The Innocent Lamb

Animals are an important part of God’s creation and our world. Most of us, at some point in our lives, have owned a pet or animal that we loved. We become attached to them as part of our family. As our children were growing up on the farm they also cared for and loved different animals. Favorite kittens were brought to school for Show-and-Tell day. Some were fed, washed, and trained to walk on a halter so they could be shown in a showering at the fair. A lot of time was spent caring for those animals and they were an important part of our lives.

Many people in the Old Testament carried one of their best and innocent lambs that they had fed, washed, and cared for to the temple altar to be killed as an offering. A lamb was known for its white coat, being clean, and for purity. After the lamb was slaughtered, this blood offering was what the priest used to offer the forgiveness of their sins. Without the shedding of blood there was no forgiveness of sins. John the Baptist tried to teach that this law from Moses would not be able to save us so that we could live forever in Heaven. God had a better plan.

God, our Father, needed to make an offering for us. So, He did what the Old Testament law couldn’t. He sent His one and only son, Jesus, in human form, like us, to shed His blood as an offering for us to wash away our sins. Jesus was the perfect, innocent, sinless Son of God who did not deserve to die. God gave us His Son freely because He loved us so much. Jesus willingly agreed to allow Himself to be whipped, spit on, and nailed to the cross for us. Who would do that for someone else especially if he didn’t deserve that kind of treatment? Jesus had the power to stop it all, but He didn’t. Jesus’ love for us is beyond our comprehension. His sacrifice put an end to sins control over us because He was the perfect offering of purity and holiness. Jesus made things right for us with God, our Father. Now, we can speak directly to Him in our prayers. God promised to save man way back in the Garden of Eden. He kept His promise!

Prayer: Dear Jesus, please accept my thanks and praise for dying on that cross in my place when it should have been me. Thank you that there is nothing that I can do to keep you from loving me. Please let Your love shine through me. In Jesus Name I pray. Amen.