Looking to the lamb

 

Looking to the Lamb

By Pastor Dan Kennedy
© October 16, 2011
www.pastorkennedy.com
(On the website above, click the link to “recent message notes” to view this message online.)

If you were going to use one Old Testament event to encapsulate the everlasting message of Salvation, what story would you choose for your illustration?

Salvation is an interesting and critically essential topic.  We discussed New Birth and transformation by the Holy Spirit a few weeks ago – touching on the first part of John 3.  Today I would like to explore the illustration that Jesus used…just two verses before one of the most familiar verses in the Bible, John 3:16.

The Scripture gives us several illustrations through its pages to help us understand the concept of Salvation:

  The Horn of Salvation

Psalm 18:2 
2  The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; 
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. 
He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Luke 1:69 
69  He has raised up a horn
of salvation for us in the house of his servant David

  The Tower of Salvation 

2 Samuel 22:50–51 
50  Therefore I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the Gentiles, 
	And sing praises to Your name. 
51  “He is the tower of salvation to His king, 
	And shows mercy to His anointed, 
	To David and his descendants forevermore.” (NKJV)
  The Helmet of Salvation

Isaiah 59:17 
17  He put on righteousness as his breastplate, 
and the helmet of salvation on his head….

Ephesians 6:17 
17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

  The Shield of Salvation

2 Samuel 22:36 
36   You have given me the shield of your salvation, 
and your gentleness made me great.

  The Lamp of Salvation

Isaiah 62:1 
62 For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, 
and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet, 
		until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, 
and her salvation as a burning torch.

  The Cup of Salvation 

Psalm 116:13 
		13 	I will lift up the cup of salvation 
and call on the name of the Lord,

  The Clothing of Salvation

Psalm 149:4 
4  For the Lord takes pleasure in his people; 
he adorns the humble with salvation.

Isaiah 61:10 
10  I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; 
my soul shall exult in my God, 
		for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; 
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, 
		as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, 
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

  The Wells of Salvation

Isaiah 12:3 
3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

  The Walls and bulwarks of Salvation

Isaiah 26:1 
26 In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: 
“We have a strong city; 
he sets up salvation 
as walls and bulwarks.

If you were going to use one Old Testament event to encapsulate the everlasting message of Salvation, what story would you choose for your illustration?

   The Bronze Serpent Lifted Up, Illustrates Salvation’s Saving Faith

The illustration of salvation that Jesus uses is an Old Testament Event with the lifting up of the Bronze Serpent on a pole.  Any who had been bitten by poisonous serpents and were dying, could look, by faith, toward this iconic pole, and be healed.

John 3:14–18 
14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

Here is the Event as described in the Old Testament:

Numbers 21:4–9 
4 They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; 5 they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!” 
6 Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. 7 The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. 
8 The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.

Summaries of the Circumstances of this Wilderness Event:  

What caused God to Judge His People in this way?  
The fervent and continued expression of Discontent in Unbelief, which stirred up a growing discord among God’s People. 

God hates those who sow discord among His People:

Proverbs 6:16–19

There are six things that the Lord hates,
seven that are an abomination to him:

1.  haughty eyes, 
2.  a lying tongue,
3.  hands that shed innocent blood, 
4.  a heart that devises wicked plans,
5.  feet that make haste to run to evil,
6.  false witness who breathes out lies,
7.  and one who sows discord among brothers. 

God hates those who sow discord among His People.

The Problem that revealed itself, that caused God to Judge His People:

Numbers 21:5
they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!” 

God is not here, 
He does not see, 
He does not care…
He will not provide.  
We must look after ourselves.  
Moses is not the right leader to get us out of this terrible mess!

(Of course, the after-thought would imply… “Now, if I were in charge…”)

•	What was the Outcome of their fervent expression of Unbelief:  God sent an Attack of Snakes on the Nation of Israel… in the Wilderness

One might think that simply another “miracle of provision” would have satisfied the unbelieving heart…from their “loving God”.

God, who is total love, and total justice, and total holiness, does not respond like we mistakenly imagine.  The One and Only True God responds in what He knows reality to be, and what He knows should happen.

1.  Unbelief.  There were those who truly did not believe in God, among the Israelites, and only wanted to promote their own agenda and their own person.

