Lamb of God

I sat in church, singing Christmas hymns while holding our oldest son, who was just six months old at the time. It was my first Christmas as a momma, which made it seem all the more magical. Something changes in us when we have children, doesn’t it? Our perspective on life shifts as some things seem more ominous, others richer, and still others more poignant.

Sitting in church that Christmas, I remember having a new revelation about the weight of Christmas. While I listened to the Christmas hymns, holding my sweet baby, I remember looking down at him and wondering what God must have felt when He sent Jesus to earth to pay for our sins.

I imagine the pain must have been almost crushing. The very thought of it that day created an aching pressure in my heart that radiated throughout my entire body. For the first time in my life, I began to sense the weight of the Father’s choice, the sacrifice, the pain. As I looked down at my son, I thought to myself, “There is no way, even if his death could bring salvation to all of humanity, there is no way I could do it. I could not sacrifice this little boy for anyone else.”

But God. . . His love for us was so great that He was willing to sacrifice His only Son as the sacrificial Lamb to pay the price for our sins so we could spend eternity with Him. (John 3:16)

Before Christ came to earth and gave His life on the cross for us, the Israelites had to offer sacrifices of bulls, goats, or lambs to pay for their sins. (Leviticus 4:1-35) The animal sacrificed was required to be without blemish—it had to be perfect.

Friends, as wonderful as I think my son is, he could never atone for anyone’s sin. Because he is flawed and imperfect. Only one man in all of humanity could pay the debt created by our sins. That man was, of course, Christ Jesus, the spotless Lamb of God.

That Sunday morning, as I thought about the weight of why Jesus was born, I felt a new sense of awe and wonder at God’s love for us. The Father sent the Son to be the Lamb that would pay for our sins. He knew the horrible pain Jesus would endure. He knew it would mean a temporary separation from His beloved child. Yet, because of His great love for us, God sent Jesus to be the Lamb that would pay off our debt. Oh, what love!

Today, I praise God for His great love and mercy! I thank Him for enduring that heartache. Will you join me in thanking Him today?

Loving, compassionate God, we thank You for Your tremendous love and mercy. We cannot fully imagine the pain You endured when You sent Your only Son to pay the price required for our sin. Thank You for your selflessness. We didn’t deserve Your love or kindness, but You gave it willingly. Thank You! We love You. We pray this in the name of the perfect Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, Amen.