The Lamb

Imagine Papa coming home one day with the most beautiful little lamb your family has ever seen. Its little wool coat is perfect. Its little legs are shaped just the way they ought to be. Its little hooves don't toe in or toe out. Its eyes are bright and full of life. Its little back is straight – it doesn't bow up or sag down. Its little ears are alert and flicker back and forth. Its little face and nose are exquisitely shaped. When it bleats, everyone rushes to see what it might need. Papa says that it will be staying with the family for a few days and that it must be taken care of because it is a very important lamb.

The children in your family take turns petting it and playing with it. No one minds when it nibbles at your sleeves. Brothers and sisters argue over who gets to cuddle up beside it. The little lamb begins to recognize your voices and follows you around the house. What a happy time!

Then a few days later, Papa comes home and announces that it is time- today is the day. The children all look puzzled but Mama knows what's going on. Today is the day the little lamb must be slaughtered. Such a harsh word and a harsh ending for such a sweet, innocent lamb.

"But why Papa?" the children ask with tears in their eyes. Papa explains that tonight something new and a little bit scary is going to happen. This very perfect lamb must be killed. Afterwards, hyssop, a shrubby herb, would be dipped in the blood and the blood would be painted by this manner on the door posts and lintel of the house. The little lamb would then be taken inside and shared by the family in one last meal at this house and then God was going to do something special. That very night they were to stay inside their homes and not go out because the Lord was going to pass through.

All the homes with blood on the doorways would be safe- the Lord would pass by them. But all the homes without blood – ah – that would be bad news.

"And so," says Papa, "this little lamb is going to save your lives tonight. Without it, we will have death in this house tomorrow morning."

With grieving hearts, the children watch as their little lamb is killed, the blood is applied to the doorway and they all go inside to eat the meal it provides, not sure exactly what will happen next.

Fast forward several generations and a few hundred years. This man, Jesus, has called you to be his disciple, to walk with him and learn from him. He goes into great detail in his teachings about God the Father. His knowledge of God goes beyond what any rabbi has ever taught. It's an intimate, first-hand knowledge of one who has seen and been in the presence of God. How could he know the things he teaches? He can answer every question perfectly. No matter how hard the Pharisees try, they can't trip him up. Not only can he answer questions, he also has the power to heal and he's not afraid to use it. He heals the sick, the lame, the blind, he drives out demons. He multiplies food and turns water to wine. People want to know more about him. They flock to him. They follow him wherever he goes. They can feel the compassion he has for them and as a response, they want to be close to him. What a hopeful, happy time!

As one of his disciples, you are able to be close to him all the time. It would seem as if he is preparing for something. He's always alluding to it but it's hard to understand just exactly what he means. Then one day, he says something even more troubling "As you know, the Passover is two days away – and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified." (Matt. 26:2, NIV) Such a harsh word and a harsh ending for a man who hasn't done anything to deserve it.

Why does the Son of Man need to be crucified? It doesn't make sense so you put it out of your mind and go on. Passover will be celebrated soon and you need to make preparations. Passover, the appointed feast where all your people celebrate their exodus from slavery in Egypt by the might and power of the Lord Almighty. What a night that must have been!

The day of Passover arrives and you and your friends gather together for the appointed feast. As you're eating, Jesus begins to talk again about betrayal. Then he takes some bread and breaks it and says "Take and eat; this is my body. Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom." (Matt. 26:26b-29, NIV) Tonight, it would seem, something new and a little bit scary is going to happen again.

It's not until later, when you think back over the events of that evening and the day that followed and the days beyond that, that realization washes over you and you begin to understand what it meant. What all of it means. The sacrifice of the perfect lamb, the lamb that you loved. The mark of its blood being the only means of salvation from death. The covenant the blood signified. The awe, wonder and terrifying revelation that God would be passing through and only by the blood of the lamb would anyone be saved. You think of how the telling of the Passover has been passed down through the ages and you think of his words, "Do this in remembrance of me." (Luke 22:19b, NIV)