The Doctrine of the Lamb

Pastor Ethan Kallberg

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The Doctrine of the Lamb

by J. Sidlow Baxter

J. Sidlow Baxter (born in Australia, 1903; died 1999) was a pastor and theologian who authored as many as thirty books analyzing the Bible and advocating a fundamentalist Christian theological perspective. His most popular work was Explore the Book, a 1760 page summarization each book of the Bible.

Baxter was raised in Lancashire, England, and attended Spurgeon's College in London before pastoring in England and Scotland, in Northampton and Sunderland.

When we evangelicals talk about progress of doctrine in the Bible, we do not mean as certain others do a kind of groping development from primitive error to later discovery. To us evangelicals the whole Bible is the supernaturally produced work of the divine Spirit. But we do recognize that the Biblical revelation is a developing revelation. There is progress in it. It is the same divine light which shines through all the pages but the degree of the light increases as the revelations unfold.

More particularly, I may add, more particularly by this progress of doctrine we mean that truths or teachings which first occur in Genesis or other early parts of the Old Testament, are found to have a recurring mention, a developing build-up, right through the Bible, book after book, stage after stage, century after century until usually some New Testament passage is reached in which there is some type of classic summary or a completed culmination. Now in this progress of doctrine seldom does the first mention of a subject seem like being the first link of a chain of teaching. The human agents who figure in the developing revelation never suspects that in what they say or do they are contributing this development of truth along a certain line. That however only makes it all that much more obviously supernatural and endlessly fascinating. One great instance of this progress of doctrine is what I have presumed to call the Bible Doctrine of the Lamb.

As a vestibule to our studies I want you now to turn with me to the 1 Peter chapter 1. I'll read the passage beginning at verse 18 and ending at verse 21. Are you ready? I will read it...

1 Peter 1:18–21 KJV 1900

18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, 21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

You will see a little later why I have read that paragraph in the outset. And now right into our subject my dear fellow students of the Word. In the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, there are 10 notable passages where the Lamb is conspicuously presented. These are the 10:

1. We have the account of Able and the lamb which he offered.

2. In We have the incident of Abraham and the lamb which he offered in the place of Issac

3. In We have the passover lamb which was sacrificed on the night before Israel vacated Egypt

4. The book of Leviticus in which we have the sin offering. The sin offering which the Israelites offered on the tabernacle alter.

5. In we have the vicarious suffering lamb who was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities. Led as a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before its shearers is dumb so he openeth not his mouth.

6. [] In the first chapter of John's gospel in the paragraph running from verse 29-36 we have the lamb as announced by John the baptizer. “Behold the lamb of God that beareth away the sin of the world.”

7. [.] In the 8th chapter of the Acts, We have the lamb as preached by the evangelist Philip to the Ethiopian dignitary, the chancellor of the queen of Ethiopia as he was on the Gaza road going down from Jerusalem. We read that beginning at the same Scripture, the Scripture about the lamb being led to the slaughter, beginning at the same scripture we are told that Phillip preached unto Him Jesus. An now

8. [] In the Peterine passage we read at the outset. There we have the lamb set forth as the redeemer of all believers. An then

9. Revelation chapter 5 in which we see the Lamb enthroned in heaven. Dear students of the word please turn to Revelation chapter 5

1 And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? 3 And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. 4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. 5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. 6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. 7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. 8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.

Revelation 5:1–10 KJV 1900

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; 10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And passage number

So now dear fellow pilgrims to Zion, Those are the the 10 great Lamb passages of the Bible. 1.-Abel, 2.-Abraham, 3.-The .-.-, 6th-1st chapter of John, 7.-8th chapter of Acts, 8.-1 Peter chapter 1, 9.-, and 10.- and 22. And now will you travel quickly with me through these 10 Lamb passages and notice the progress of emphasis successively in them.

10. The book of Revelation chapter 21 and 22 where we see the Lamb, the glorious King of the New Jerusalem in the new heavens and which are yet to be.

1st take the case of Abel and the lamb that he offered. Beyond any peradventure, all the emphasis there is upon the necessity of the Lamb. Abel's little lamb was an accepted offering by Jehovah

Cain's outwardly beautiful but bloodless offering was divinely rejected, but the instructions that had been evidently ignored from what we learn in Hebrews chapter 11 and verse 5. And again Cain was rejected. Here we see the indispensable necessity of the lamb. We see it in the acceptance of Abel and the rejection of Cain. Friends, let us never forget, that's the first Biblical emphasis of the Lamb. The lamb is an indispensable necessity for we are deep died, deeply guilty, hell deserving sinners. And that is the first emphasis in our Bible.

But now travel to the account of Abraham and the lamb which he offered for the young hansom 22 year old son, Isaac. Now here the emphasis is not on the necessity of the lamb, but upon the provision of the lamb. When the aged patriarch and Isaac were going up the mountainside, young Isaac could see that his father was in a troubled revelry, bur at last he felt obliged to interrupt him he said very respectfully, “Dad, dad, are you forgetting something? We've got the wood and the sticks but dad, where's the lamb? And the troubled patriarch said with profundity that he little suspected, “My son, God Himself will provide the lamb.” And you know how the lamb was provided. Just as that blade flashed in the eastern sun, their came a voice from heaven, “Abraham, Abraham, lay not thouest hand upon the lad for now I know that thou lovest me.” And in that identical moment, Abraham heard a movement in the thicket behind him and there was the lamb for the offering. And so impressed was Abraham that he named that place a name that clung to it for ever afterward, Jehovah Jireh, the Lord will provide. Dear friends let rejoice in this that if the lamb is a prior necessity then thank heaven God Himself has provided the lamb for all of us.

And now passing through Exodus chapter 12 we find now in the case of the passover lamb the emphasis in neither on the necessity of the lamb nor the provision of the lamb but upon the slaying of the lamb. There must be one lamb selected for each Hebrew family. It must be set apart on the 10th day of the month until the evening of the 14th. On this evening it must be slain and the blood must be applied to the lentils of the Hebrew dwelling. Now however blemishless or however qualified in other ways the lamb might be, it had no protective efficacy as long it still remained alive. It must be slain and the blood applied to the door posts of the houses. The word of Jehovah was, “When I see the blood, I will passover you, for there is no doubt about it the emphasis is upon the slaying of the lamb and in this developing doctrine of the lamb in the Bible having seen the necessity of it and the the divine provision of it we are meant to understand that you and I cannot be saved only by the blemishless life, or of the immaculate character or the original, wonderful, and profound teaching of the Lord Jesus, it must be Christ and Him crucified. I don't know how you feel older friend, but the old Sidlow Baxter grows, the more he feels the need for the precious blood.

Then you come to the book of Leviticus. Which is the 4th of these great lamb passages. And now in Leviticus the emphasis is upon the character of the lamb. 20 times we are told the lamb must be “without blemish” and we find the whole things expressed cocentratedly in chapter 22 and 21 Speaking of the Lord's offering, “It shall be perfect” to be accepted. And the 4th great truth in this developing doctrine of the lamb therefore is the virtue of the lamb by reason of its utter blemishlessness, its perfection, and that which makes calvary our great sacrifice of atonement and redemption is that conjoined with the boundless Godhead of Christ there is His sinless manhood. In this sinless manhood and boundless godhead one for all and once for all with absolute fullness eternal finality He exhausted the total sin penalty of the human race. And because He did it with the absolute fullness and eternal completeness He made a foundation on which our holy God can remain righteous and yet pardon the penitent and believing sinner. Excuse me friends, “Thank God and Hallelujah.”

And now passage number 5, and here we take a big step forward in the biblical doctrine of the lamb. First the necessity of the lamb, and then the provision of the lamb, then the slaying of the lamb, then the character of the lamb, but here in we learn for the first time that the lamb of God's providing is a person. Hitherto is has been an animal but now it is a person. “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was lead as a lamb to the slaughter”

And then in the 6th passage, that's the gospel according to John chapter 1 We find that the lamb is not only a person but through the pointing finger and thrilling tones of John we learn that the lamb is that person, Jesus of Nazareth.

In the 7th passage in 8th chapter of the book of Acts we find that the lamb is not only a person and that person is Jesus, but that the lamb, the person Jesus is the promised Christ of Israel. And Phillip says “If thou believeth thou mayest be baptized,” and the Ethiopian chancellor replies, “I believe that Jesus is the Christ.” Israel was expecting a king, but before the lion they needed the lamb and before the king they needed the redeemer. The great emphasis there is that Jesus is the promised Christ and the Christ is the promised Lamb

And then you come in the 8th place to that passage in the 1st epistle of Peter, And now I will tell you why I read it at the commencement. It is part of the genius which we find again and again in the developing doctrines of the Bible. Don't you see that passage in Peter looks both backward and forward, it sums up all that has proceeded it in this developing doctrine and then brings out a wonderful new truth, let me explain.

