Jesus the Lamb of God — David Wilkerson

Jesus Christ as the Sacrificial Lamb

I want to speak to you about Jesus, the Lamb of God. The Lamb of God. Jesus, will you be glorified in everything that's said from this pulpit now. Get honor and glory to your name. And in Christ's name I pray, amen.

Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God. He's the sacrifice for sin for all mankind. John the Baptist, a revered prophet of the Jews, saw Jesus said, behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.

He saw him on another occasion. He says, again I say, look at him. This is the sacrifice for sin is what he's saying. And he's thinking of all the sacrifices in the temple. People lined up to buy goats and lambs, sheep, and for the poor, the pigeons, to make a sacrifice atonement for sin.

Redemption Through Faith in Christ's Blood

And John the Baptist says, no, those are not the sacrifices. You don't have to go that way. It's not by works, it's by believing in this man. This is the Lamb of God. In Peter, the first chapter 19 verse, we are redeemed not with silver and gold, but the precious blood of Christ.

As a lamb without spot or blemish. When you go into the Bible, you go to the book of Revelation, Jesus is mentioned by John the writer in exile on the Isle of Patmos. 18 times he refers to Jesus as the Lamb of God.

The Lamb in Revelation: Victory and Eternal Glory

Jesus has already been crucified. He's been buried, he's raised from the dead, ascended to the Father. And John says, I see him seated on the throne, the Lamb of God, the overcomer. He saw nations and multitudes from all tongues and tribes bowing before him, before the Lamb, it says.

And you read it and you see and hear John say, I saw him bind the devil and all the principalities and powers of darkness. The Lamb overcame and cast him into the powers and the pits of hell. The Bible says that, John says, I see him, the Lamb of God ascended and the Lamb of God went to make a city.

He built a city and he built a paradise. And he left to said, I'll come back and going to prepare you a place. And he prepares this place. And the Bible said, the Lamb is there on his throne. He built a city, he established a paradise.

And then he said to his bride, those who are in Christ and believe in this Lamb of God, come enter into the joys that await you. Folks, we are not of this world, we're of another world. We are just passing through here.

Abraham and the Sacrifice God Provides

In Genesis, we find the first significance of a sacrificial lamb. Abraham is told to sacrifice his son, Isaac. He goes to the mountain and he has the kindling, he has the knife, he has what he needs for sacrifice.

And Isaac says, father, where is the sacrifice? And Abraham says, God will provide a sacrifice. I want you to know that God has provided a sacrifice. I take walks daily, weather permitting, and I walk a lot through the Times Square area.

Humanity's Search for Peace and Atonement

And I look at the teeming crowds and I look at all the tourists. There are tourists here from India, for example, with over a million gods. There are from China with their thousands or millions of gods.

And from India, from China, from Russia, from all over the world, multiplied gods. You walk the streets and I say to myself, what are they looking for? What's going on in their minds? Suddenly it comes to me by the Holy Spirit.

They're looking for peace. They're looking for some kind of hope. You see them go into the bars. You see them going here and there. And the cry in the heart is for peace. And they're looking for atonement, somebody to help pay for their sin and bring peace.

Beloved, atonement is trying to pay God back for the transgressions of our heart. And people are living in guilt and trying to find at least one ray of hope. While we were in Florida, it was in the newspapers that people were passing out in restaurants and in bars.

There was such a sense of emptiness and hopelessness. They were taking drugs and then going in and drinking alcohol and passing out. Seven in two of the restaurants passed out. The same in New York. You see people party.

You see people reaching out. Everywhere they go, reaching and searching for something, trying to make an atonement for their sin, trying to find some way they can pay God back for their transgressions.

The Cleansing and Healing Power of Christ's Blood

Folks, Jesus came as one sacrifice, one blood sacrifice. And the blood of this lamb has power, power to cleanse, power to heal. And millions upon millions around the world have experienced the glory and the power of this cleansing blood of Jesus Christ.

Folks, we serve the living lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world. Before Jesus was crucified, he wrote a little cold into the city of Jerusalem. He was looking over the city and the Bible says he wept.

Now there's another case when Jesus wept and that was at Lazarus too. And that in Greek means silent tears. But when the Bible says when Jesus approached the city of Jerusalem, he wept. And in the Greek, it's he wailed loudly, a cry that could be heard everywhere.

Jesus Weeps Over Jerusalem's Rejection

And I asked myself, Jesus, what did you see? What did you see that made you wail? What was it in your vision? And he was watching and seeing those going into the temple, buying these lambs and pigeons and trying to find some way to make peace with their God, some way that they could pay back for the transgressions of their last week or today in that constant stream.

And I think in his eye, he saw the whole world and all of these gods and all these religions trying desperately to find peace and hope. Jesus wailed and cried. There was something in his heart. You know, he went into the temple, drove out the money changers, but those people that were going in and out, Jesus knew they were sincere.

When you see these multitudes here in this city, they're sincere. We don't rail against any religion, but these people are searching and seeking for peace, a sacrifice of some kind. They bring food to their gods.

Some people, all through the Bible, presented their sons and human sacrifice. And the flagellants would beat their backs until they bleed trying to please God and trying to appease his wrath and trying to find some way to find prosperity and find the favor of their God.

And they're always looking and they're all, every one is, every religion has their own messiah. Iran is waiting for the 12th imam. And they say he's coming soon and there's gonna be chaos. He's gonna come through this and they're longing and searching for their messiah.

Israel, the cry is he's at the door, he's at the door. You can go to India, you'll find that most of their gods, if not all, have some kind of a king that's coming, some kind of a ruler that's gonna take over the world.

It's all there, it's that search. And I was walking down 8th Avenue the other day and watching those people and I said, Lord, I don't know what to feel. I don't know how to respond to the masses. One of our workers just came back from Africa to a city of 10 million people.

The Universal Hunger for Hope and Rest

And it's just overwhelming to see those masses and the searching and the hunger and the reaching. Just like many of you that have come into this house today. You're looking for peace. I don't care how much, if you don't know Jesus and if you don't know what Christ, and if you're living to yourself and living in sin, all that drinking on Friday and the partying and all that, you still come home and lay down in your bed and you're still searching, still looking.

You're looking for hope. I watched them going into the gay bars. I don't rail on homosexuals. But I see a search for peace, a search for love, a search, a hunger, and a thirst. Then I hear Jesus say, come and I owe you the hunger and thirst.

And I'll give you rest. I'll give you peace. And I, this last week, I was trying to feel something of those tears. And when I first came to New York City, and Lord called me to, this is the second time we established Teen Challenge first.

And the congregation here has heard me say this. This is 22 years ago on 42nd Street and Broadway. I just stood there on the street and I watched the mass to go by and drug pushers selling cocaine, crack cocaine, and yelling out, I've got this stuff, it'll kill you.

And death was the advertisement. And people were running into the theaters and just the open sinfulness. And I cried. And the other day I tried to cry and I can't cry. And I can't reach the depth of what was in Christ.

The Prophetic Promise of the Coming King

I can't comprehend this wailing. But you see, he'd gone up and down the nation and he'd proclaimed that I am your peace, your own prophet says that I'm the Lamb of God. Zachariah, the prophet in 9 -9, he said, if you just read your own prophets, here's your king coming and he's riding on a colt.

And Jesus is on the colt. It's out there by singing hosannas and everything that prophet know. He said, if you'd known Isaiah 53rd chapter, and you would see that this is the king. And Jesus gave the cause of his weeping.

He said, if you had only known what was provision made for your peace, if you had only known. And the other day when I looked at the masses, I said, oh God, if they only knew, this is what Jesus was saying.

This is what broke his heart. If you only knew the peace, it's right here. This Messiah that we're talking about, this Lamb of God, you don't have to raise him from the dead. You'd have to calm down. He's done that.

He's been here. He's already done all that. Our Messiah is here. He's alive. If you only knew, if you had only believed, and I say that to some of you sitting here now, you have heard his plea. You know, I was thinking the other day, it's not by works of the flesh.

Salvation by Faith Rather Than Human Works

The apostle says it's by faith in Christ. All you have to do is believe, confess that he is Lord, that this Lamb of God, the blood that he shed is what he claims it to be, the power to cleanse and heal and change your life, and even give you the power to live right.

I'm just, in my heart, thinking, oh God, that's gonna be said of many, in some of you sitting here now, if you had only believed, if you would've only accepted, think about that for a minute. If you, it was all there, it was all provided for, this Lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world.

Let it not be said of you, if you had only known the peace, the joy, you didn't have to drink your way to some kind of a stupor. You didn't have to look in alcohol or drugs. And there on 52nd Street, or on 42nd Street and Broadway, the Lord said, I want you to come to the city, and I want a church in the middle of all this.

And that's when Times Square Church was born. You and I can't go to the depths of Christ weeping. We can pray for sinners, we can intercede, but unless the Holy Spirit convicts a man, the most, it's got to be very difficult to tell a man that all of his charity, all of his good works, all of this trying to do good is of no merit.

It's commendable, it's wonderful, that what you're doing is not gonna save your soul. It's not by works, it's by faith in what Jesus did on the cross. Folks, I'm not telling you anything new. If you're a Christian, you know this, I'm reminding you.

Christ's Exclusive Provision for Peace

We can't take it for granted. When he's come near the city, he beheld it and wept over it, said, if you'd only known even you, at least in your time, your day of visitation, the things that were meant for your peace, but now they're shut from your eyes.

He said, there's a blindness that has come over you. God forbid that you should harden yourself to this merciful call. Jesus broke, the Father broke into this society. He broke into a world that rejected him and he said, there's one way, there is one God, there is one Savior, there is one blood and I've made the provision.

You can't, there's nothing you can do to earn your salvation. You can't do it that way. It's by faith. I want to close in just a minute. This is not a long message. John on the Isle of Patmos sums it up.

The Lamb Worthy of Worship in Revelation 5

Let's go to Revelation. If you have your Bible with you, usually pastors give their text before they preach. I'm gonna close with mine. I want you to go to the book of Revelation chapter five. I'm gonna start verse 11.

This is John summing it up about the Lamb of God. And I beheld and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beast and the elders and the number of them were 10 ,000 times 10 ,000 and thousands of thousands.

They were saying with a loud voice, worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing and every creature which is in heaven and on earth and under the earth and such as in the sea and all that are in them heard I saying, blessing and honor and glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb forever and ever.

Glory be to God for his sacrifice. A simple message but I was called by the Holy Spirit to remind you congregation that we serve the Lamb. The resurrected Lord, he's now Lord and Savior ruling in glory and power and majesty.

The Easter Call to Return to Christ

Will you stand please? If you're here this morning and you have known Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, now this is Easter. There's no better time than come back, to come back from where you've drifted.

That's what this church is all about. And I'm gonna ask the Lord now as I pray to touch your heart. You see, I don't think a man can be saved unless the Holy Spirit is convicting. It's the work of the Holy Spirit.

Because you tell a man that his works will not merit salvation, you just anger him. And that's the exclusiveness of Christ and this is that the Holy Spirit has to open heart. If there's even a cry, if there's any whisper in your heart, I need his peace, I need his touch.

You've drifted away from him, this precious Lamb of God. I'm gonna ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you where you stand. I don't, I wasn't looking for a shot when I preached today. I was looking for the Holy Spirit to come and speak to your heart.

I'm gonna ask him now to talk to you. That's still small voice. And if you want, if you don't know Christ, that's what Easter is all about. I want you to take a step as the prodigal son did. He went back to the Father, he walked back to the Father.

And I want you to take a walk. I want you to allow the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart if you've drifted from him. And on this Easter, you want to come back to his love and grace. This invitation is very simple.

And I know that here's the Spirit, I feel his anointing now. And he's in the annexes, wherever you're at, he's here to change you and to heal you and bring you back to his heart. I want you to step out of your seat if that happens.

And in the annex, you can go to the lobby there on the second floor and the ushers will show you how to come down the stairs and come. You can walk down here. Openly confess, Jesus, you are the Lamb of God and I come home.

Heavenly Father, will you speak now? You speak in the quietness of this moment. Lord, and you reach out and woo and call. Lord, you are pleading with some. You've heard, let it not be said if you had only believed.

If you had only accepted that I was calling you. If you only knew. Now, Lord, by your spirit, draw in Jesus' name. While we're singing, just step out of your seat. You feel that tug, you feel that pull.

I don't know where you're from, doesn't matter who you are. This invitation's open, just come and stand here. And I'd like to pray with you and believe the Lord and let you walk out of this building today renewed in your spirit and healed.

That's all I'm gonna say. We'll wait for the Holy Spirit. Step out of your seat and come here. