Yes, but…look how far the L-O-V-E-O-F-G-O-D takes you—12+15+22+5+15+6+7+15+4 = 101%. Praise God—we can evidently conclude with even "mathematical certainty," that, while hard work and knowledge can get us a long way, and attitude appears to get us where we thinklove of God that will put us over the top—where God wants us to be! Picture the old saying about the daisy—the young girl, sitting out in the meadow, would pull a petal and say, "He loves me." The second petal would then get the response, "He loves me not," and so on, until the final petal told the story. Praise God—when it comes to the Lord, it would go more like this—"He loves me, He loves me knot," and no matter which one it ends up on, God still loves us!
we want to be, it is the
What am I talking about? Well, perhaps this quote from Herbert Lockyer will clarify—"Within the womb of Mary, there took place the mingling of Deity and humanity, the Holy Spirit being responsible for the love-knot of our Lord's two natures, making possible the coming of Jesus, not as God exclusively, nor man exclusively, but as the marvelous combination of the two—the God-Man, or 'God manifest in flesh.'" No, it's not Christmas yet, but it does put before us something very important to think about. Inside Mary was indeed a love-knot! Not a "not," but a knot—and there is a very big difference! I believe we can see this rather powerfully in the Biblical image of the "lamb," and more specifically, Jesus as the Lamb of God. You see, it's true—its not just a nursery rhyme or a fairy tale—Mary did have a little Lamb!
First, let me share some things in general terms. This image of the lamb spans the Scriptures—the first mention in Genesis 21:28 and the last in Revelation 22:3. In fact, it may even begin earlier than that, for Abel offered—"the firstlings of his flock"—and for that, he did pay dearly at the hands of his own brother. Page after page, the sacrificial lamb presents a startling picture. In order to be chosen, these lambs had to be male, less than one year of age, meek, gentle, and without blemish. We are also told they were to be kept whole, and without any broken bones. Oh, yes—they could never be boiled, only roasted! There is no doubt, they find their ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ! Hebrews 2 makes clear that Jesus was "chosen" to be our ultimate High Priest—not only presenting the offering, but being the offering. Hebrews 7 specifies that Jesus was without blemish or spot. The Psalms prophesy that not a bone would be broken, and there wasn't—His side was pierced to make sure He had died. Oh, yes, and roasted—"Our God is a consuming fire." (Hebrews 12:29)
Furthermore, the actual blood was crucial. As the Hebrews prepared to exit their bondage in Egypt, they spread the blood of the lamb on their door posts and lintels—all as a sign of the safety and the protection that can be found under the blood of Jesus Christ. You see, throughout all the years of the Old Testament, the offering of a lamb and his blood by a sinning Israelite could not atone for his sin. Such an offering was accepted by God by virtue of the future sacrifice at Calvary. When John the Baptist gazed on his cousin stepping into the Jordan River, he declared, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." (John 1:29) Praise God—the Greek word used here for "taketh," refers to "a lifting up, a taking up and away, or a bearing or carrying away." Though all of the thousands of innocent lambs gave their lives, it was all to prefigure the ultimate sacrifice of God in His Son at the Cross. Actually, this reference in John's gospel can be regarded as the first clear presentation of the Cross in New Testament times; and in that, as F.B. Meyer put it, "The Gospel glistens in it as the whole sun in a single dewdrop."
Perhaps all of this talk of the gallons and gallons of shed blood from animals begs a crucial question—"Why couldn't the price paid over the years on the altars of Israel pay the cost of sin, give the guilty conscience true peace, or wash away the stain? The answer is quite simple—it wasn't animals who had sinned, and thereby, deserved to die. We did, though, and that is why God became man! Even if Jesus were the only man to merit the title "Lamb," due to His innocence, meekness, and submission, His blood still would have no more power than the animal's. Praise God—He was much more than just a really good man! And, Glory to God, He was far more than just the Lamb of God—He was, and still is God! This is how His poured out blood atoned for the sin of a fallen humanity, and those five bleeding wounds, though they bleed no more, continue to pour out effectual prayers for all. Jesus Christ is fully man and fully God! Two natures brought together into one amazing love-knot that very powerfully ties us to our loving God and to each other!
Charles Wesley, the famed hymn-writer, caught the essence of the mystery of the blood of Jesus:
Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou, my God, should die for me?
'Tis mystery all! The Immortal dies!
Who can explore His strange design.
Oh, sure, I don't think we can fully explore these things right now, but we do need to open our eyes to it. Paul, in his stirring farewell exhortation to the elders of Ephesus, told them, "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which He hath purchased with His own blood." (Acts 20:28) Imagine—due to His own love-knot with His creation, God's blood was shed to purchase His Church. One of my favorite hymns, "The Church's One Foundation," says it all:
…From heav'n He came and sought her
To be His holy bride;
With His own blood He bought her
And for her life He died.
Paul gave them a warning, too—"For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them." (vss. 29-30) There are people today that reason that we do not have to be holy because Jesus was, and He was God—and we are not! No, Jesus' dual nature shows us the way to be in-dwelt by the Holy Spirit, which is how He lived His life. That love-knot is the true mystery that changes everything—even the human heart and life. The transcendent sacredness of the true Church of Christ rests solely on the dignity and Deity of her Lord and His precious blood. Praise God—it is this glorious mingling of Deity and humanity that can bring us out of the Kingdom of Darkness, and into the Kingdom of Light—washing away our stains, making us acceptable to a holy and righteous God, and secure for us the promise of eternal life.
Watch out for the wolves—many have sheep's clothing—they can be behind the pulpit, refusing to confront sin, and tickling ears with entertainment to keep the churches full. They can come from the pew, too—whispering and gossiping, dividing people and drawing them away. People are also flocking to so-called new things—"Fresh Fire," they sometimes call it. Discern the spirits, my friends—it does not line up with the purity and holiness of the God-Man. Surely, you would think the church would understand these things—I mean, after all—believe it or not—even the world is beginning to get a glimpse of the truth of God's Word. I recently read that some neuroscientists and biochemists are suggesting that toxic chemicals are being released into our brains when we persist with malicious thoughts, grudges, and complaining spirits. Microphotographs have revealed burned-out tunnel-like holes in the nerve cells—"emotional black holes," they call them. These doctors also claim that when such behavior is stopped, you can grow a new memory over an old one. Science is now suggesting that one crucial element of the healing process isforgiveness! Yes, F-O-R-G-I-V-E-N-E-S-S—imagine that—a grand total of 139%—in fact, it hit 101% just before the two blockbuster "S's". God has been saying that for years! This is why He tied His love-knot in the first place—to bring us into a glorious, over-the-top relationship as the Bride of Christ—forever tied together in His eternal love. Where do you want your life to end up? Go ahead, do the math!
