Preparing the Way for the Coming of the Lamb of God

Well, good morning, everyone! Certainly so good to see all of you once again. The wonderful springtime is here. The weather is warming, beautiful blossoms are appearing, and the spring holy days are just around the corner, as we've been hearing. The Passover, we know, is on Friday night, March 26, just 20 days away. The Passover is certainly a commemoration of the biggest event ever to happen in all of history. And you would think that the biggest event would require a lot of preparation, and indeed it did. That preparation was precise. It was exact. Every detail was carefully planned. And so the sermon I'd like to give this morning is with the title, Preparing the Way for the Coming of the Lamb of God. Preparing the Way for the Coming of the Lamb of God. And to introduce the topic, I'd like for us to do a short group quiz. There are just seven questions on this group quiz. It's true and false quiz. So let's see how we do. Number one, preparing for the coming of the Lamb of God began millions, perhaps billions, of years ago. True or false? True. And I think we will see that in just a moment. We'll read a verse or two on that. Number two, the Old Testament animal sacrifices foreshadowed the Lamb's suffering and death. Alright. True. Alright. Go ahead and speak up on them. Give me your thoughts. Okay, number three, the human family lineage of the Lamb of God flowed through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And then Jacob's 12 sons, it flowed through Joseph. True or false? False. Okay. It flowed not through Joseph. The birthright promises went through Joseph, but the Lamb of God would come from the tribe of Judah. We'll see some verses on that. Okay, number four, there are many detailed Old Testament prophecies about the life, death, and resurrection of the Lamb of God. Okay. True. I'm going by not sound, but your head's nodding. Okay, number five, John the Baptist was chosen from the womb to prepare the way for the coming of the Lamb. Okay, true. Number six, true or false? This is a chronology question. The coming of the Lamb was about 2,000 years into human history, 2,000 years after Adam and Eve were created. False. How many years was it? About 4,000. Okay. And the last one, true or false, Mary and Joseph were notified of the birth of the Lamb at the same time. False. Mary found out first. We'll see a verse or two on that as well. Then Joseph found out just a bit later on. All right, well, let's in the sermon, then consider ways that God carefully prepared for the coming of the Lamb of God. You know, a big event, whether it's a building or some project that is being considered, takes a lot of planning. A lot of thought has to go into it. And so a lot of planning and a lot of thought went into the coming, the first coming of the Lamb of God. I want to give you seven distinct ways, and I'm sure we could come up with more, but these are certainly major ways that God prepared for the coming of the Lamb of God. Number one is that the planning began before time began. Let's read a few verses on that. Titus chapter 1. We're going to be reading quite a few verses, so we'll be turning to them as quickly as possible. In Titus chapter 1 and verse 1, Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect. And verse 2, skipping on down, in hope of eternal life which God who cannot lie promised before time began. And we know that time began when God created the sun and the earth and the moon and ways of reckoning time. So before creation, let's go to 1 Peter chapter 1.

Neither before the creation then, God began to think about the plan of salvation for mankind, and it would involve a Lamb that would come. In 1 Peter chapter 1 and verse 18, knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things. You know, redeemed has to do with a purchase or a price being paid. We were not redeemed, we were not bought with corruptible things like silver and gold from your aimless conduct. Verse 19, but with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot. Verse 20, He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but manifest in these last times to you. So this sacrifice, this coming of the Lamb of God to pay for our sins and buy us back from the death penalty, was foreordained before the foundation of the world. Let's also read Revelation 13 and verse 8.

And I know these are verses. This sermon will be a good review of things that we know, but I think it will put it all together in a very nice way. Revelation 13 and verse 8, All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. So we have these verses showing that the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, the planning, the preparation for it began in very ancient times. And it staggers our minds to think about that millions and millions, maybe billions of years ago. God began to plan this plan of salvation that we are now coming to understand. An ancient blueprint, you might say, was being was drawn up. An ancient blueprint. It was precise and exact. Every detail was carefully planned. We'll come in just a bit closer to our time.