2.  Easily Swayed.  There were those who honestly believed in God but who were confused and deceived by those who were despising God’s provision and subsequently, who were causing dissention throughout the massive Israelite Camp – particularly focusing on despising the leadership of Moses, God’s servant.

3.  Full of Faith.  There were those who trusted God, who were not involved in the discord, but were strongly despised by all those who were participating in the unbelief and discontent.

4.  Discord.  There was great upheaval of unrest and disunity throughout the two million (or more) Israelites.  Why did God judge this so severely?

5.  Unity.  One of the highest and most desirable attributes in Christ’s Body is Unity.

a.	  Unity is the most desirable attribute the Sacred Relationship of Marriage.

“The two shall become one”  (Eph. 5:31).

[This is one reason why we believe that only a potential husband and wife, who have the same spiritual belief, should be married.]

b.  Unity in the Church is a critical element in the Body of Christ.  

“Many parts, one Body” (Rom. 12:4-8; 1 Cor. 12:12; Eph. 5:31-32)

6.  Nothing valuable can come of divisive disunity.  
Someone or something has to die.

Either:
Death or separation for the individuals who are initiating the dissension.  The troublemakers leave.

Death or separation for those innocent folks who get caught up in the disunity.  The innocent folks have to “take sides” and suffer the consequences, one way or another.

Death or separation for the individuals who are being misrepresented in the strife, so they have to leave if the trouble makers don’t leave.

Death or separation from sin, if the troublemakers involved in the disunity repent of their sin.  The sin has to die.

Death or separation by those unsaved in the community who observe the disunity and simply count it up to “Christians fighting again” – “I wouldn’t want to be one of them!

There has to be a physical removal of the individuals for unity to be restored – either through death or displacement…repentance, or continued carnality.

1.   Pervasive Sin in the Corinthian Church:  Paul enacted the same principle when unrepentant sin was permeating the Corinthian Church, as seen in 1 Cor. 5:1-5.

1 Corinthians 5:1–5 
5:1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife. 2 And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you. 
3 For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. 4 When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.

2.   Directives in Proverbs.

Proverbs 16:28 
28 A dishonest man spreads strife, 
and a whisperer separates close friends.

Proverbs 22:10 
10 Drive out a scoffer, and strife will go out, and quarreling and abuse will cease.

Restoration
The Positive outcome of the discipline and cutting off of the individual sinning in the Corinthian Church was repentance and restoration.

•	 Following God’s Prompting in Dealing with Discontent and Death:  
o	The Casting of the Bronze Serpent on a pole
o	The Lifting up of the Serpent in a place where all can see
o	The offer of healing for those willing to look by faith
o	The death of those who despised God’s provision of healing

•	 The Act of Faith evidenced by those who Looked by Faith
o	There was no discrimination of age 
o	There was no discrimination of gender
o	There was no discrimination of nationality, etc.

•	 God’s Plan for Salvation is for all who look to Jesus Christ for their cleansing and Redemption from sin.  Salvation is free to all who believe.

This Old Testament illustration is a clear revelation of Saving Faith

Look and Live
By William A. Ogden

1.	  I’ve a message from the Lord, hallelujah!
This message unto you I’ll give,
’Tis recorded in His word, hallelujah!
It is only that you “look and live.”

Refrain:
“Look and live,” my brother, live,
Look to Jesus now, and live;
’Tis recorded in His word, hallelujah!
It is only that you “look and live.”

2.	  I’ve a message full of love, hallelujah!
A message, O my friend, for you,
’Tis a message from above, hallelujah!
Jesus said it, and I know ’tis true.

3.	  Life is offered unto you, hallelujah!
Eternal life thy soul shall have,
If you’ll only look to Him, hallelujah!
Look to Jesus who alone can save.

4.	  I will tell you how I came, hallelujah!
To Jesus when He made me whole—
’Twas believing on His name, hallelujah!
I trusted and He saved my soul.

In “Looking to the Lamb” for the Redemption and Salvation of our soul, one does not have something else that is required for our Spiritual Healing.  Nothing.  We are simply to Look and Live.  How precious an illustration is that?

Our Focus On the Lamb

Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up

John 12:32–33
“And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”  He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die.”

