Easter Table Devotion: THE LAMB OF GOD

Around your dinner table on Easter,

you might take time to follow

The Lamb of God throughout the Scripture. 

Have your guests read
about the blood of The Lamb.

May you be blessed!

 Old Testament – Jesus, The Shadow

Guest #1
Adam and Eve – Their sin of disobedience, believing the lie of Satan, and putting their will above God’s.

• Satan tempts –  Genesis 3:1-5

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made.  And he said to the woman, indeed, has God said, you shall not eat from any tree of the garden?  And the woman said to the serpent, from the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, you shall not eat from it or touch it, lest you die.  And the serpent said to the woman, you surely shall not die!  For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

• Man sins – Genesis 3:6

 “When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her and he ate.”

• Their covering for sin

The idea of sacrifice starts all the way back in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve sinned. As soon as they ate the apple, they knew they had sinned and realized they were naked. Immediately, they sought covering for their sin. Remember – “The eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.” Genesis 3:7                          Adam and Eve knew deep within that they were guilty of their sin and attempted to cover up.

Sin separates us from God,

but it doesn’t hide us from God.

Guest #2
A blood sacrifice is necessary …The covering for Adam and Eve (sin) required blood –

God knew that relationship had to be restored; therefore, He came to them to provide the acceptable covering – one that involved blood!  WOW . . . right from the very beginning, BLOOD was the required payment for sin!  This was the first sacrifice.

Before Chapter 3 of Genesis is over, God covers Adam and Eve, “And the LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.” Genesis 3:21

Our sins today still require a blood sacrifice:

“…all things are cleansed with blood,

and without shedding of blood

there is no forgiveness.” Hebrews 9:22

Sin separates –
“Then the Lord god said, Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, lest he stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever – therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken. So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim, and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of Life.”  Genesis 3:22-24

Guest #3
God’s blood covenant with Abraham

Have you ever wondered what the blood is all about?  We sing lots of songs in church that talk about the blood:  There is Power in the Blood, Are You Washed in the Blood?  The Blood Will Never Lose its Power, and Nothing But the Blood.

Blood is also an important requirement when a covenant is made, in fact, the actual Hebrew meaning for the word Covenant is “to cut and shed blood”.  It is an unbreakable bond involving the total commitment of two parties. A covenant is forever.
When a covenant was made the two parties exchanged their coats representing their possessions, their belts representing their strength, and their swords representing their enemies. What’s mine is yours and what’s yours is now mine (Whittinghill).
Abraham was chosen to receive the Covenant of promise which involved the blood—a sinner became the friend of God.
“So He said to him, "Bring Me a three year old heifer, and a three year old female goat, and a three year old ram, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon."  Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, and laid each half opposite the other…” Genesis 15:9-10

Moses was chosen to receive the Covenant of the law which involved the sprinkling of blood—a sinner became the friend of God.
“So Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, "Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words." Exodus 24:8

Guest #4
Sacrifice in the temple – the tabernacle
The sacrifice:  Pure and spotless lambs
The veil separated the Holy of Holies
The priest was the only one who could go in with the blood to the mercy seat

Blood is important for sacrifice

What is a sacrifice?  “The offering of animal, plant, or human life or of some material possession to a deity, as in propitiation or homage.” Dictionary.com

Have you ever thought about a sacrifice?  Many of us have not grown up experiencing the practice of sacrifice. We don’t need to sacrifice anymore, but why?  Sacrifice is mentioned throughout the Bible.  God created us with a need for worship which comes with sacrifice.  Worship is what takes place when we deal with our sin and thank God for what He has done for us.

Guest #5
Remembering Passover – the spotless lamb remained in the home for three days
Blood shed – and placed over the door (the shape formed a cross)
Freedom for those with the blood over their doorpost

As we prepare to remember the Passover, it is important that we remember the reasons for the blood!  The people were spared their lives only if the blood of the lamb was over their doors.  The blood of Jesus Christ replaced the blood of animals. Jesus became our sacrificial lamb!

Exodus 12:1-13
"Now the LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, "This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you.  Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, 'On the tenth of this month they are each one to take a lamb for themselves, according to their fathers' households, a lamb for each household.  Now if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his neighbor nearest to his house are to take one according to the number of persons in them; according to what each man should eat, you are to divide the lamb.  Your lamb shall be an unblemished male a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats.  You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month, then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel is to kill it at twilight.  Moreover, they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses in which they eat it.  They shall eat the flesh that same night, roasted with fire, and they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.  Do not eat any of it raw or boiled at all with water, but rather roasted with fire, both its head and its legs along with its entrails.  And you shall not leave any of it over until morning, but whatever is left of it until morning, you shall burn with fire.  Now you shall eat it in this manner: with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste—it is the LORD'S Passover.  For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments—I am the LORD.
The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

New Testament ~ JESUS is the light

Guest #6
Jesus is born in a stable (the manger – a place for a lamb)
“And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” Luke 2:7

Guest #7
Jesus is baptized
“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." John 1:29

Guest #8
Jesus (The Lamb of God) enters the city on a donkey during the gathering of lambs for Passover.

“On the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, "Hosanna! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD, even the King of Israel." Jesus, finding a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written, “FEAR NOT, DAUGHTER OF ZION; BEHOLD, YOUR KING IS COMING, SEATED ON A DONKEY'S COLT."   These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him.” John 12:12-16

Guest #9
Jesus has the Last Supper – the Passover Meal

“Then came the first day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed.  And Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the Passover for us, so that we may eat it."
They said to Him, "Where do You want us to prepare it?"  And He said to them, "When you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house that he enters.  And you shall say to the owner of the house, 'The Teacher says to you, "Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?"'  And he will show you a large, furnished upper room; prepare it there."  And they left and found everything just as He had told them; and they prepared the Passover. Luke 22:7-13

The Lord's Supper
"When the hour had come, He reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him.  And He said to them, "I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God."  And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, "Take this and share it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes."  And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me." And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.” Luke 22:7-22

Guest #10
Jesus sheds His blood and dies and lives again – the veil is torn . . . no more need for sacrifice

“And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us… Hebrews 9:22-24

“Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?" that is, "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?" And some of those who were standing there, when they heard it, began saying, "This man is calling for Elijah." Immediately one of them ran, and taking a sponge, he filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink. But the rest of them said, "Let us see whether Elijah will come to save Him." And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. 51 And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many. Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, "Truly this was the Son of God!"  Matthew 27:45-54

“…but whenever a person

turns to the Lord,

the veil is taken away.” 2 Corinthians 3:16

Guest #11
The Lord’s Supper – “This do in remembrance of me”
“…and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me." In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes. Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup.”  I Corinthians 11:24-28

Guest #12
The marriage supper of the Lamb – Who was, Who is, Who is to come!

The New Covenant was written for sinners like you and me – we too can become friends of God: Hebrews 9 is the TRUE STORY of the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ
"And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.” Hebrews 9:27-28

“Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready."  It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints."  Then he said to me, "Write, 'Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.'" Revelation 19:7-9

“And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, "HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME."  And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, "Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created." Revelation 4:8-11