When God instituted the Passover in Egypt, saving Israel's firstborn from the final plague, He told each family to slay a lamb. This was an antitype for another lamb to come later-the Lamb of God.

• "Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: 'On the tenth day of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household.'"{Exodus 12:3}

The Lamb Provided. God willingly provided the sacrifice for our sins-a divine, gravely needed remedy for all mankind!

• "And Abraham said, 'My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.' So the two of them went together." {Genesis 22:8}
• "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." {John 3:16}

The Lamb Described. Our Lord was pure and without sin.

• "... But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." {1 Peter 1:19}
• "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin." {Hebrews 4:15}

The Lamb Revealed. Jesus tried to get people to understand that He was the Messiah. They rejected Him because they wanted something else-an earthly king.

• "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, 'Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, after me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me." {John 1:29,30}

The Lamb Slain. He gave His life as a ransom for many {Luke 19:10}.

• "He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth." {Isaiah 53:7}
• "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." {Romans 5:8}
• "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone." {Hebrews 2:9}

The Lamb Glorified. When Christ finished the work God sent Him to do, He returned to heaven. He understood that He had a limited amount of time to do His Father's work.

• "For the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." {Revelation 7:17}
• "And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was." {John 17:5}
• "Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed." {Daniel 7:14} This verse is a preview of Christ's ascension back to His Father, and recorded in Acts 1:9-11. The Father rewarded Him because He had successfully completed the mission He sent Him to do.

The Lamb Reigning. "In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month ... And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. "{Revelation 22:2,3} These verses clearly demonstrates that the kingdom is here now-not yet to come. Christ is ruling and reigning from His throne in heaven! Where would we be without the Lamb of God?