Jack Price – Okotoks – Alberta, Canada Special Meetings – December 16, 2007

I have made a study recently of becoming better acquainted with the Lamb of God. This is where my thoughts are today, and I would like to speak a little more about the Lamb of God to you.

 

In Genesis 22, we read that Abraham was asked to go to a certain place. Verse 2, “And He said, ‘Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.’” God chose that place for Abraham — it was a God-chosen place, and Abraham made every effort to go, for it provided him with what he needed. But more wonderful than that is the fact that Abraham chose to be there. When God chooses a place for us, it is very important that we are there. It was the Lamb that opened up to us a sinless, substitute way. It was a lamb that took Isaac’s place, a picture of the Lamb of God who took our place. It also says that God stayed the hand of Abraham and he saw a ram caught in the thicket which he offered to God in sacrifice. It was the Lamb of God that opened up to us a sinless way and made it possible for us to enter into His sanctuary. Isaac is a picture of Jesus; the Lamb is a picture of the sinless offering that took our place. We read of the cost, the terrible cost that Jesus paid.

 

In Matthew 26:35, “Peter said unto Him, ‘Though I should die with Thee, yet will I not deny Thee.’ Likewise also said all the disciples.” God chose that place for Jesus and Jesus chose to be there. It was costly for Him. When Jesus went into the Garden of Gethsemane, He went with two wills but left one behind. Gethsemane means “an oil press.” He was willing to be crushed and trampled in the winepress. Matthew 27:33, “And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull, they gave Him vinegar to drink…and He would not drink.” It is said that Jesus’ will was crushed in the winepress. God chose that place for Him to be, the place of the skull that had no flesh on it. Jesus totally denied Himself, and it cost Him dearly. He showed His Father that He denied Himself fully. Our hymn says, “Alone, He trod the winepress” but really, that is not correct. It is correct to say that He was trodden in the winepress, that His will was crushed. When Jesus returns, He will tread the winepress. Revelation 19 speaks of the millennium era when the white horse comes, another picture of Jesus. This is when Jesus will tread the winepress of God’s wrath. When on earth Jesus rode a donkey (humility), but when He comes again, He will ride a white horse (a conquering king.)

 

Matthew 27:33 speaks that when Jesus was on the cross, He was offered vinegar to drink but He refused it, because it was a sedative. He wanted to give His full sacrifice. He chose His whole flesh to be there.

 

I have recently made a little study of the four characteristics of the Lamb in John 1 and maybe you would like to make a study of them, too:

 

1) The sacrificial lamb (John 1:29) – “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, ‘Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.’”

 

2) The example lamb (John 1:35-36) – “Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, ‘Behold the Lamb of God!’”

 

3) The scriptural lamb (John 1:45) – “Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, ‘We have found Him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.’”

 

4) The ruling lamb (John 1:49) – Nathanael answered and saith unto Him, “Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God; Thou art the King of Israel.” If we are not willing for simple faith now, God will remove the Spirit of Truth from us.

 

There is a picture in Zechariah 4 that I love, which speaks of the restoration of Jerusalem, the unchanging plumb line of truth, the pure, unchanging Truth of Jesus. We can’t have the sacrificial Lamb, the example Lamb or the scriptural Lamb without first having the ruling or indwelling “Lamb” in our lives.

 

Galatians 2:20 gives us the true definition of Christianity: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me”. This is the indwelling Lamb. If we are not willing for simple faith now, God will remove the Spirit of Truth from us.

 

Revelation 1:10 is the whole language of the Spirit of God, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, saying, ‘I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last,’” the A to the Z in the alphabet. This was the whole theme that runs through the Lamb. It also speaks of the golden oil of the spirit. When these two are put together, they become a wonderful combination. We will never possess one without the other. John was in prison on the Isle of Patmos on the Lord’s day and couldn’t be in fellowship with His people that day but it was comforting for him to know that the Lamb was in the midst of those little churches. We as God’s servants cannot be everywhere on the Lord’s day but it brings us great comfort to know that the Lord is amongst you in your little meetings. We also know that the Lamb of God is here today because we can feel Him.

