The Lamb of the New Covenant     Part II

The Lamb…that Was…that Is…and Forever will be

That Was…

John 1:1-5 NIV   The Apostle John wrote   “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.  Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  In him was life, and that life was the light of men.  The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.”

1 Peter 1:18-20 NIV   The Apostle Peter wrote “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.  He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.”

Revelation 13:8 NIV   The Apostle John wrote “the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.”

Ephesians 1: 4 NIV The Apostle Paul wrote  “For He (God) chose us in Him (Christ Jesus) before the creation of the world.” 

That Is… 

Luke 1:32-33 NIV Luke describes the Angel Gabriel’s message to Mary  “You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.  The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”

Luke 2:10-11 NIV Luke describes the angels message to the shepherds “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.”

John 1:29 NIV John the Baptist announces Jesus to the world  “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”

Luke 22:7 NIV   Jesus announces Himself as the Lamb of the New Covenant  “Then came the day of Unleavened Bread (the day in the Passover Celebration Feast when the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed).  Jesus sent Peter and John saying ‘Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.’  Then in vs 20 Jesus and His disciples are setting at the table, they just finished eating, and Jesus introduces the New Covenant…vs 20..He takes the cup of wine and says “This cup is the New Covenant in MY blood.”

Matthew 26:28 gives the same account.  A ‘New” covenant “in MY blood.”

The New Testament declares Jesus as the mediator of a New Covenant:  1 Corinthians 11:25, 2 Corinthians 3:6, Hebrews 8:6-13, 9:15, 12:24

1 Corinthians 5:7 NIV   The Apostle Paul wrote  “For Christ our Passover Lamb has been crucified.”

1 Peter 2:24 NIV The Apostle Peter wrote “He (Jesus) himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness:  by His wounds you have been healed”

1 Peter 3:18 NIV  “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.”

Isaiah 53:4-7 NIV “He (Jesus) took our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted.  But (the truth is) He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.  We all like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity us all.  He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.”

In the Old Covenant, the high priest transferred the sins of the people onto the head of the sacrificial goat.  In the New Covenant, God placed the debt-penalty of our Sin/sins on Jesus. Isaiah 53: 10 says, “it was the Lord’s will to crush Him and cause Him to suffer.”  Some translations of vs 10 say “it pleased God to bruise Him”.   Jesus was the ‘Lamb of God’…from the beginning.  When John the Baptist saw Jesus approaching him…John said, “Look…the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”…and again the next day..John says again, “Look, the Lamb of God!” (John 1:29 and 36).

That ‘Forever’ Will Be

Luke 1:32-33 NIV Luke describes the Angel Gabriel with a message to Mary  “ and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”

Matthew 28:18 NIV After the resurrection from the grave, Jesus was with the eleven disciples and said  “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I will be with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Hebrews, chapter 7 NIV, Paul says:   vs 17  “Jesus is our Priest ‘forever”.   vs 22  “Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.”  (A covenant that is identified by believing and receiving as opposed to trying to earn and deserve. A covenant of grace, not works.)    vs 24  “But because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood.”

Ephesians 1:20-22 NIV, Paul says: “God raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.  And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills and everything in every way.”

1 Peter 3:22 NIV The Apostle Peter wrote concerning Jesus after His ascension to heaven  “Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand – with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.

Revelation 19: 6-7 NIV The Apostle John wrote the book of Revelation.  In chapter 19, John describes the scene in heaven that occurs at the end of this present age and the consummation of all things and God’s people from all ages are attending the ‘wedding supper of the Lamb’.  “For the wedding of the Lamb has come and his bride has made herself ready.”

Jesus was with God from the beginning. Jesus is God the Son, the Lamb that takes away the sin of the world, and He was appointed the Lamb of God ‘before’ the earth was created.  Jesus, Himself, is our ‘forever’ Passover Lamb.  Jesus is the ‘forever’ high priest of the New Covenant.  Jesus is the ‘forever’ innocent 3rd party sacrifice.  Jesus is our ‘forever’ sin-bearer.  The shed blood of Jesus is our Atoning agent that washes away, cancels out, our sin debt before God.  The crucifixion of Jesus the Lamb ‘reconciled’ us to God.  The resurrection from the grave is the proof that God accepted the death and sacrifice of Jesus as full payment for our sins.   And it is in and through the ‘forever’ work that Jesus accomplished for us in His death and resurrection that we ‘now’ have total access to the throne of God as one who has been forgiven, redeemed, and reconciled by our ‘forever’ Lamb of God, Jesus.

Jesus now sits at the right hand of God the Father, in heaven, forever, and if we have accepted Him as our Savior…as our Lamb…we will be with Him in eternity forever.   Have you put your faith and trust in Jesus as your Savior…as your Lamb?