The Blood of the Lamb

Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands—remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. (Ephesians 2:11-18 ESV). The beautiful, green hills of New Zealand, a country known for its sheep industry, are dotted everywhere with white sheep. During the yearly lambing season, thousands of baby lambs are born. Unfortunately, some lambs die at birth. Many mother sheep are also lost during lambing season; they die giving birth. In an attempt to save the orphaned lambs, the shepherds match baby lambs that have lost their mothers with mother sheep who have lost their lambs. It's not as easy as it sounds, though, since a mother sheep won't accept a lamb and nurse it unless it is her own. They use a very interesting method to induce the ewes to accept the orphaned lambs. The process is as old as shepherding itself. The mother's own lamb, which has died, is skinned, and the skin of the dead lamb is draped over the living lamb as it is placed by the adoptive mother's side. The mother sheep then smells the skin and accepts the orphaned lamb as her own. From that moment on there is an unbreakable bond established. Lambing season in New Zealand reminds us of what was done for us on a cross two thousand years ago. When the Apostle John wrote of being saved by "the blood of the Lamb," it was in terms that people in agrarian societies vividly understood. The Apostle Paul emphasized this in our reading this morning. Because of Christ's blood, God accepts us as His own. Once we were orphans, but now we are God's adopted children. What a marvelous thought to end this week with! We had no parents until God through Jesus Christ adopted us. The only hope we had was that of death and all of its pain. Now through Christ we have the hope of eternal life as the children of God. That is the adoption we have received in the grace of God extended to us in the death of Jesus.