In the first appearance of the lamb in Revelation ( 5:1–7) only the lamb (which is of the tribe of Judah, and the root of David) is found worthy to take the judgment scroll from God and break the seals. The Book of Revelation includes over twenty-nine references to a lion-like lamb ("slain but standing") which delivers victory in a manner reminiscent of the resurrected Christ. In Johannine Christology the proclamation "who takes away the sin of the world" begins the unfolding of the salvific theme of the redemptive and sacrificial death of Jesus followed by his resurrection which is built upon in other proclamations such as "this is indeed the Saviour of the world" uttered by the Samaritans in John 4:42. From a Christological perspective, these proclamations and the descent of the Holy Spirit as a dove in John 1:32 reinforce each other to establish the divine element of the Person of Christ. These two proclamations of Jesus as the Lamb of God closely bracket the Baptist's other John 1:34: "I have borne witness that this is the Son of God". The originally intended version (right) has unusually humanoid features, with distinct ears and forward-facing eyes that appear to look directly at the viewer of the panel. The face of the Lamb was painted over with a more animal-like appearance (left). Closeup of the restored Adoration of the Mystic Lamb. The second use of the title Lamb of God takes place in the presence of the first two apostles of Jesus, who immediately follow him, address him as Rabbi with respect and later in the narrative bring others to meet him. The title Lamb of God for Jesus appears in the Gospel of John, with the initial proclamation: "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" in John 1:29, the title reaffirmed the next day in John 1:36. Gospel of John Lamb bleeding into the Holy Chalice, carrying the vexillum Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, with gushing blood, detail of the Ghent Altarpiece, Jan van Eyck, c. The Agnus Dei also forms a part of the musical setting for the Mass.Īs a visual motif the lamb has been most often represented since the Middle Ages as a standing haloed lamb with a foreleg cocked "holding" a pennant with a red cross on a white ground, though many other ways of representing it have been used. It is also used in liturgy and as a form of contemplative prayer. The Latin version, Agnus Dei, and translations are a standard part of the Catholic Mass, as well as the classical Western Liturgies of the Anglican and Lutheran churches. The Lamb of God title is widely used in Christian prayers. The lamb metaphor is also in line with Psalm 23, which depicts God as a shepherd leading his flock (mankind). However, it was a Ram (not a Lamb) that was ultimately sacrificed in Isaac's place, and the Ram was caught in a thicket (i.e. In Genesis 22, the binding of Isaac foretells the Gospel of Jesus Christ, when Isaac asked his father Abraham "where is the lamb for the burnt offering" to which Abraham responded "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." (Genesis 22:7-8). It is also referred to in Pauline writings 1 Corinthians 5:7 suggests that Saint Paul intends to refer to the death of Jesus, who is the Paschal Lamb, using the theme found in Johannine writings. Ī lion-like lamb that rises to deliver victory after being slain appears several times in the Book of Revelation. In Christian theology the Lamb of God is viewed as both foundational and integral to the message of Christianity. It appears at John 1:29, where John the Baptist sees Jesus and exclaims, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." It appears again in John 1:36.Ĭhristian doctrine holds that a divine Jesus chose to suffer crucifixion at Calvary as a sign of his full obedience to the will of his divine Father, as an "agent and servant of God" in carrying away the sins of the world. Lamb of God ( Greek: Ἀμνὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, romanized: Amnòs toû Theoû Latin: Agnus Dei, Ecclesiastical Latin: ) is a title for Jesus that appears in the Gospel of John. 1635–1640, by Francisco de Zurbarán, Prado Museum For other uses, see Lamb of God (disambiguation). For the Latin liturgical prayer, see Agnus Dei. This article is about the Christian theological concept.
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