What was the first emphasis in the Bible concerning the lamb? It was the necessity of the lamb alright Peter says, you were redeemed but not with silver, that is money, and not with gold, that is the most precious of all metals, it must be Jesus, the necessity of the lamb. What was the next emphasis? It was the provision of the lamb. Alright Peter says, “a lamb slain before the foundation of the world.” The lamb was in the heart of God before man ever fell into sin. What was the next emphasis, in the Old Testament, it was the slaying of the Lamb, the exodus lamb, so Peter says “with the precious blood of Christ”, and what was the next emphasis, it was the Levitical emphasis on the blemlishness of the lamb Peter says, “a lamb without blemish and without spot.” And what were the next emphasis in the OT, the lamb is a person, the lamb is that person, that person is the Christ, and so Peter brings all that in and he says the righteousness blood of that person who is the Christ.

Do think that Peter is summing it all up? and with good reason for now he is going to bring up a new truth about the lamb, that is the resurrection of the slain lamb. Who by him do believe in God that raised him from the dead. Now in the Old Testament we find many prophecies and explicit predictions of the calvary sufferings of our Lord and equally clear, predictions concerning His coming global kingdom. But no where in the Old Testament do you find any prediction concerning a bodily resurrection of our Lord from the dead. Now think carefully here, we know of course as Christian believers in the light of the New Testament that there are indeed many latent anticipations of our Lord's bodily resurrection. There are many latent anticipations of it in the Old Testament but no where is there any direct prediction of our Lord's bodily resurrection. But now Peter says, “God who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory,” now listen to the careful phraseology here, that your faith might, now faith looks back to all that the lamb had done for us, That your faith and hope. As soon as Peter mentions the resurrection of the slain Lamb, now there is a new aspect, hope! As soon as you know that the Lamb is risen, you have hope in the resurrected lamb you say, Were is He now and what's He doing, and does He hold for the future? And so that very thought leads to the ninth of the lamb passages.

Revelation chapter 5 and now you find that the Lamb who was slain, and the Lamb who rose, is the Lamb who is enthroned in the seat of universal authority. And so you begin to say to yourself, what's all that leading to?

And so you come to the 10th of the Lamb passages and 22. And you find that He is the predestined emperor of all people and that He is going to be the everlasting King amid the glory of the new heaven and the new earth.

Now, don't you think that is pretty wonderful development? Say yes. Run through it quickly. 1.the necessity of the Lamb. 2.the provision of the Lamb. 3.The slaying of the Lamb. 4.The character of the Lamb. 5.The personality of the Lamb. 6.The identity of the Lamb. 7.Christ-hood of the Lamb. 8.The resurrection of the Lamb. 9.The heavenly enthronement of the Lamb. And 10.The eternal kingship of the Lamb.

But now, look back again over these 10 and see the progress of theological doctrine here. One in the case of Abel, the emphasis is on what we call propitiation. That lamb was a propitiatory offering by a rebellious sinful man to a holy God against whom human sin is a monstrous outrage. That lamb was a propitiation and thank God Christ is the propitiation for us hell deserving sinners.

In the case of Abraham and the lamb he offered for Isaac, the emphasis is not upon propitiation, it's upon substitution. The lamb was there in the place of another. And thank God when our Lord, Jesus languished on that never to be repeated cross of calvary, He was not even the most glorious of all martyrs, He was there for me! He was there for you! He was my substitutionary sin bearer. Blessed be His name.

Emphasis number 3 the Exodus lamb is on protection by the lamb. When the angel of judgment and death saw the mark of the blood on the dwelling, He could not enter the door. That blood was an absolutely safe covering from judgment. And blessed be His name He is a mighty savior. God sees the mark of the blood upon His people and not even all the mighty powers of hell can bring about our destruction if we are under that precious blood.

Emphasis number 4 in the book of Leviticus is on absolution by the lamb. That lamb satisfies all the obligations, covers all the iniquities of the nation Israel for the whole of the preceding year both God-wards and man-wards, it does away with guilt and brings absolution, a complete freedom from all guilt.

Then when you come to the emphasis is especially on expiation. Now expiation is the suffering out in your own mind and body for some penalty that is due for something that is wrong. And in He was wounded, He was crushed, He was bruised, He was broken. The chastisement of our peace falls upon Him. It's all expiation. On His own our glorious Lord Jesus, expiated our sin penalty.

Passage number 6 the 1st chapter of John Here we see the complete removal of guilt. All of our sin with its ugly blackness and penalty. The barrier between God and us was once for all put away so that the glorious blood of God forgiveness might come to us through the lamb.

In the 8th chapter of the Acts, now the emphasis is upon individual salvation through the lamb. The Ethiopian eunic is saved and goes on his way rejoicing that he has found what he has failed to find in Jerusalem, what he failed to find at the temple, what he failed to find in the Jewish ordinances and sacrifices he has found in the Lamb. He believes, and he is saved and he knows it and he goes on his way rejoicing. Salvation through the Lamb.