Number, the second way that God prepared the way for the coming of the Lamb of God, he planned 4,000 years of animal sacrifices to help prepare the way to picture the suffering and the death of the Lamb of God. In the first over 2,000 years, these sacrifices were actually done by individuals. Abel didn't have any Levitical priesthood around, so he offered the animal himself. Noah, after the flood, also individually offered an animal sacrifice to God. Abraham built altars. Isaac, also, and Jacob. They built altars. There was no Levitical priesthood, so they individually, it was a part of their worship. And these animal sacrifices were a type of the sacrifice of the Lamb of God that would come. I don't know just how much did they understand that this pictured Christ. This was a part of their worship. They did it obediently. God instructed them how to do it, and they did it. They must have seen that far off it did represent something, and they knew that their sacrifice in the animals was a way of worshiping God and pleasing God. So there were sacrifices by the patriarchs individually. Then after the Israelites, or actually when the Israelites were yet in slavery in Egypt, then God instituted the Passover. This animal sacrifice also was done by individual families. They would build a, or they would kill a lamb, select a lamb on the 10th day of the first month, and then sacrifice that animal at the beginning of the 14th day. And so this was also performed by individual families. And that was instituted then as a very type of the sacrifice of Christ. These lambs were killed, in fact, on the very same day that the Lamb of God later would be slain. But then when the Israelites came on out of Egypt, God instituted animal sacrifices to be performed by the tribe of Levi. And we have a whole book, the book of Leviticus, that describes these sacrifices, these animal sacrifices, which were a type of the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, which could never actually take away sin. All of these animal sacrifices could not take away sin. But they did help to prepare the way for the coming of the Lamb of God. They did look ahead to His supreme suffering and sacrifice for us. So that's the second way that God prepared for the coming of the Lamb of God. A third way is that at a certain point in human history, God chose a or selected a family through whom the, which would be the family lineage for the Lamb of God. It was the family, as we know, the family of Abraham. He chose Abraham.

So through Abraham, all the people, all the nations of the earth would be blessed. Paul brings out in Galatians 3 and verse 16 that it is through the seed of Abraham, not many seeds, but one seed, that is Jesus Christ. And that was looking forward then to Him coming and giving His life for us. So the human family lineage that was selected and prepared flowed through Abraham and his descendants, then Isaac, then Jacob. And no, not Joseph. Joseph did have the birthright promises given to him, but it was through the tribe of Judah. Let's read a verse or two on that in Genesis chapter 49. So the spiritual blessing of forgiveness of our sins would be through a descendant of Judah. Let's read this in Genesis chapter 49 and verse 10. The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a law giver from between his feet, until Shiloh, and that is capitalized here in the New King James Version, referring to Christ until Christ comes, and to him shall be the obedience of the people. Certainly, all of us are brought into an obedient relationship through forgiveness of our sins and the sacrifice made by Jesus Christ. 1 Chronicles 5 brings out that Judah prevailed over his brothers, and from him came a ruler. That's 1 Chronicles 5 and verse 2. Hebrews 7 and verse 14 says, it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah. So it's very obvious. And of course, the charts, the human lineage charts that are given in Matthew 1 and Luke 3 show that both Joseph and Joseph, who was like the stepfather to Jesus, and then Mary, who was the literal mother giving birth to Jesus, the exact lineage came right on down to Joseph and Mary, and it flowed from Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Judah. Let's just turn to Matthew 1 to see that. It's good to read these verses and be reminded of just how the human family of Jesus flowed all the way down from Abraham to Joseph and Mary. In Matthew chapter 1 and verse 1, the book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham, Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers. And then it goes on through Judah. It comes down to David, and it comes all the way down then to Joseph, who again was not the literal father in any blood sense. He was the legal father, like the stepfather. And then Luke's account, as I think most of us are aware, Luke's account is different when it comes on down to the last third of it. It zeros in on what we believe can be shown to be Mary's lineage. Mary then is where Jesus got his flesh and blood existence from Mary, that is given in Luke chapter 3. So the human family lineage was very carefully prepared for the coming of the Lamb of God. Okay, number four, another way that God planned and prepared ahead of time was some anti-types of the coming of the Lamb. We won't turn to these. We are very much aware of them. But in Genesis 22, Abraham was told to go and sacrifice his son. We know that Abraham had the knife up in the air when God stopped him. It was a type of the father and the Lamb of God, except the father did not stop that crucifixion that took place. There was also another anti-type of the coming of the Lamb of God in Moses. In Deuteronomy chapter 18, we'll read about that. Moses said there would be a prophet likened to him, and we see many types and parallels between Moses and the Lamb of God. Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, and the Lamb of God leads us out of spiritual Egypt, forgiveness of our sins and then helps us to overcome our sins.

