ChristStory Bestiary

LAMB

Christ & His Followers

A lamb is a young sheep less than a year old. Its youth, along with its white coat make this creature a symbol of innocence, purity, helplessness, virginity, and gentleness. Legend insists that the lamb is the only animal Satan can not possess. The first lambs of spring announce the annual victory of spring over winter and hence life over death.

Its symbolic innocence and purity made the lamb a propitiatory sacrifice to gods throughout the ancient world. It was thought that the purity of the sacrificial lamb would atone for the sins of the giver. So the lamb became a symbol for meekness, atonement, and sacrificial victims.

In Israel a lamb was sacrificed every morning and evening to fulfill the requirements of the Mosaic law (Exo 29:39). More lambs were sacrificed to redeem the firstborn of animals and humans, to make atonement for sin, receive purification from ritual uncleanliness, and on other special occasions (Exo 13:13; 34:20; Lev 5:6-7; 12:6-8; 22:23). Not all offerings were acceptable to the Old Testament God. In Genesis, the Lord accepted Abel's offering from the flocks but rejected Cain's vegetarian gift, counseling, "If you do well, will you not be accepted?" (Gen 4:3-7). In Isaiah's day the Lord announced, "I have had enough of burnt offerings ... I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs or goats" (Isa 1:11). He also rebuked hypocrites who came to offer sacrifices by warning, "He who kills a bull is as if he slays a man; he who sacrifices a lamb, as if he breaks a dog's neck; he who offers a grain offering, as if he offers swine's blood; he who burns incense, as if he blesses an idol" (Isa 66:3). The sacrifices of the unrepentant sinner were an abomination to God (Prov 15:8).

In many areas, Easter is called "Pasch" referring to the Passover of the Jews. The Passover feast celebrates the first Mosaic sacrifice of lambs among the Israelites. On the eve of the first Passover, every Hebrew family held in Egyptian bondage sacrificed a male yearling without blemish and sprinkled its blood upon the doorposts of their house. They then ate the lamb in haste along with bitter herbs and unleavened bread. During the night, the angel of death passed through Egypt killing the firstborn of everyone who had not sprinkled lamb's blood upon their doorposts. The celebration was called the "Passover" because the angel of death "passed over" the homes of the Israelites.

Jesus celebrated the Passover feast the night of His arrest. On this night He gave us the sacrament of the Eucharist saying, "Take, eat: this is My body...Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (Mt 26:26-28; Mk 14:22-24; 22:19-21). It is the Paschal lamb which is usually referred to when Jesus is called "Agnus Dei" or "Lamb of God;" a title given to Christ by John the Baptist who pointed the Messiah out to his followers saying, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29, 36) Because of John's announcement, the lamb is one of the most popular symbols of Christ and is frequently seen in pictures of John the Baptist as a child with the Holy Family. Some Bible passages compare Christ's sacrifice to that of the Paschal lamb (1 Cor 5:7; 1 Pet 1:18-19). Others have compared the suffering servant of God to innocent lambs led to the slaughter (Is 53:7; Acts 8:32; see also Jer 11:19). Jesus may also be thought of as the lamb Abraham assured Isaac that God would provide for Himself (Gen 22:7-8). As Agnus Dei, the lamb is a triumphant resurrection symbol portrayed carrying a cross or a banner. In some areas of England it was once believed that such a lamb could be seen dancing in the sun very early on Easter morning.

The first crucifixes of the early church had lambs upon them rather than the figure of Jesus. The sacrificial Christ-lamb may also be found lying on the ground, upon an altar, or upon the book with the seven seals. It may be bleeding or it may have the Lamb's Book of Life or the book with the seven seals of Revelation at its feet (Rev 5:1; 13:8). It may also be pictured removing the spear which pierced its heart and displaying this instrument of His Passion in triumph (John 19:34).

The martyrdom of the saints is depicted as lambs being set upon by wolves (Lk 10:3). Twelve lambs in the company of one larger lamb bearing a cross or surrounded by a nimbus symbolize the twelve apostles under the leadership of Christ. As a representation of purity, the lamb is an attribute of many saints including the Virgin Mary's father, St. Joachim. Legend states that St. Agnes, who was martyred for refusing marry anyone but Christ, appeared to Christians in the company of a lamb. During the persecutions of the early church, St. Clement of Rome was a prisoner in the Crimean marble quarries. Seeing that his followers were perishing from thirst, Clement prayed for fresh water. He was rewarded with a vision of a lamb who led him to a spot which he struck with a pick axe causing a stream of water to gush forth.

