The Be-Attitudes of the Christian Walk ~ Behold the Lamb

“Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29

Imagine Abraham and Isaac climbing the mountain to build an altar and offer a sacrifice. They had the wood, fire, and tools—but no lamb.

When Isaac questioned the absence of a lamb, Abraham answered with faith: “God will provide.” (Genesis 22)

God had asked Abraham to sacrifice his son. As a parent, I’ve never fully been able to wrap my heart around this part of the story. The journey up that mountain must have been excruciating, knowing what he believed was to come. Yet Abraham obeyed without question, trusting the promises God had already made. (Hebrews 11:17–19)

Just as Abraham raised the knife, he heard God call out, stopping him. A ram rustled in the bushes—God had indeed provided.

What relief Abraham must have felt! He untied his son, offered the ram instead, and named the mountain Yahweh Yireh—The Lord Will Provide. To this day, people say, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” (Genesis 22:14)

Abraham was asked to sacrifice, but God only required surrender.

In the Old Testament, sacrifices were required to atone for sin and for worship. A pure, spotless lamb was offered as a substitute. Perhaps the most well-known instance is the first Passover, when the Israelites marked their doorposts with lamb’s blood to be spared as the angel of death passed over. That moment of obedience and deliverance is still celebrated today.

“Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.”
—Hebrews 9:22

“Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us.”
—1 Corinthians 5:7

Forty-two generations after Abraham, God sent another Lamb—His own Son, Jesus.

Jehovah Jireh saw the state of the world and made a way for redemption and reconciliation. On another mountain, God provided the ultimate sacrifice, once and for all. Jesus—the perfect, sinless Lamb—paid the price for every sin: past, present, and future.

“Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood… Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.”
—Hebrews 2:14–17

“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”
—John 3:17

During a Bible study with my middle-grade girls, I asked them to compare the ram Abraham sacrificed with Jesus, the Lamb of God. They quickly chimed in with insights:

• Both were blood offerings.
• Neither deserved to die.
• The ram’s sacrifice covered one man’s sin.
• Jesus’ sacrifice covered the sins of all mankind.
• The ram died and stayed dead.
• Jesus rose from the dead and lives forever!

“And when God counted him (Abraham) as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded for our benefit, too… He (Jesus) was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God.”
—Romans 4:23–25

As adults, we can get tangled in theology or weighed down by our unworthiness—or pride. We may think we’re too far gone… or good enough on our own. But the Gospel is simple and true:

• We’ve all sinned. (Romans 3:23)
• God loves us. (John 3:16)
• Jesus died, was buried, and rose again to give us life—life more abundant. (John 10:10)

All we must do is trust in Him alone for salvation.

If you haven’t already, I invite you to receive this precious gift today. And if you already believe, I pray you live in the fullness of His peace, grace, and abundant life.

Dear Jesus, Thank you for loving us. Thank you for dying on the cross and rising again to give us new life, a life more abundant. In Your Precious Name, Amen

Have a blessed Resurrection Sunday.

He is Risen!

Listen and meditate with Andrew Peterson’s Behold the Lamb of God

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