We want to spend quite a bit of time on way number five. There are many, many detailed prophecies of the coming of the Lamb of God. These prophecies are amazing, and some of them go back a thousand years before the Lamb even came. Let's read just a few of them. Daniel chapter 9, we find one. Daniel, we'll begin here. The very time element when the Lamb would come is given to us here in Daniel chapter 9, beginning in verse 24. Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city to do what? Well, several things to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity. That's what the Lamb of God has done or would do in bringing in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy. So verse 25 now, know therefore and understand that, and here we have a starting point of this prophecy where we can calculate that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks. Add those together, the sixty-nine weeks or 483 days. And since a day in prophecy often represents a year, this will be 483 years. Well, that decree went forth in 457 BC by King Artaxerxes, a Persian king. You can read about it in Ezra chapter 7. And you can also look up online an explanation of the 70 weeks prophecy on the UCG website. And so this 457 BC, and then we count 483 years forward, it brings us to the very time that Jesus began his public ministries, 27 AD.

So, and the Jews, some of the Jews were aware that this prophecy was due to be fulfilled in their time, and they were looking for it to be. So, even when the Lamb would come was prophesied in the Old Testament. Let's go to Micah over just a few pages to the book of Micah.

And let's read chapter 5 and verse 2. Micah chapter 5 and verse 2. Even where? Where the Lamb of God would be born. Micah 5 and verse 2. But you, Bethlehem, Ephrata, there was another secondary or other Bethlehem, I believe up in one of the other tribes, Simeon or up to the north. But this was Bethlehem just south of Jerusalem. Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to me the one to be ruler in Egypt, in Israel, pardon me, whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting, obviously, then talking about Jesus Christ. And so Jesus Christ was to come out of Bethlehem. Well, it's amazing how a decree went out from the Roman Empire to bring the family of Joseph and Mary, who was now large with child, down to Bethlehem, where Jesus was indeed born. He indeed did come out of Bethlehem. Let's go to now Isaiah chapter 7 and verse 14. But brethren, these are amazing prophecies, many of them given 600, 800 years or more before the Lamb of God even came. Isaiah chapter 7 and verse 14.

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign, behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel. So this is talking about the birth of Jesus Christ through a virgin. I think Isaiah must have scratched his head on that one. A virgin is going to bear a son.

He knew something was going to happen, but I doubt he fully understood this. But it was explained to Joseph when God revealed that Mary's pregnancy was through the Holy Spirit. Then this verse is cited in Matthew chapter 1, the fulfillment being that Mary did indeed conceive and bear Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. The very place of the Lamb's ministry is given. Let's read just a couple of chapters forward. Isaiah chapter 9 and verse 1.

Nevertheless, the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed, as when at first he lightly esteemed the land of Zebulun and the land of Naftali, and afterward more heavily oppressed by the way of the sea beyond the Jordan in Galilee of the Gentiles. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined. This is cited in Matthew chapter 4. Jesus Christ began His public ministry. It's called the Great Galilean Ministry, and He began it in the land of Galilee up to the north of Jerusalem. The very place of the ministry of Christ then is described. The manner of His ministry is given in Isaiah 42. Jesus did not come as a conquering king. He came as a meek, humble land that would be sacrificed.

Let's read in Isaiah 42 and verse 1. Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my elect one, in whom my soul delights. I have put my spirit upon him. He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. But what was the nature? How did He come? A conquering king or a meek and humble like a lamb that would be sacrificed? Verse 2. He will not cry out, nor raise his voice, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed he will not break, and smoking flax he will not quench. He will bring forth justice for truth. He will not fail, nor be discouraged. This blends on over into his Second Coming, till he has established justice in the earth, and the coastlands shall wait for his law.

Verses 2 and 3 about a bruised reed he will not break and a smoking flax. This is cited in Matthew 12. This is the nature, the manner in which Jesus Christ came. Not a conquering king at all, but a meek, lowly lamb that would be ultimately sacrificed. Do you know the very message that Jesus brought is also revealed? Let's turn to Isaiah chapter 61.

And what message? We know that was the gospel of the kingdom of God.

And so Jesus came bringing that message, and that was foretold by Isaiah around 700 years before Christ came. Isaiah chapter 61 and verse 1, The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings. Good tidings is the same as the gospel. To preach the gospel then to the poor, he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the present to those who are bound, and proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. And Jesus Christ cites this in Luke chapter 4 on a Sabbath day.