 

It is the Lord’s day, a day to be close to the Lamb. It is not the Sabbath day. I think we understand the difference between the Sabbath day of the Old Testament and the Lord’s day of the New. The Sabbath day was fulfilled under the Old Covenant and simply means a perpetual, eternal Sabbath that we have entered into. Neither is the Lord’s day an odd job day or a shopping day or a play day. There are so many useful ways we can keep His day, by visiting and encouraging His people. It’s called practical Christianity. One little boy prayed in a Sunday morning meeting, “Lord help me to stop fooling around!” (Jack also told the story of a little girl at convention who wanted to be useful. She was told she was too little for a job in the kitchen so she went to see the old ladies in their sleeping quarters – I think you call it Sunset Lodge in Alberta – and she encouraged them.)

 

Revelation 4 speaks of the hand of God in creation. We read the words “come up,” and this can be reassuring to us that our God still sits on the throne. Revelation 5 speaks of the heart of God in redemption. Verse 1 speaks of the book held in the hand of God; verse 2 an angel proclaiming, “Who is worthy to open the book…?” Why couldn’t God open the book? He couldn’t open it because His plan was that the Lamb would open the book. He was the One who was to die and suffer for us, and God did not go back on His plan. The “lion” speaks of the strength of the kingdom; the “root” the stability of the kingdom (the foundation of Truth.) Verse 9, “And they sung a new song, saying, ‘Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.’” This was the song of redemption when they fell down at the feet of the Lamb. If we are not humble enough to fall down at the feet of the Lamb, we will never sing the song of the Lamb (the song of redemption). How do we get this song? By submitting, bowing and being humbled at the feet of the Lamb.

 

I had the opportunity to travel to Africa once. We went on one of those safaris trips and were camped out that night in lion territory. I wasn’t feeling at all comfortable. Our guide had an elephant rifle with him but I had nothing! When darkness fell, a large male lion let out a terrible roar and I asked the guide, “Why is he roaring?” He told me he was marking out his territory and I sure hoped it wasn’t the compound I was in! I went into a hut with its very flimsy door and knelt down to pray that night, and prayed like I never prayed before. If tonight was to be my last night, I wanted to be ready. What would you find the easiest to bow down to — a lion or a lamb? It says that they fell down before the Lamb and sang the wonderful song of redemption. In Revelation 7, we read of the Lamb in their midst, sitting on the throne, and leading and feeding. It’s vital for us to get to know the Lamb. Do we really know the Lamb?

 

I’ll just add another little story before I close. A farmer had a pet lamb and we don’t advise people to have pet lambs, but he did. A couple of fellows from the city drove out to his ranch and that lamb was standing away off. Seeing them get out of the truck, it came bounding across the field to greet them, but they were afraid and jumped into their truck for safety. Why would a grown man be afraid of a lamb? It was because they hadn’t become acquainted with the lamb. We read in Revelation 6:16, “And said to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.’” Rather than face the Lamb, they wanted the rocks to fall on them because they knew not the lamb. Revelation 7:17, “For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters; and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes” — this is a picture of a saved eternity, a wonderful future for those who know the Lamb and love Him.

 

Revelation 19:6-9, “And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thundering, saying, ‘Alleluia for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.’ And He saith unto me, ‘Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb.’ And He saith unto me, ‘These are the true sayings of God.’” These verses speak of the marriage supper of the Lamb, the one bride and the one Bridegroom. It was so from the beginning in Genesis with Adam and Eve and ends the same in the book of Revelation — one bride and one bridegroom. We are living in the day of engagement now, the espousal time, a time of promise or the betrothal time, a pledge to be true.

 

Jack also told of some of the workers who went to take care of several children while their parents had a little break. Each child was given certain responsibilities: one to sweep, one to wash the dishes, etc. and the sister workers also helped them out. The parents returned earlier than expected from their trip and the children could hardly wait to see them. The sisters said to them, “We better get ready for them to come,” but the children replied, “We are ready.” We want to be ready when the Lord returns.