Give me a word, Lord: WHERE IS THE LAMB?

Genesis 22:7-8 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.

John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

We have been asking this question around our farm lately, “Where are the lambs?” All the sheep are pregnant. They have usually birthed by now. We check everyday, but no babies have arrived as of yet. We were hoping that they would birth earlier in the month in time to be used as sheep for a live nativity, but no, they aren’t in any hurry to arrive this year. Maybe they are waiting for Christmas. Wouldn’t that be something? A barn full of baby lambs being born on the day that we celebrate the birth of the true Lamb of God would be pretty amazing.

I was reflecting back on some very familiar scripture this morning. I’m sure you all remember the story of Abraham and Isaac. God tested Abraham when he told him to take his son Isaac to Moriah and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on the mountain there. God has never asked anyone to sacrifice their son before or since, but Abraham got up early the next morning and loaded up his donkey. He took two servants and his son with him, and he headed off to the place that God had instructed. When he arrived, Abraham and Isaac went up to the appointed place. Isaac carried the wood for the burnt offering, and Abraham carried the fire and the knife. Isaac realizes something was missing, and he asked his father this very specific question, “Where is the lamb?” Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb.”

I notice a few things when I read this scripture. First of all, when Abraham and Isaac left the servants with the donkey, Abraham told the servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship, and then WE will come back to you.” Abraham knew that God had asked him to sacrifice his son, yet he informed the servants that they would both come back to them. Abraham trusted God. He did exactly as God asked, but he knew that somehow, his son would be coming back with him. Another point to consider was Abraham’s response to Isaac’s question, “God himself will provide the lamb.” Abraham knew that God would provide. He didn’t know how, but he trusted that God would provide, and what an amazing foreshadowing of the events to come was demonstrated on that mountain. God did provide a lamb for the sacrifice at Moriah. A ram was caught in the thicket, and this ram took the place of Isaac. The lamb died instead of the son. The lamb died to save the son.

Fast forward a few hundred years. Isaiah prophesied of the coming Lamb, and 700 years or so later, God fulfilled the prophesy. He sent His son, the perfect Lamb of God. John the Baptist was baptizing people in the Jordan River when he saw Jesus, and he shouted, ““Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” God sent Christ to take away our sins. He was the perfect Lamb, unblemished, without sin, and the Holy Son of God. He sent that perfect Lamb to die so that we may have everlasting life. The perfect Lamb took away the sins of all people. He took our place on that cross. God provided the Lamb that will save us all!

The Lamb is Christ. If you don’t know Him, there is no better day that today to get to know Him. He loves you so much! Don’t keep searching for the Lamb. Invite Him into your heart today! If you’ve invited Him in previously, but you just aren’t feeling His presence lately, maybe it’s time for a heart purge. Get rid of all of the stuff that is keeping you from a close relationship with Christ, and make room for the perfect Lamb of God today!