So the very message he would bring, the gospel of the kingdom of God, Jesus would come doing his Father's will. He said, Often not my will, but your will be done. Let's read about that in Psalm 40. Psalm 40 and verse 6, Jesus would not come to do his own will, but the will of God.

Psalm 40 and verse 6, Sacrifice and offering you did not desire. My ears you have opened, burnt offering and sent offering you did not require. Then I said, Behold, I come, in the scroll of the book it has written of me. I delight to do your will. And the Lamb of God did delight to do the Father's will. I delight to do your will, O my God, and your law is within my heart. I proclaim the good news of righteousness and the great congregation.

These verses are cited in Hebrews chapter 10, showing that Jesus Christ has offered one sacrifice once and for all and that he did come indeed to do the Father's will, not his own.

Near the end of his human life when he came into Jerusalem, it was foretold by Zechariah. Again, this is hundreds of years before the coming of the Lamb of God. Let's go to Zechariah chapter 9 and verse 9. It was foretold or prophesied that he would come into Jerusalem this last time riding on a donkey, not on a white horse, ready to conquer, but on a donkey ready to be sacrificed, actually, for our sins.

In Zechariah chapter 9 and verse 9, Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion. Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem. Behold, your king is coming to you. He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey. So it was foretold then that Jesus Christ would come in this lowly, humble manner. It was foretold that he would be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver. Zechariah 14. I'm sorry, Zechariah 11, that is, and verse 12. Zechariah chapter 11 and verse 12. Then I said to them, If it is agreeable to you, give me my wages, and if not, refrain. So they weighed out for my wages 30 pieces of silver. And the Lord said to me, The princely price they set on me.

So I took the 30 pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord for the potter. And that is exactly what Judas Iscariot did. He did throw it into the house of the temple area. So they weighed out 30 pieces of silver. And you'll find mention of that in Matthew chapter 26, referring to what Judas betrayed Christ for. The Lamb of God would be pierced. Let's read that in Zechariah here, chapter 12 and verse 10.

I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and supplication, then they will look on me whom they have pierced and mourn as one mourns for his only son. And we find in John chapter 19 that indeed a Roman soldier did pierce the side of Jesus Christ. Some of the most outstanding prophecies are found in Isaiah 52 and 53. We'll read a part of this. It shows in great detail what Jesus Christ, what the Lamb of God was doing for us.

Isaiah 52 and beginning to read in verse 13. Behold, my servant shall deal prudently. He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high. Just as many were astonished at you, so his visage is marred more than any man. So shall he sprinkle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths at him. Everyone, actually, we all shut our mouths. For what has not been told them, they shall see, and what they have not heard, they shall consider. In chapter 53, all of it is about the first coming of the Lamb of God. Verse 3, just to cut on through this, a few verses in this chapter.

He is despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. We hid, as it were, our faces from him. He was despised, and we did not esteem him. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. We esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.

He was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement for our peace was upon him. And by his stripes, we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray and turned to our own way. The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. And just all the details of this prophecy we read about at the end of the life of the Lamb of God that they happened just as foretold. In verse 7, he was oppressed, he was afflicted, he opened not his mouth.

They were amazed sometimes that Jesus just didn't say anything. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, as a sheep before his shearers, it is silent. So he opened not his mouth. And even that he was numbered with the transgressions as mentioned in here as well, he certainly was, between a couple of criminals. So amazing prophecy by Isaiah, over 700 years before the coming of the Lamb, in detail of what would happen. Let's go to also Psalm 22.

I hope you'll read all of Isaiah 53, 52 and 53, just an outstanding prophecy of the coming of the Lamb of God and his suffering for us. In Psalm 22 and verse 1, Psalm 22 and verse 1, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me and from the words of my groaning? These are words that Jesus would say, would utter on the cross. My God, my God.

You can look up where in the Gospels. This is a Psalm of David. This will be around a thousand years before the Lamb of God would say that on the cross. Verse 6, But I am a worm and no man, a reproach of men and despised of the people. All those who see me laugh me to scorn. They shoot up the lip, they shake their head. He trusted in the Lord, let him rescue him. Let him deliver him since he delights in him.

They mucked Jesus Christ. These things came to pass. Verse 14, I am poured out like water. All my bones are out of joint.

