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It's going to be punctuated by a little bit of coughing because I've been having this since um Wednesday, but I think many of you have got a cough as well. Maybe God thinks that my sermon is a bit boring and some coughing may help to keep you awake. As some of you are already aware, we are now in the midst of a series on Exodus and this morning we are at Exodus chapter 12, the story of the lamb. Actually, Peter was supposed to preach this sermon on the lamb while my slot was supposed to be 20th October on mana, the break from heaven from Exodus 16. But near the end of August, Peter emailed me to suggest a swap. He wanted my mana in exchange for his lamb.
I started thinking, hey, lamb is not too bad, you know. I mean my wife Lea, she cooks really good, delicious lamb chops and ask my children and they will agree. And so I said okay to the swap. After all, I've never tasted mana.
But jokes aside, the story of the lamb is one of the most important topics in the Bible, if not the most important topic. It is a foundational theme that cuts across scripture from Genesis all the way to Revelation. Understanding the story of the lamb is both crucial and central to our faith. And you don't have to be a theologian to realize that this lamb spelled with a capital L refers to none other than Jesus, the lamb of God. I found out recently that there exists a heavy metal band that goes by the name Lamb of God. It amazes me that they couldn't think of a better name for their ridiculous act. Unfortunately, their lamb is not spelled with a capital L and God is not spelled with a capital G. Putting heavy metal aside, although I admit our discussion this morning is going to get a little heavy, but not that kind of heavy. It is also amazing to note that the term lamb of God appears only twice in the Bible both in John chapter 1. In John 1:29, the next day John referring to John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." And further down in verse 36, the next day, John, again, John the Baptist was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the lamb of God." Our task this morning is to trace the story of the lamb from our text in Exodus 12 to John chapter one here from the Old Testament to the New. Shall we start with a word of prayer?
Our father in heaven, open up your word for us this morning and reveal your truth to us so that we might find our place in your eternal plan. So that we might live life the way you intended us to live. Transform us by the power of your word and the sanctifying work of your spirit. For this we ask in Jesus' name. Amen. In November 1995, I had the good fortune of traveling to the mighty land of India. It was a 10-day trip which I thoroughly enjoyed. First I was in Neil Delhi, then to Agra where I visited the Taj Mahal and finally to Bombay, better known as Mumbai. Now I'm not sure what India is like today after two decades of rapid development. But the India I saw in the mid '90s is best described as both interesting and intriguing. While in Mumbai near the famous monument known as the Gateway of India, I was browsing around some shops and I chanced upon a most mysterious object. It was a lock of considerable age made of metal and very heavy. I suppose this can also be described as some form of heavy metal. It came with four keys all different and I could see only one keyhole which I have marked here with a red arrow. I was stumped for a while be before long I realized that one of the keys belonged to the keyhole that was visible but I couldn't open the lock because I didn't know what to do with the other three keys. I was determined to discover the secrets behind this enigma and so I bought it due to its antiquity. It did cost me a small fortune. Of course later I managed to open the lock and I can tell you that all four keys had to be used one by one. To cut a long story short, it can only be unlocked by working through the various clues that are embedded in his design. There are clues on the on the body of the lock itself and more clues on the keys. Now, we don't have time to go through this in more detail. Besides, it has little to do with Exodus chapter 12. But if you like, you're welcome to drop by my house and have a go at this challenging contraption free of charge. Or maybe I should charge you to recoup my investment. The reason why I showed you this old Indian lock is because sometimes understanding the Bible is comparable to trying to unlock this metallic mind teaser. There is a goal which is to open the lock. But you cannot get to the goal until you have examined and resolved the many clues that surround it. Studying the scripture is often a little like that. In Bible study, there is a goal to understand the passage or the truth. But we cannot get to that goal until we have examined and worked through the many clues that surround it. And this is of course done under the illumination of the Holy Spirit. On more than one occasion, I have said that Bible the Bible should be studied more than it should be read. Of course, you can do a casual reading of the Bible and you can be strengthened and encouraged along the way. Not a doubt. But because the Bible is so deep, serious Bible study as opposed to plain Bible reading is often more rewarding and more enlightening and therefore should be encouraged. We see through its many clues. We examine the many connections between passages. We read the verses in context so that we can better see the whole rather than in parts so that we can unlock the whole truth instead of a fraction of the truth. To set an example, let's consider the let's consider the fourth gospel. The gospel according to John. Now from the other three gospel accounts, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, we know that Jesus performed many miracles during his earthly ministry. Of all these many miracles, John chose only seven to be included in his book. And he didn't call them miracles. Instead, he called them signs. Now, we don't have time to discuss this in detail, but each of the seven signs in John was carefully chosen in order to reveal who Jesus was and what he had come to do. You shouldn't look at just one sign. It's like just having one key out of the several keys. When reading John, you must examine all seven signs one by one in order to see the larger picture. It is no coincidence that there are also seven seals on the scroll in Revelations 5:1. Seven seals that have to be broken one by one in order to open the scroll. in the book of revelation which most Bible scholars believe to be also written by John. Coming to the story of the lamb now with the lock the Indian lock as an analogy and with the seven signs in John as a model I want you to know that there are many clues or many signs in the old testament that point to Jesus as the lamb of God. The proclamation by John the Baptist which we saw earlier did not come out of the blue. Rather, it was the culmination of an elaborate plan that cuts across the centuries, across the pages of scripture.