In St. John's Revelation Jesus is referred to as the "Lamb" twenty-eight times. He has seven horns and seven eyes depicting the seven Spirits of God (Rev 5:6). Symbolically, He is much more like the roaring lion than the gentle lamb. Here the Lamb is the "Lord of lords and King of kings" (Rev 17:14). He is worthy to "receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing" and He is the only one capable of opening the seals of the mysterious scroll (Rev 5:8-13). Therefore, the Lamb of Judgment is sometimes pictured with a scroll or book along with seven seals. Because He is also the light and the temple of the heavenly city, the Lamb may be portrayed in the midst of the sun, surrounded by a halo or nimbus, with stars, or carrying a lance representing wisdom or spiritual light (Rev 21:22-23).

The wicked attempt to make war against Him and finally hide from His wrath while His triumphant followers come singing to the marriage feast of the Lamb (Rev 6:15-17; 14:4; 15:3-4; 19:7-9). The Lamb's followers have overcome the world by the power of His blood (Rev 12:11). These are the ones whose names are written in the Lamb's book of Life (Rev 13:8). They have "washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" and shall no longer be subject to the curse of Adam or suffer tears, hunger, or thirst for the Lamb will dwell with them in the heavenly Jerusalem and will "shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters" (Rev 7:14-17 & 22:3). Christ may be portrayed as the Lamb upon Mount Zion - a small hill symbolic of the Church from which four streams representing the four Gospels flow (Rev 22:1-3).

A wicked beast comes out of the earth with the horns of a lamb but his speech is like that of a dragon. He is a wolf in sheep's clothing. All those who worship him will be "tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of " the true Lamb (Rev 13:11; 14:10).

The blind trust and helplessness of young lambs comes to mind when the Bible refers to God's children - Jews and Christians - as lost sheep who have gone astray or been deceived by unworthy shepherds (Psa 119:176; Is 53:6; Jer 50:6-7; Mt 10:5-8; Mt 15:24). Jesus sent His disciples out "as lambs among wolves" and Simon Peter was implored to feed His lambs (Lk 10:3; John 21:15). In the parable of the lost sheep the Lord reminds us that He is like a shepherd who would leave a flock of ninety-nine secure sheep in order to look for a single lost lamb. Upon finding it He "rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray" (Mt 18:10-14; see also Lk 15:1-7). At the conclusion of the parable, Jesus says, "Likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance" (Lk 15:7). In the millennial kingdom the wolf and the lamb shall live and eat together (Isa 11:6; 65:25). This may be taken as an allegory of the marriage feast in heaven when converts such as St. Paul who once persecuted the Church are seated amongst the saints.

The Lord is portrayed as the Good Shepherd carrying His lambs upon His shoulders, gathering the lost into His bosom, gently leading them, feeding them, and laying down His life for the sheep. He knows His sheep. They recognize His voice, and no one can snatch them from His hand (Isa 40:11; John 10:11-16, 26-30). Young David's willingness to risk his own life rescuing his father's sheep from the jaws of lions and bears, armed only with a sling and a staff, is analogous to the Savior's loving care for His sheep and an example for the shepherds of Israel (1 Sam 17:34-34).

Sheep's milk is symbolic of Eucharistic wine and Christian doctrine which feed the Christian soul. This association was once so strong that a group of priests known as Artotyrites celebrated the Eucharist with bread and coagulated milk until this practice was forbidden by the Church.

After King David killed Uriah the Hittite to conceal his affair with Bathsheba, the prophet Nathan came to him with the following parable about a rich man who had many flocks and a poor man who had but one very beloved ewe. The poor man and his family cherished the little lamb as if it were one of their children and fed it from their table. The rich man hardly noticed his own sheep and yet, when a traveler came to his house, the rich man refused to slaughter a lamb from his own flocks. Instead he killed the poor man's only lamb and served it to his guest. David was enraged by the rich man's actions and, as the judge of Israel, exclaimed, "The man who has done this shall surely die! And he shall restore four-fold for the lamb, because he had no pity." But Nathan replied, "You are the man! Thus says the Lord God of Israel: 'I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your keeping, and gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if that had been too little, I would have given you much more!'" (2 Sam 12:1-9).

All scripture quotes are from the NKJV Bible.