Crucifixion was a horrible death. His bones were out of joint. My heart is like wax. It is melted within me. We get the very thoughts of the innermost thoughts of the Lamb of God. My strength is dried up like a potcher. My tongue clings to my jaws. They have brought me to the dust of death. Dogs have surrounded me. The assembly of wicked men have enclosed me. They pierced my hands and my feet. You know, the Romans had not yet come on the scene to crucify. That's how this is talking about putting nails, crucifixion in the hands and in the feet. And so this wasn't even being done yet. The Romans were not even on the scene. I don't know if it was being done anywhere else at that time, but this is describing the very manner of which Christ would be put on the stake or across, and it would be pierced in His hands and His feet. I can count all my bones. They look and stare at me. They divide my garments among them, which they did. In my clothing they cast lots. Amazing prophecies. So God prepared numerous scriptures here in the Old Testament. Do you know that the Jews did not understand the first coming of Christ? The disciples did not understand. Even though Jesus told them He was going to be killed, they still didn't get it. They really did not understand these verses that we have just read. Let's turn to Luke chapter 24. It was not until after the resurrection that the disciples finally got it. They finally came to understand all these scriptures that foretold the sufferings of Christ. They just couldn't believe it during the ministry of Christ. They just couldn't believe that Jesus Christ was going to be put to death. Notice here in Luke chapter 24 verse 44, He said to them, and this is then Jesus appearing to His disciples after He was resurrected, He said, These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms concerning Me. So we just read many of those verses from the law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms. Verse 45, And He opened their understanding that they might comprehend the scriptures. They finally understood, Oh, before the kingdom is set up and Christ becomes king, He was to come a first time and suffer and die. They finally got it. Verse 46, He said to them, Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ, the Lamb of God, to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day. They finally really understood, and the repentance would be preached. So these Old Testament prophecies, they played a major role in preparing the way for the coming of the Lamb of God. Okay, the sixth way that God prepared the way for the Lamb of God was the work of John the Baptist. Now we get to, you might say, contemporary times with Christ. Just before Christ would begin His ministry, John the Baptist had a ministry that he did, and that had been foretold as well. Let's look at Malachi 3 and verse 1, that there would be a messenger. There would be someone announcing the coming of the Lamb of God.

In Malachi chapter 3 and verse 1, Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight. Behold, he is coming. And so this is talking about John the Baptist. You can actually read that this is the fulfillment in the Gospels. It was John the Baptist that has been referred to. You can also read in Isaiah 40 and verse 3 about one crying in the wilderness. We won't turn to that, but Isaiah 40 and verse 3, one crying in the wilderness. John the Baptist was chosen from the womb to be this messenger. Let's do read John chapter 1, and here we see the work of John the Baptist. We see him in action, John, and giving witness to the coming of the Lamb of God. In John chapter 1 and verse 22, they said to him, the Jewish leadership had sent out to try to find out who this John the Baptist was. So verse 21, they said, are you Elijah? He said, no. Are you the prophet? That prophet that was like Moses? No. They said to him, who are you then that we may give answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself? He said, verse 23, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness. This is quoting Isaiah 40 and verse 3. I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness. Make straight the way of the Lord. As the prophet Isaiah said, now those who were sent were from the Pharisees. They asked, why do you baptize if you are not the Christ or Elijah or the prophet? John said, I baptize with water. There stands one among you whom you do not know. It is he who coming after me is preferred before me, whose sandals trap I am not worthy to lose. These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing. Well, the next day, verse 29, the next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. So John gave witness, this is the one here. You know, it's amazing that John the Baptist and Jesus did not really work in the same area at all. They really were quite separate in the work that they did. So there was no collaboration that was going on between the two of them. But when John saw Jesus, he said, the Lamb of God. Why did he know this was the Lamb of God? Well, let's read on down. Verse 30, this is he of whom I said, after me comes a man who was preferred before me, for he was before me. I did not know him, no, they didn't collaborate or know each other all that well, work in the same area or anything, but that he should be revealed to Israel. Therefore I came baptizing with water. John bore witness, saying, I saw the Spirit, here's why he knew, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and he remained upon him. I did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize, that would be God, with water, said to me, upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining on him, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God. So that's how John knew.

And again, he said in verse 35, the next day John stood with two of his disciples. And looking at Jesus as he walked, he said, behold, the Lamb of God. Two of these disciples went and followed Christ, became among the twelve disciples. So the work of John the Baptist was a major, almost contemporary work or preparation for the coming of the Lamb of God. A seventh way that needed to be fulfilled for the preparation would be the notification to Mary and Joseph, that they would be the human parents for the Lamb of God. Let's go to Luke chapter 1 and verse 31.

