BIBLICAL BACKGROUND

Jesus is the promised Messiah revealed throughout Scripture and the One who called the Twelve to follow Him.¹ The name Jesus, given by the angel before His birth, comes from the Greek name Iesous, which corresponds to the Hebrew name Yeshua and means “The LORD saves” or “The LORD is salvation.”² Throughout Scripture, He is known by a rich variety of titles, including the Lamb of God (John 1:29),³ the Good Shepherd (10:11),⁴ and the Bright Morning Star (Revelation 22:16). Each title highlights a unique aspect of His character and mission, illuminating who He is and what He came to accomplish.

Scripture Spotlight

“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’”
— John 1:29

“For the Lamb on the throne will be their Shepherd. He will lead them to springs of life-giving water. And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”
— Revelation 7:17

The biblical portrait of Jesus as the Lamb unfolds throughout Scripture and ultimately points to His work of redemption and His eternal reign. The theme appears early in the story of Abraham, the patriarch through whom God first forms a covenant people for His own possession. In Genesis 22, God tests Abraham by calling him to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice. As they journey together, Isaac asks where the lamb for the burnt offering can be found, and Abraham responds that God Himself will provide it (22:7–8). Although God ultimately provides a ram in Isaac’s place (vv. 13–14), the passage foreshadows God’s provision of a sacrificial substitute, an anticipation that reaches its fulfillment in Jesus Christ as the promised substitute for the redemption of His people.

Centuries later, during the Exodus under Moses’ leadership, the blood of the Passover lamb marks the homes of the Israelites, causing God’s judgment to pass over them and securing their deliverance from Egypt (Exodus 12:1–13). This event prefigures Christ, whom Paul later identifies as our Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7), through whose sacrifice believers receive redemption, new life, and the call to holiness. John’s Gospel also notes that none of Jesus’ bones were broken at His crucifixion, echoing the instructions given for the Passover lamb and further highlighting Jesus as the fulfillment of this imagery (John 19:33-36).⁵

The lamb motif continues in Isaiah’s prophecy of the suffering servant, who is described as being led away like a lamb and remaining silent before His oppressors (Isaiah 53:7). This servant would bear the sins of many and suffer on behalf of others, thereby bringing healing and making intercession for sinners (vv. 4–12). The New Testament identifies Jesus as the fulfillment of this prophecy, a connection highlighted at the beginning of His public ministry when John the Baptist declares Him to be “the Lamb of God” (John 1:29, 35–36).⁶ The significance of this title becomes gradually unveiled throughout His ministry and eventually culminates in His sacrificial death on the cross, portraying Him as the spotless Lamb who willingly gave His life for the salvation of the world (Acts 8:32–35; 1 Peter 1:18–19).

The theme reaches its fullest expression in Revelation, where the title “Lamb” occurs more frequently than in any other book of the Bible and becomes one of the primary ways Jesus is portrayed. In John’s vision, the exalted Christ is described as having hair white like wool and eyes like flames of fire (Revelation 1:14). The reference to wool recalls Isaiah 1:18,⁷ where wool symbolizes cleansing from sin. Together, they reveal Jesus as the holy One whose sacrificial work purifies His people and makes them righteous before God. The exalted Christ is further revealed in Revelation as the Lamb who was slain yet lives and is found worthy to receive all honor, glory, and praise from heaven (5:6–14). His worthiness is displayed in His ability to open the heavenly scroll, displaying His authority to carry out God’s purposes and bring His plan of redemption to completion. In Revelation 7, the Lamb is worshiped by a great multitude from every nation (7:9–10), is recognized again as the One through whose sacrifice believers are redeemed (v. 14), and shepherds His people, leading them to living waters as God wipes away every tear from their eyes (v. 17). The Lamb is also associated with the Book of Life, which contains the names of those who belong to Him and will share in God’s eternal kingdom (13:8; 21:27).

Moreover, Revelation presents a striking contrast: the Lamb who once remained silent before His oppressors now stands as “Lord of all lords and King of all kings,” triumphing over all who oppose His reign (17:14) and demonstrating His sovereign authority. This victory ultimately reaches its climax in the marriage supper of the Lamb, where Christ and His redeemed people are united in a joyful celebration of God’s completed work of redemption (19:6–9). In the closing chapters of Scripture, the Lamb reigns at the center of God’s eternal kingdom, serving as its temple and lamp and occupying God’s throne forever (21:22–23; 22:1–5). Together, these images reveal Jesus as both the sacrificial Lamb who redeems His people and the exalted Lamb who reigns forever.

*Scripture quotations used throughout this page are from the NLT.