“For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water” (Rev 7:17).
As I recently meditated on the names of Jesus, I was drawn to two of my favorites - the Lamb of God and the Good Shepherd. I was struck by how clearly they present a picture of God’s beginning-to-end, all-encompassing love for us.
A Lamb
The main player in God’s master plan of salvation is revealed to us early in Scripture and He’s described as a lamb.
“Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” Gen. 22:8.
On its own the human race is sin-sick, lost, without a prayer. Adam’s and Eve’s choice saw to that. Our own choices see to that. We want our preferences, independence, our own way. We want our plan, not God’s.
But God’s love intervenes.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son…” (John 3:16).
A lamb – a gentle, innocent creature - was repeatedly sacrificed in the Old Testament to atone for man’s sin. God’s ultimate plan was that Jesus would enter our world and become like us, yet without sin. The Father allowed His Son to be humbled and sacrificed once, for all. Completely innocent, Jesus chose to obey and absorb our sin so that when He was killed, so was our death sentence.
A Shepherd
Jesus declared, “I am the good shepherd … I lay down my life for the sheep” (John 10:14-15).
Shepherds provide protection and pasture. They tend to the sick and wounded and search for those trapped or lost, rescuing them. Because we live in a fallen world, we will continually experience sin – its temptations and consequences. But Jesus doesn’t leave us to wander aimlessly or suffer alone. He walks every step with us, leading us to refreshing streams.
God has provided the only sacrifice that could solve our sin problem and bring us into the relationship with Him for which we were designed AND He has given us the Loving Caretaker who walks alongside us until we’re with Him face-to-face.
Lamb and Shepherd.
Alpha and Omega.
How great is His love for us!
-Kathi Fritz (a contributing writer and member of the COBI community)
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