They descended from the tribe of Judah. Luke 1 and verse 31. And so they were both Jews who descended from the tribe of Judah. They were both descendants of David. Jesus was to be the Son of David. In Luke chapter 1 and verse 31, the angel Gabriel here notifying Mary, behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a son and shall call his name Jesus. Mary didn't understand. It was explained to her what was happening and how it would happen. And in verse 38, Mary now had been notified and she said, behold, the maidservant of the Lord, let it be to me according to your word.

She would be the mother of the Lamb of God that would be born into the world. What about Joseph was not informed yet. Let's go to Matthew chapter 1. A little bit later before Joseph was notified, but that was a part of the preparation. This would be the family in which the Lamb of God would be born. And, you know, there were many other—we many times don't think about it, but there were other—Jesus came up with other siblings. I believe his four brothers are listed in the Scriptures, and it mentions sisters. So that would be at least two. So he had at least six siblings. So as Jesus came up—then he was the eldest of them all—but Mary gave birth to these other six. Jesus was one of at least seven. So Jesus came up with siblings. We know that James and Jude are two of them that were mentioned later in the New Testament Church, but it seems like most of them probably were not in the Church.

Or maybe they were. Anyway, Jesus came up in quite a large family. I'm one of six, stuck in appreciate being—he was one of seven, at least seven. Let's read here in Matthew chapter 1 and verse 20. That Joseph—well, verse 18 beginning, there was a betrothal Joseph and Mary, and before they came together she was found with a child. He began to notice some abdominal size in Mary, and so he was going to put her away, not making her a public example. And the angel of God appeared to him in a dream, verse 20, and said, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you, Mary, your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. So we have Joseph notified also. He would be the legal father of—and you might say—the stepfather-like of the Lamb of God. So Joseph and Mary were notified of what they would do. So, brethren, look at all the ways that God prepared for the coming of the Lamb of God. He foreordained the Lamb before creation, before the foundation of the world. He ordained animal sacrifices to be offered. He chose the righteous family of Abraham, which would provide the family lineage for the Lamb of God, provided anti-types also. He inspired prophets to just give details of what the coming of the Lamb would be like, where He would be born, where His ministry would be began, and what it would be like, which tribe it would be from, and what city, that He'd be rejected by men, betrayed, scourged, pierced.

You know one other thing that was also prophesied to happen? Let's go to Psalm 16. Very important. He would not remain in the grave very long. He would be resurrected. The Lamb of God would be resurrected. He would not just remain in that grave. In Psalm 16 in verse 8, I have set the Lord always before me because He is at my right hand. I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices. My flesh also will rest in hope, for you will not leave my soul in Sheol, that is the grave, nor will you allow your Holy One to seek corruption. You will show me the path of life in your presence, its fullness of joy, at your right hand, our pleasures forevermore. You know, this is cited by Peter in Acts 2, saying, hey, this is not talking about David. This is talking about the Lamb of God. He would be resurrected. So Peter on that day of Pentecost was preaching the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. So we see all these ways that God prepared. You know, with that much preparation, that will show the coming of the Lamb of God. Just what a significant event that was. It was the greatest single event on that Passover day where he died for the sense of mankind. It was the greatest day, the greatest event ever. Another Lamb of God then did come. He did fulfill these prophecies that were given. Four Gospel books. God didn't just inspire one. Four Gospel books describe the fulfillment of the coming of the Lamb of God. All the preparation that was done.

Four Gospels. You know, that's about 10% of the Bible. About 10% of the Bible is in the Gospels. Of course, it's much about the coming of the Lamb of God outside the four Gospels, but 10% focused right in on the life of the Lamb of God and the sacrifice he made.