And then you come to passage number 8, the 1st chapter of Peter. Now the emphasis is upon redemption. We were redeemed. And to redeem is to buy back again, to purchase. And through the blood of the Lamb He has paid the infinite price of calvary and has bought us back to be His peculiar posession.

Passage number 9 revelation chapter 5 you come to government by the Lamb. The Lamb who hung on the cross now reigns on the throne of universal administration.

And then when you come to revelation chapters 21 and 22 you find the eternal glory of the Lamb. The millennium has passed away the story of a Adamic humanity is wrapped up and concluded. There is a new heaven and a new earth, no more curse, no more sin, no more suffering or sorrow. But in that wonderful queen city of God new order the center of everything forevermore is the throne of God and the Lamb and His servants serve Him and they see His face and His very name is written on their foreheads. Here is a sublime confirmation. It is the confirmation of the whole of Biblical and at the center of it all is the King the glorious lamb forever.

Now let me ask you don't you think that is a pretty wonderful development? 1.propitiation 2.substitution 3.protection 4.absolution 5.expiation 6.complete removal 7. individual salvation 8.redemption 9.government and 10.eternal glory all through the Lamb!

Go back through these 10 again. In the case of Abel it is the Lamb for sin. In the case of Abraham and Isaac it was the Lamb for one person. In the case of the passover lamb it was the lamb for one family. In Leviticus it was the Lamb for one nation. The nation Israel. In it was the Lamb for all the elect, for it says that He shall sprinkle many nations. In John chapter 1 it's the Lamb for the whole world. “The Lamb of God that beareth away the sin of the world.” In Acts chapter 8 it's the Lamb for the individual, “for whosoever.” Not only for the Jew, not only the Lamb for the white man, but the Lamb for the brown Ethiopian. The Lamb for whosoever. In the 1st chapter of Peter it's the Lamb for all history provided before the foundation of the world. In Revelation chapter 5 it's the Lamb for the whole universe from throne of universal sway. And in and 22 it is the lamb from the ages to the ages. Think of it! The Lamb for sin, The Lamb for one person, the Lamb for one family, the Lamb for one nation, the Lamb for all the elect, the Lamb for whosoever, the Lamb for the whole world, the Lamb for all history, the Lamb for the universe, and the Lamb forever.

Well let me ask you as I close, is all this progressive presentation of the Lamb a product of blind chance or fortuitous coincidence? According to some moderns I may be old fashioned and naive. But to me this Bible Doctrine of the lamb is another internal evidence of supernatural inspiration. It confirms to me that the whole Bible is a developing unfolding of divine revelation and that the whole of the Bible is the written Word of God. If that is being old fashioned, then let me stay old fashioned. For I believe that this good old fashion will be still new and true when many of the new fashions of the day will be dead and buried with very few mourners at the funeral.

I recommend to one and all, let such Biblical phenomena as this progressive doctrine of the Lamb be a reassurance that these 66 documents which comprise our Bible are indeed the living oracles of the Almighty.

To that I would add this. Let this Bible doctrine of the Lamb show us what God thinks of the Lamb. In one way or the other it is Jesus as the Lamb who has the preeminence. All other disclosures whether through Pentateuch or law, or Israelite history. Whether sarmodic or philosophic. Whether prophetic or doctrinal. Whether visional or didactic. All are subservient to this onward moving unveiling of truth concerning the Lamb. Supremely friends our Bible is God's testimony to the Lamb.

Should not our own testimony be in line with God? Should not the Lamb be the outshining center and dominating accent of all our Christian preaching, and evangelism, and witness bearing?

Instead of accommodating our message to the changing theological

theories, or to carnalized social standards, we should preach with more concentrated resolve and prayer than ever our central gospel of the lamb. The Lamb of calvary, the Lamb of resurrection glory. The Lamb of all transcendent enthronement the one and only true Savior and the predestined administrator of a soon coming new age.

Oh friends, we should be proud of the Lamb as we ourselves remember how we came to be saved by the Lamb, let us exult that the precious blood shed on calvary cleanses from all sin and brings eternal salvation. This is no time for you and me to be apologizing for our evangelical massage. Other messages are failing wretchedly and utterly. This is the message for the hour. I believe that if we hold our ground and refuse any pandering to the whims of a sick society and preach more prayerfully than ever redemption through the Lamb. we shall yet win through to new triumphs.

I'd like to think that we'd all sing with new meaning William Cowper's line, “There since by faith I saw the stream thy flowing wounds supply, redeeming love has been my theme and shall be till I die. Then in a nobler sweeter song, I'll sing thy power to save with tender heart and raptured tongue in triumph o'er the grave.” Amen.

The Doctrine of the Lamb

by J. Sidlow Baxter

10 great passages that develop the Bible Doctrine of the Lamb.

1. Example ________________________

Truth ________________________