In the Old Testament we read the famous account of Abraham’s test of faith involving his son Isaac. Abraham and Sara had waited all their lives for a promised child, and were blessed with Isaac at an age so advanced Sara laughed when she heard she was going to give birth. Isaac surely brought much joy to their home, and we can only imagine Abraham’s emotions when God asked him to take Isaac to a mountaintop and sacrifice him on an altar. Aside from the fact this was an incredibly bizarre request from the God we find revealed throughout scripture, it was certainly a test of great magnitude. Abraham was faithful and obeyed God, but as he was about to slay Isaac on the altar, an angel of the Lord stopped him. Abraham had passed the test. Then Abraham looked in a nearby thicket and saw a ram lodged there by God. He took the ram, sacrificed him on the altar and named the place, “The Lord will Provide.”

God provided Abraham’s sacrifice for him since there was no way He was going to let him harm Isaac. Abraham was faithful and God was faithful. This is the relationship that typifies the place of the Lamb of God in our salvation.

In the fullness of time, when we were desperately in need of salvation, God sent His Son Jesus to die for us. He was the perfect Lamb who took our sinfulness, guilt and shame on Himself. He did what we could not do for ourselves, and because of His sacrifice, we have an opportunity to be freed from our prison of sin. God was faithful in paying the debt we could not pay and we receive this gift through our own faith in the Son.

Had God-given us something we were capable of giving ourselves, His gift would not be nearly as significant. But since we were hopelessly lost in our sins, and the Lamb redeemed us, we fall on our knees in humble submission and offer everything we are to Him in gratitude.