About one-third—let's go to John 11 and verse 55. Catch a verse here. Very important verse. About one-third of that zeros in on what is mentioned here in John 11 and verse 55. The Passover of the Jews was near. Near that Passover when Christ the Lamb of God would be sacrificed. Many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. They sought Jesus and spoke among themselves as they stood in the temple. What do you think? Will he come to the feast? Both the chief priest and the Pharisees had given a command that if anyone knew where he was, they would report that they might seize him. But look at chapter 12 and verse 1. Then six days before the Passover. This gives us a time element then. Jesus died on a Wednesday. The Passover was on a Wednesday, so this would be the preceding Thursday. Six days before the Passover when Jesus came to Bethany. Bethany was a suburb of Jerusalem. So now it was the time. Jesus had purposefully stayed away until six days before the Passover. And you know the rest of the book of John then is all about those six days plus the resurrection after he was crucified. And you can look up the same thing in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, the synoptic gospels. You can look up the parallel events there. And about one-third of the gospels focus on these final six days, just to show how important these days are, leading up to the crucifixion of the Lamb of God on Passover Day. So it'd be a good Bible study if you'd like to read about these six days. The Lamb rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. He confounded the Jewish leaders. He gave the Olivet prophecy. The Jews plotted to kill him. The disciples prepared that last, that Passover meal on a Tuesday, which Jesus partook of that night. Wednesday morning early he was betrayed, arrested, scourged, crucified, and died. You know, today I've just wanted to focus on the preparation, all the planning. It's amazing, isn't it? When you think about it, all the planning didn't just, wasn't something that just happened stance. God very carefully planned every detail of how the Lamb of God was to come and make this supreme sacrifice. You know, we know that Jesus didn't deserve this horrendous death. His death was the greatest injustice in history. But who really killed Jesus? Who is to blame? I'd like to end on on this thought, maybe I thought or two. Who was to blame? What about the Jewish mob? You know, they say, crucify Him. What about Pilate? He had a chance to release Jesus to free Him, and He did not do it. What about the Roman soldiers? You know, who really killed Jesus Christ? You know, the truth is that no human being is innocent of this crime. Our sins required His death. There's just no getting around that. But are we convinced of our personal guilt? Think about that. The Apostle Paul was. He considered himself the chief of sinners. First Timothy 1 and verse 15. So a passer, but we are to come to accept our guilt, because we really, all of us, contributed to the death of Jesus Christ. I look at myself and I say, could I have been in that mob that was crying out, crucify Him? Well, what if I had been born a real strict Pharisee?

And what if I was in Satan's world and God was not working with me like the Jewish mob? I think I could have been. I accept that I could have been there if I'd been brought up in that type environment. What about Pilate? What if I had been Pilate, the governor? Could I have given in to the Jewish demands, crucify Him? The pressure was there.

I think if I had been the governor and God was not working with me, and I was just a part of Satan's world, actually. What about the Roman soldiers? What about the soldier that drove those nails in his hands and feet? What if I had been the Roman soldier who had done this many times? He had nailed many criminals to the cross. He was very proficient in doing it. Here's to the Roman soldier. This was just another Jew. Whether criminal or not, he had the order to crucify him, so he was just carrying out that order. So I think it's healthy for us to realize that we could have done it. And so, a good question to keep asking ourselves before the Passover, who really killed the Lamb of God? And the correct answer, it was me. It was me. I'll tell you, there's a very good chapter in this book if you'd like to be more about who killed Jesus. It has that title, Who Killed Jesus, our booklet, Jesus Christ, the Real Story, a chapter near the end that would be very, very profitable to read because it is healthy for us to think that we, ourselves, are complicit, actually, in the death of Jesus Christ. And just another thought or two, in the ultimate sense, the death of Christ was according to the will of God.

Isaiah 53 brings out, it pleased the Lord, it pleased the Father to bruise him, to put him to grief when you make his soul an offering for sin. So it was according to the will of God the Father. And then it was also according to the will of Christ. Jesus said in John 10, 17, I lay down my life, no one takes it from me, but I lay it down of myself. This command I have received from my Father. So Jesus himself was willing to lay to do it. It was the plan that had been laid, it was the plan, it was in the blueprint from the very beginning, the lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Soon we ought to commemorate the end result of all this planning, the Passover. There'd be some good reading, the four Gospels, the last six days of Jesus' life, our Holy Day booklet, the chapter on the Passover. And this booklet has several chapters that directly relate to the Passover season, Jesus Christ the real story.

And there's one final passage. Let's see how, if I have time. I don't think I have time for this, but read Luke chapter 7 about the lady who washed Jesus' feet with her tears. Jesus said to her that because she had been forgiven much, she loved much. But he said, him that is forgiven little loves little. And so if we can look at ourselves and realize that we have been forgiven much, and though I have been, then we are going to love all the more. Because the more we see our sins and repent of them, the more we do love God our Father, and we love Jesus Christ for what they have done. Have a good set.