Salvation’s provision from Christ Jesus’ blood shed on the cross is available to any who are truly seeking God.  “Whom He foreknew, He predestinated.”
God knows each heart.

For those who look away…

•	 There are those who blur the cross from their visual memory, though they may be looking toward the cross (they want everyone to think they are followers of Christ) – but their mind does not focus on Christ…because the love of their heart is a thousand miles away.
•	 There are those who avoid the cross altogether for one excuse or another.
•	 There are those who hate and curse the cross.

God is very patient with mankind.

2 Peter 3:7–10 
7 But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. 
8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

God is always Patient…and always Just.  No one, ever, will be able to accuse God of injustice.

God’s Patient Justice Revealed
A Covenant that God made with Abraham involved a covenant ceremony in which God revealed an amazing fact of how He patiently and justly deals with mankind.

Genesis 15:13–16 
13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. 14 But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. 15 As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. 16 And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”

God patiently waited for the Amorites to show repentance, for four hundred years, while His people suffered in slavery in Egypt.  The “cup” of iniquity of the Amorites was not yet full.  When Israel was delivered from Egypt and was brought back into the Promised Land, they fought with and defeated the Amorites – great kings of the Amorites Og and Sihon, mentioned several times in Scripture for their vast and mighty kingdoms.  But, God allowed them to be defeated and many destroyed.  He had patiently waited for them until their cup of their iniquities was full.

No one, or no nation will be able to stand before God and rebuke Him for their judgment.  God’s judgment is always Just.

Some of us may be involved with our pet sins that we know are wrong, but we are not willing to repent and turn from our sin.  God patiently is waiting for us to repent and turn from our sin.

If we repent before God, He is consistently gracious and forgiving (1 John 1:9).  If we do not, our own sin will justly condemn us.

If we are simply focusing our attention on something else, while acting like we are looking at the Cross, or if we are stubbornly turning our back on the cross…our heart of faith or lack of faith will be clearly revealed in time.

It does not matter our circumstance.  We can look at the cross even when we are in our darkest hour.


Look to the Lamb of God
By Henry Godden Jackson

If you from sin are longing to be free,
Look to the Lamb of God;
He, to redeem you, died on Calvary,
Look to the Lamb of God.

Look to the Lamb of God,
Look to the Lamb of God,
For He alone is able to save you,
Look to the Lamb of God.

When Satan tempts, and doubts and fears assail,
Look to the Lamb of God;
You in His strength shall over all prevail,
Look to the Lamb of God.

Are you aweary, does the way seem long?
Look to the Lamb of God;
His love will cheer and fill your heart with song,
Look to the Lamb of God.

Fear not when shadows on your pathway fall,
Look to the Lamb of God;
In joy or sorrow Christ is all in all,
Look to the Lamb of God.

Conclusion

A Symbol doesn’t Save You
It isn’t the symbol of the cross, which saves you – it is Jesus’ sacrifice: the shedding of His Blood that saves and redeems us, not the symbol of the cross!

For over 1,000 years Israel carried the bronze serpent on a pole with them – through the desert wanderings, through the conquering of Caanan, and into the reign of their kings, but it was not until King Hezekiah and his zeal to destroy anything that Israel had set up to worship other than God alone, that the symbol of God’s power, the bronze serpent, was revealed for what it was…only a symbol.

2 Kings 18:3–5 
3 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done. 4 He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan). 5 He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him.

Many people carry a cross, or wear a cross around their neck.  That is not necessarily wrong in itself, unless we focus on the symbol as that which can save us and not on the sacrifice that gives us Redemption from sin – the shed blood of Jesus Christ!  Our focus needs to be on Jesus Christ alone - and His Sacrifice for our sin.

Jesus’ Illustration of Saving Faith
The Scripture gives us several illustrations through its pages to help us understand the concept of Salvation:

	  The Horn of Salvation
	  The Tower of Salvation 
	  The Helmet of Salvation
	  The Shield of Salvation
	  The Lamp of Salvation
	  The Cup of Salvation 
	  The Clothing of Salvation
	  The Wells of Salvation
	  The Walls and bulwarks of Salvation
	  The Bronze Serpent lifted up

The illustration of salvation that Jesus uses is an Old Testament Event with the lifting up of the Bronze Serpent on a pole.  

John 3:14–18 
14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.







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