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The Lamb of God
by Nellie Shani One of the first nursery rhymes that I learned as a little child was "Mary had a little lamb, whose fleece was white as snow." That image occupied center-stage in my young mind for a long time. My innocent mind was devastated when I learned in Sunday School that God had a lamb, and that His lamb was killed! When John the Baptist saw Jesus he spoke prophetically by saying, Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29). This plan to send Jesus Christ to the cross of Calvary was revealed as God told Satan, And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel (Genesis 3:15). Spiritual life was going to be restored to man through the seed of the woman who was going to crush the head of Satan. Jesus symbolically crushed the head of Satan when He died on the cross. He took the sin that separated us from God and put it on Himself. In Ezekiel 28:17, God had told Lucifer, So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings. The apostle Paul reiterates the same thing In Colossians 2:15. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. Jesus completely undermined Satans power and authority through the cross. Satan can no longer use our sins to accuse and condemn us. God has made us holy through the blood of Jesus. Therefore now there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the spirit of life has set us free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1-2). What is the consequence of this imputed righteousness? Where as we could not approach the throne of God before, we are now invited to walk boldly into the throne room. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and grace to help us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16). Adams offspring were born in a spiritual state of death, completely separated from God. They were not able to approach God because of their sinful state. Man was at the mercy of Satans onslaught and could not go to God for help. Since God is holy, nothing unholy could approach Him. There was no chance of anybody rather than the high priest approaching Gods holy altar. When Jesus died on the cross, we are told that the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. This was the curtain that separated people from the Holy of Holies, where symbolically the presence of God was. Through the tearing of the curtain, we were being told that Gods presence and power was now available for everybody through Jesus Christ. In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence (Ephesians 3:12). Jesus death created a new priesthood. Today we do not have to be Jewish high priests to be able to approach God. If we believe in Christ Jesus we are told But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God (1 Peter 2:9). Nellie Odhuno Shani is a Counselor, Conference speaker and writer. Her first books are available on amazon.com, Barnes and Nobles and on her author's websites. Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |