A little lamb was born in Bethlehem. The great I AM was born a lamb. Most of us would never have heard of Bethlehem, a village south of Jerusalem, had not a little Lamb been born there. But His birth there was not accidental. It had been prophesied for centuries.
"But thou Bethlehem, Ephrata, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from old, from everlasting." (Micah 5:2)
Did you know that for centuries Passover lambs were raised in Bethlehem? In those shepherds' fields outside Bethlehem, a very special breed of sacrificial lamb was raised and nurtured to be brought to Jerusalem at Passover to be slaughtered to cover the people's sins. How fitting that Mary's Lamb, God's perfect Lamb, the Lord Jesus, would be born there! And He was born in a stable. How fitting that a sacrificial Lamb would be born in a stable! This Lamb came to be the final Passover lamb, the one sacrificed for sin forever. Your destiny, my destiny, the destiny of the world was wrapped up in Mary's little Lamb.
He did not have His beginning that night in Bethlehem, however. Mary's Lamb is the Lord of heaven, co-equal and co-eternal with the Father. He is the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8), prophesied centuries before His birth.
Exodus chapter 12 tells us that God's plan for redeeming His people Israel from Egypt was a plan wrapped up in a lamb. In stark contrast, the symbol of Egypt, worn on the crown and scepter of the Pharaohs, was a coiled serpent. In this battle we see a gentle Lamb and a venomous, hissing, poisonous serpent. Of all of Earth's creatures, the most gentle, meek, and defenseless is a lamb. It has no fangs, no claws, it cannot run, it cannot fight, and it can frighten nothing. A lamb seems to say, "Are you hungry? Eat me. Are you cold? Shear me." A lamb seems to present itself to the slaughter.
What a picture of the Lord Jesus, the Lamb of Bethlehem Who said, "No man taketh it (my life) from Me, but I lay it down..." (John 10:18). When brought before His accusers, he "opened not His mouth."
In Exodus God said, "Take the lamb's blood and put it on the doorposts and lentil of the house. My angel of judgment is coming through the land of Egypt, but when I see the blood, I will pass over you." Now, they could have put a perfect living lamb outside that door, but it would have done no good. Salvation does not come from the life of Christ but from the death of Christ. Salvation is not learning lessons from the life of Christ, but receiving life from the death of Christ. "When I see the blood, I will pass over you," for the Bible says, "without shedding of blood, there is no remission." (Hebrews 9:22)
What a wonderful Savior we have in Mary's Lamb, the Son of God born that first Christmas night!
Jesus came as He did, born of a virgin, to be what He was, sinless. He was what He was, sinless, to do what He did, die for our sins. And He died for our sins so that He, being what He was, might make us what we were not: children of God! He was a special Lamb, a slain Lamb, a saving Lamb, "...Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us." (1 Corinthians 5:7)
May I ask you a question? In this Christmas season, have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Mary had a little Lamb. His fleece was white as snow.
Son of God from Heaven above, for sinners here below.
Mary's Son, Eternal God, He — the Great I Am,
With wool so white on Christmas night became a little Lamb.
Mary had a little Lamb. His fleece was white as snow.
That spotless Lamb was crucified to pay the debt I owe.
Oh, spotless Lamb, with wool so white, Thy crimson blood, I know,
Can take away my crimson sin, and wash me white as snow.
