lamb was killed for our sins.  The
blood of the Lamb is the doorway to our salvation.  The death of
the Lamb defeated our only enemy, the Devil.  The resurrection
of the Lamb was our assurance of new life.  The Ascention of the
Lamb puts us in heavenly places.  The return of the Lamb in his
lion-likeness assures our deliverance from the fury of this
world.  The home of the Lamb provides us with peace.  The water
from the throne of the Lamb quenches the thirst for wholeness
that we live with every day down here.  The fruit from the trees
watered from the throne of God provide the nourishment for our
growth.  The leaves from that tree begin to remove the scars of
sin on our minds and bodies.

Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin, the pain, the
weakness, the sorrow, the death, the discouragement, the anguish
of the world.

Are you beholding the Lamb?

Are you following the Lamb?

Today do you want to re-affirm that your wish to continue
following the lamb, where ever He goes?