Lamb

1 Peter 1:18-19 - For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

John 1:29 - The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

Exodus 12:5 - The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats.

1 Corinthians 5:7 - Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

Hebrews 9:14 - How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

Conclusions:

• The Old Testament sacrifices were foreshadowings of Christ, depicting the ultimate and only effective sacrifice
• Thus Christ is the Passover lamb, who takes away the sin of the world
• Lamb of God is found in the Bible only in John 1
• Many suggestions have been made as to the precise meaning of Lamb of God
• Lamb of God seems to be a general reference to sacrifice, not the name for a particular offering
• John was saying that Jesus would be the sacrifice that would atone for the sin of the world
• Jesus was like a lamb without blemish or defect
• Get rid of the old yeast perhaps refers to the Passover custom of sweeping all the bread crumbs out of one’s house before preparing the Passover meal
• Positionally the Corinthians were a new batch, already sanctified in God’s sight, but Paul calls on them to become holy also in conduct
• In His death on the cross, Christ fulfilled the true meaning of the Jewish sacrifice of the Passover lamb
• Christ, the Lamb of God, was crucified on Passover day, a celebration that began the evening before when the Passover meal was eaten
• Christ was the One who offered the sacrifice, and He was the sacrifice itself
• Christ was unblemished in the entirety of His being, not just superficially
• Cleanse our consciences means remove sin’s defilement from the very core of our beings

Application:

• Do you see Christ as the ultimate and only effective sacrifice?
• Do you see Christ as the sacrifice that atones for the sin of the world?
• Do you see Christ as without defect?
• Are you becoming holy in conduct?
• Have you removed sin's defilement from the very core of your being?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible