Behold the Lamb of God
Tonight we take another look at Jesus. We started with Jesus, and I can’t help but come back to Him on a regular basis. Healing School is at its core Jesus school. But tonight we take John the Baptist’s words to heart.
The next day he (John) saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! – John 1:29 NASB
And again
and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” – John 1:36 NASB
This word ‘behold,’ in the Greek it’s ‘iday’ pronounced with a short ‘i’ sound and a long ‘a.’ It’s more than just seeing with your eyes. It’s the 2nd person imperative and includes the idea of surprise, or wonder. It’s like when you’re on a road trip and as you come around a bend you see a gathering of deer on a hillside. We would probably say “Ooo Look!” Or you’re on a hike and come over a ridge. You see blue through the trees ahead and call out, “Look – Water!”
John is excited when God reveals to Him that this is the Promised One, Jesus the Messiah.
This phrase “lamb of God” is not used anywhere else in the Bible. Only John the Baptist, at this point, saw Jesus as the fulfillment of the sacrificial system. Even at the end of His ministry no one really “got it.”
There is, in the life of Abraham, a foreshadowing of this in Genesis 22
Abraham said, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together. – Genesis 22:8 NASB
Back to behold. I want to take John the Baptist’s advice tonight and look at Jesus.
The writer of the book of Hebrews said this in Hebrews 12
fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. – Hebrews 12:2 NASB
Other translations give us – looking unto Jesus, looking steadfastly on Jesus, we must never stop looking at Jesus, keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, fixing our attention on Jesus.
Tonight, I want to look at two bible stories, one Old Testament and one New were looking at Jesus is the principal thing. First, let’s look at this account in the book of Numbers of Israel in the wilderness.
We understand that these stories from the history of Israel are very important for us. Firstly, know this. These are historical accounts, not fables made up to teach us lessons. These things happened just like the Bible tells the story.
But Paul tells us that they are not only historical, but they are for our examples. They are typical. And this one is not only told in Numbers 21, but it is referenced by Jesus himself in the verses preseeding the most famous verse of all time, John 3:16.
“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life. – John 3:14-15 NASB
Obviously, the story we are about to read has to do ultimately with salvation, but let’s read the original account and see what we can glean.
Numbers 21 – starting at verse 4.
Then they set out from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the people became impatient because of the journey. The people spoke against God and Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this miserable food.” – Numbers 21:4-5 NASB
Let’s stop for a minute and see what’s going on.
They are accusing God. We’ve been talking for weeks about how we use our words. Israel was not speaking life, but death. They were complaining, murmuring.
Let me say this about that- FAITH NEVER COMPLAINS.
Think about it for a minute – when you complain, you take the part of a victim. Of all people, Paul may have had the right to complain, but though he’s honest about his trials and the tribulation he walks through as a believer, he never sees himself as a victim. Rather, he is an overcomer.
Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. – 2 Corinthians 2:14 KJV
When we complain, we are using our mouths to undermine our faith. We must hold fast our confession of faith.
Think about what they were complaining about. They are saying there is no food, and they loathe this miserable food. What food? Mana? Really… they loathe this miserable food. Jesus reveals in John that He is that bread that comes down from heaven, and Paul tells us the Rock that followed them bringing them water was Christ. He was the food, He was their water, and they despised it!
God have mercy.
And it’s true today. Jesus is not enough. Even in Churches – Jesus is not enough to satisfy. God’s word is not enough. We can’t abide the simple gospel. I’ll stop before I get into a real rant.
Back to Numbers 21…
Remember, we’ve spoken before about the fact that Hebrew does not teat cause in its verbs the way we do, so here we see the Lord sending fiery serpents, I want to remind you to always take God’s side on these kinds of statements.
The LORD sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. – Numbers 21:6 NASB
What’s happening here is as the people complain and rebel against the Lord, and refuse to acknowledge His hand in their circumstances, He lifts His hand of protection. The fact that they had been in the wilderness for some time at this point and serpents had not been an issue demonstrates another way the Lord’s hand of protection had been on them.
So the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, because we have spoken against the LORD and you; intercede with the LORD, that He may remove the serpents from us.” And Moses interceded for the people.
I chose this story today, not because of the great example of how our words create our circumstances, but it sure fits well with what we’ve been talking about for weeks here in healing school. When we put our mouths on our problems, when we magnify our problems, they grow and take over.
When Jonah is in the belly of the whale, prays an amazing prayer.
As He lifts his eyes from his plight, he remembers God’s faithfulness and prayed this (I like this in the KJV)
When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple. They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD. – Jonah 2:7-9 KJV
I love that 8th verse in the KJV – They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. That’s what Israel was doing. They listened to the lie that they would be better off back in Egypt. They were only stuck in the wilderness because they didn’t believe God’s good report in the first place. They forsook their own mercy by listening to the voices that rose up and exalted themselves against the knowledge of God.
Now back to Numbers 21.
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard (pole – KJV); and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will live.” And Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on the standard; and it came about, that if a serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived. – Numbers 21:7-9 NASB
Now this is a pretty intersting forshadowing. As I said before Jesus himself tells us in John 3 that this serpent on a pole is a picture of Jesus lifted up on the cross.
Why a serpent? Isn’t a serpent the epitome of evil, and Jesus the ultimate good?
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. – 2 Corinthians 5:21 NASB
Jesus, God made flesh, became sin so that we could become righteous.
But think about the type for a minute. In the type – in Numbers, we see sin lead to sickness, and by this sickness came death. In the type – a serpent on a pole, the picture of Christ on the Cross, anyone who looked at the cross was healed.
If there is healing in the type, there would have to be healing in the fulfillment, or the fulfillment falls short of the type.
Let’s think for a minute about the actual picture there. Those who were sick from the bite of the snake had only to do one thing. Look at the serpent. We’re not talking accidentally see out of the corner of your eye. They were commanded to look – gaze – turn their attention to the serpent on the pole, the Savior on the cross, and they would be healed. All who looked were healed/saved.
Again we’re seeing a link between physical healing and salvation. Jesus uses a story to foreshadow His going to the cross, which includes a sickness induced by sin and healed by looking to the Savior.
We see this in a New Testament story as well. This one we all know well, but I want to just point out a couple of things.
And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear.
But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” And He said, “Come!”
And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “You are certainly God’s Son!” – Matthew 14:25-33 NASB
We all know this story, but I want to talk about one thing here. Jesus said this was a faith problem on Peter’s end. Let me ask a few questions to open up the point.
When was the power of God available for Peter to walk on the water? (When Jesus spoke the word. When the will of God was known.)
When was the power of God manifested in Peter’s adventure? (When Peter obeyed the Word. When he stepped out of the boat.)
When did the power of God stop manifesting in Peter’s circumstances? (When he took his eyes off of Jesus. When he let his fear overrule his faith.)
Once the Word of God was spoken – the will of God known – who was in control of the manifestation of the power of God? Peter was in control of when the manifestation of the power of God was working in his life.
Did Jesus sink Peter when Peter stopped looking at Jesus? (No! Jesus did not give up on Peter, Peter stooped trusting Jesus.)
Was there a change in the weather during his walk? (No. It was stormy the whole time. The circumstances did not stop him from walking on the water, and they were not the cause of his later failure.)
Once Jesus said the Word – Come – wasn’t it all up to Peter? (The power was God’s, and did not change. God’s will did not change. Only Peter’s access to that power changed because he took his eyes off Jesus.)
So it is with our healing. The Word of God has spoken, the will of God is clear, the power of God is present, now it’s up to us.
So, what do I do if I constantly fight a chronic issue? What if I have prayed the prayer of faith to the best of my ability. I have named it, claimed it, declared it, and stood on the finished work of Jesus Christ? What is my next move?
1. Don’t lose heart.
2. Pray for wisdom.
James 1 tells us that God will never reprove us for asking for wisdom and will always give it freely.
But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. – James 1:5 NASB
For God to withhold the next step from you, He would have to become a liar – and it’s impossible for God to lie.
Here are a few take aways for today.
Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus.
Once His will is known, the manifestation of His power is dependant on your action and steadfast trust.
If nothing is working, ask for wisdom, ask Him for a plan or strategy.
Blessings to you all,
See you again soon,
Ben