The Sacrifice Lamb by Joylene M Bailey

Photo by Matt Seymour on Unsplash

“Celebrating Lent was not part of my Baptist upbringing” was how I was going to begin this blog post. But then I thought, I don’t even know if ‘celebrating’ is the right word. That’s how much I know about Lent. Do you celebrate Lent, or practice it? Observe it? Maybe you just get through it.

And so …

Lent was not part of my Baptist upbringing. I remember hearing comments about it from some of my friends at school, but I never paid any attention to them.

As I got into my teen years, I learned a little more. You gave up something, like chocolate, for 40 days. I could never figure out why chocolate would have anything to do with the days leading up to Easter … unless it had something to do with those one-pound solid chocolate bunnies we always got in our Easter baskets. Could that be it? No chocolate, no chocolate, no chocolate. BOOM! Chocolate!

Image by pasja1000 from Pixabay 

It didn’t make any sense to me.

So when this month’s theme came up, I asked the Lord to teach me what Lent was all about. What is it about giving something up for 40 days? Sacrificing something.

And what is real sacrifice anyway?

That’s the question I was pondering when I had lunch with a good friend. She mentioned that her Bible Study group was learning about Jewish feasts and festivals. Passover is the next one.

“Did you know,” she said, “that in the Old Testament, when the Israelites were preparing to celebrate Passover, they chose the unblemished lamb five days before it was slaughtered? They brought it into the house to live with them.”

Then she calmly went on to take another bite of salad while I sat there stunned.

They brought the lamb into the house? Where the adults would trip over it? Where the children would play with it and then fall in love with it? This lamb that would be slaughtered five days later would break the children’s hearts.

Photo by Bill Fairs on Unsplash

In that split second I began to understand what true sacrifice meant.

So now, not only was I researching Lent, I was researching Passover.

Sure enough. The lamb was chosen five days prior to Passover, on Lamb Selection Day. It was brought into the house for those five days so that it could be inspected and proved to be unblemished. And then, slaughtered at twilight five days later.

To my astonishment, I learned that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey on Lamb Selection Day. Five days later he was crucified, on the day that the Passover lambs were being slaughtered. Our Sacrifice Lamb.

So, what is real sacrifice?

It’s what broke the children’s hearts to have their pet slaughtered. It’s what tore Mary’s heart to see her son beaten and crucified. It’s what God the Father and Jesus the Son were willing to go through for the salvation of all mankind. For my salvation.

Lent … sacrifice … Passover … sacrifice … My brain was making the connections. And it being MY brain, needed this all to boil down to the lowest common denominator.

I understand that there are many components to Lent, but for me it all comes down to one thing: Remembering the Sacrifice.

Now I know that those who choose to give up something for Lent do so to remind themselves, every time they find themselves reaching for the thing they’ve given up, that Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice.

I don’t know that I’ll start observing Lent now, but on this journey God has brought me to a fresh understanding. And all through the eyes of a child and a pet lamb.

Image by Thomas B. from Pixabay 

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These are some of the websites I went to in my research for this post. They are worth checking out:

https://whatthenwhynow.org/the-path-of-the-lamb/

https://acts242study.com/lamb-selection-day/

https://www.crosswalk.com/blogs/jason-soroski/passion-week-part-1-lamb-selection-day.html

http://jewishrootsofchristianity.org/pdfs/120329-jesus-triumphal-entry.pdf

https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/lent-101-honoring-the-sacrifice-of-jesus-1382259.html

https://www.hebrew4christians.com/Holidays/Introduction/introduction.html

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Joy writes from her home in Edmonton where she is presently hunkering down with the Cowboy and Babe. Find more of her writing at Scraps of Joy.

A Glimpse of Heaven-Sulo Moorthy

When our Women's ministry chose to study the Book of Revelation this Fall, I got excited. For years, I've avoided reading  the last book of the Bible thinking that I wouldn't even understand what's written in those chapters even if I try my best to grasp the meaning of the symbols and signs mentioned in the book.

My enthusiasm for the study heightened  when I learned that we were going to follow Beth Moore's teaching on Revelation through video sessions. Along with me,  80-100 women signed up for this study to get a grasp of what is uniquely revealed in this Book.

As Beth Moore points out in her study book-" No scholar, commentary, denomination, preacher or teacher can plausibly claim to have all the answers and ultimate interpretation for this fascinating finish of scripture. It's futile to expect a full understanding of everything written in the book. As long as God is glorified and His Word held sacred and inspired, having our views challenged can be a very healthy thing."

Surely, our concept of God and understanding of His Word shape our lives and reflect in our faith walk. As a child attending church on the other side of the globe, I grew up calling Christ as Jesu Papa and picturing  Him with the image that I saw on calendars hung on the wall or on Sunday school takeaways- the smiling Jesus with blond hair and blue eyes having  little kids on His lap, or the One with a staff in His hand and a lamb around His neck.

 In my teen years, when I was introduced to the meaning of grace and salvation, I began to see Jesus as the One who died on the cross for my sins in order to give me a place in heaven. . As I grew in years and in my faith, He became my Lord and Savior. When life and family brought challenges and threw uncertainties to fog my view, I saw Christ as my provider, protector, deliverer and counselor,

 In this last book of the Bible, through the eyes of Apostle of John, God has revealed to us the majesty of Christ which we haven’t seen before. Even John couldn’t compose himself to stand straight, but to fall as if dead at the sight of his Lord.  He couldn’t see the Son of Man as Jesus of Nazareth with whom he once walked, talked and ate in Galilee, or as the One who stood silently with a twisted crown of thorns on His head before the mockers, who shouted,“ Hail King of Jews”, and struck Him with their hands. Nor did John see Jesus as the risen Christ, who showed up within closed walls with nail marks on His hands and feet, or the One who was taken up to heaven in clouds while two men robed in white apparel stood on guard.

 Instead, in the first few chapters of the book that I’ve studied so far, John sees Christ as Son of God whose eyes shone like blazing fire and feet looked like burnished bronze, and  voice sounding like rushing waters announcing that He’s the First and the Last. Later, in the throne room of God, where the throne dazzled with the brilliance of jasper and carnelian, and voices of angels numbering ten thousand times ten thousand singing,

“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain
To receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
And honor and glory and praise!”

John  sees Christ as a slain Lamb, the only One worthy to open the scroll that was in the right hand of God seated on the throne.

“ To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
Be praise and honor and glory and power forever and ever!” sang every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them. Rev: 5:11,13.

 Wow! What a glorious scene, and what a mighty King we serve! It's too wonderful to realize that, such a holy and glorious Christ, who is hailed day and night by thousands of angels in heaven, knows my name,  hears my prayers from His throne room and comes to my rescue in my time of need. Such a knowledge makes me want to fall flat on my face in gratitude and worship Him with adoration till my last breath. Instead of confining a day of celebration for thanksgiving, I pray that thankfulness would become my way of life.