II. WORD STUDIES

A. "Lamb of God" (Greek: ho amnos tou theou - ὁ ἀμνὸς τοῦ θεοῦ, Strong's G286 + G2316)

Meaning: A lamb, specifically a sacrificial lamb. Amnos points to the lamb led to slaughter, the innocent victim offered for sin.

Biblical Use: John the Baptist identifies Jesus as the fulfillment of every sacrificial lamb in the Old Testament - the Passover lamb, the daily temple sacrifices, the scapegoat on the Day of Atonement.

Application: Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice. No more lambs need to be slain. His death was once for all, sufficient for every sin of every person for all time.

B. "Takes Away" (Greek: airōn - αἴρων, Strong's G142)

Meaning: To lift up, to carry away, to remove, to take upon oneself. This is substitutionary bearing.

Biblical Use: The Lamb does not cover sin temporarily; He removes it permanently. He lifts it from us and carries it away.

Application: Your sin is not merely forgiven in the sense of overlooked. It is removed. Taken away. Carried off. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions (Psalm 103:12).

C. "Wounded for Our Transgressions" (Hebrew: mecholal mipsha'enu - מְחֹלָל מִפְּשָׁעֵנוּ, Strong's H2490 + H6588)

Meaning: Pierced, wounded, profaned for our rebellion, our revolt, our sin. Pasha means willful transgression, not accidental sin.

Biblical Use: Isaiah prophesies that the Suffering Servant would bear wounds for our deliberate rebellion. He was pierced not for His sin but for ours.

Application: Christ did not die as a martyr for a cause. He died as a substitute for sinners. Every wound He bore was in your place.

D. "Passover Lamb" (Greek: pascha - πάσχα, Strong's G3957)

Meaning: The Passover, the feast celebrating Israel's deliverance from Egypt by the blood of a lamb on the doorposts.

Biblical Use: Paul identifies Christ as our Passover Lamb. Just as the lamb's blood protected Israel from judgment, Christ's blood protects us from the wrath of God.

Application: You are safe under the blood of the Lamb. Judgment has passed over you. Death has no claim on you. The Lamb has died in your place.

III. EXPANDED CROSS-REFERENCES

Theme: The Sacrificial Lamb

"He was oppressed, [yet when] He was afflicted, He was submissive and opened not His mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth." Isaiah 53:7 (AMPC)

Connection: The Lamb went willingly. He did not resist. He did not defend Himself. He submitted to slaughter for our sake.

"For you know that you were redeemed (ransomed) from the useless (fruitless) way of living inherited by tradition from [your] forefathers, not with corruptible things [such as] silver and gold, but [you were purchased] with the precious blood of Christ (the Messiah), like that of a [sacrificial] lamb without blemish or spot." 1 Peter 1:18-19 (AMPC)

Connection: The Lamb was without blemish. His perfection qualified Him to be the acceptable sacrifice. No defect. No sin. Pure.

"And they have overcome (conquered) him by means of the blood of the Lamb and by the utterance of their testimony, for they did not love and cling to life even when faced with death [holding their lives cheap till they had to die for their witnessing]." Revelation 12:11 (AMPC)

Connection: The blood of the Lamb is the weapon of victory. Satan is defeated not by our strength but by Christ's sacrifice.

"After this I looked, and behold, a vast multitude which no one could count, [gathered] from every nation and from all the tribes and peoples and languages [of the earth], standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands." Revelation 7:9 (AMPC)

Connection: The Lamb who was slain is now worshiped by the redeemed from every nation. His sacrifice has purchased a people for God.