March 18: The Sacrifice Lamb
♫ Music:
Tuesday, March 18—Day 14
Isaac & Christ: The Sacrifice Lamb
And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.”
“For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it up again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”
“Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”
Genesis 22:7, John 10:17-18 and John 1:29
The Sacrifice Lamb
A few years ago, I returned to Biola after a couple years away, and my husband and I embarked on a perilous and death-defying adventure — buying a house in Southern California.
After living in Colorado, where moderate housing prices were as plentiful as mountains and open sky, we found ourselves a bit stretched to find what we wanted at a price we could afford. Eventually we did find something that worked out well and settled into our new house and a 30-year mortgage. Shortly afterward, we realized that my husband’s old car needed to be replaced, adding a car loan to our debt load. We have also recently begun making college student loan payments.
At times, against my better judgment, I try to calculate how old I will be before all of this is paid off, wistfully hoping that I will be able to retire before I am too old to remember what class I am teaching. The burden of debt can be heavy, endless, overwhelming. I eagerly look forward to the day when we are free from these obligations. But I also imagine how joyful I will be when our last payment is made. We will no longer be weighed down, unable to move forward because the past must first be repaid. With the absence of debt come freedom, opportunity and new life.
But what do you do when the debt is impossible to repay? I can easily imagine how one could sink into despondency and despair. After all, why even try if you know that your goal is unattainable?
In Christ, we have the repayment for our impossible-to-pay debt, a debt obtained by sinning against a holy God. As sinners we deserve death, but Christ’s sacrifice leads to new life. The lyrics of “The Sacrifice Lamb” tell us, “We’ve broken the Law, but he paid our debt,” and continue, “Isaiah did say ‘twas for an atonement to give us a way that leads not to death.” Free at last! We are no longer slaves to sin (Rom. 6:17), but “heirs of God” and fellow heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:17).
Yet I must also remember that the atonement is costly, since my debt is something that must be repaid, not simply erased. I get the benefit, but someone had to make the sacrifice. And the cost of my sin was so great that the only thing that could repay it was the death of God’s own son. How great my sin against God must be!
As I consider Christ as the lamb upon the altar — innocent, bound, to be sacrificed on my behalf — do I truly realize that my freedom — the wiping away of “guilt and pain” and the gift of “hope eternal” — comes at such a tremendous price? And in accepting such a sacrifice, the sacrifice of God himself, can I do anything but be drawn to the one who would do so much for me, and respond in love to his love?
Prayer
Above all, we thank you for your Son Jesus Christ; for the truth of his Word and the example of his life; for his steadfast obedience, by which he overcame temptation; for his dying, through which he overcame death; and for his rising to life again, in which we are raised to the life of your kingdom.
Grant us the gift of your Spirit, that we may know him and make him known; and through him, at all times and in all places, may give thanks to you in all things. Amen.
(From the Book of Common Prayer)
Michelle Lee-Barnewall, Associate Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies
Lamb of God
Francisco de Zurbarán
Prado Museum in Madrid, Spain
Oil on Canvas
About the Artist and Art
Francisco de Zurbarán (1598-1664) was a Spanish painter, known primarily for his religious paintings depicting monks, nuns, and martyrs, and for his still lifes. Zurbarán gained the nickname Spanish Caravaggio, owing to the forceful, realistic use of chiaroscuro in which he excelled. His subjects were mostly severe and ascetic religious vigils, the spirit chastising the flesh into subjection, the compositions often reduced to a single figure. The style is more reserved and chastened than Caravaggio's, the tone of color often quite bluish. Exceptional effects are attained by the precisely finished foregrounds, massed out largely in light and shade. Lamb of God (in Latin,Agnus Dei) is an allusion to Christ's sacrificial death to save humanity. While many traditional Agnus Dei icons include a halo, Zurbarán instead baths the entire lamb in a soft, yet dramatic light.
About the Music
The Sacrifice Lamb lyrics:
Have you ever heard Messiah has come?
It says in His Word to cleanse every one
Atonement He made iniquity bore
That we can find life in Him evermore
The Sacrifice Lamb has been slain
His blood on the alter a stain
To wipe away guilt and pain
To bring hope eternal
Salvation has come to the world
God's only Son to the world
Jesus the one for the world
Yeshua is He
The prophets of old speak much of Messiah
His death is foretold the purpose is clear
Isaiah did say 'twas for an atonement
To give us a way that leads not to death
The Sacrifice Lamb has been slain
His blood on the alter a stain
To wipe away guilt and pain
To bring hope eternal
Salvation has come to the world
God's only Son to the world
Jesus the one for the world
Yeshua is He
So brothers of mine look not to yourselves
For we are but one we all need His help
We've broken the Law but He paid our debt
That we can find life by Yeshua's death
The Sacrifice Lamb has been slain
His Blood on the alter a stain
To wipe away guilt and pain
To bring hope eternal
So final atonement has come
And brought us new hope by God's Son
If you will believe in your heart
Yeshua you'll know
About the Performer
Joel Chernoff is an American Messianic Jewish singer-songwriter and founding member of the music group Lamb. Lamb, whose recordings have sold over 600,000 copies, has produced 14 Messianic Jewish recordings many of which have reached “Top 10″ status on the contemporary religious charts. Chernoff has also recently recorded and released two new solo national recordings from Galilee of the Nations entitled, The Restoration of Israel and Come Dance With Me. His most recent release, also from Galilee of the Nations and distributed by Integrity Music in 2005 is a Lamb recording titled The Sacrifice.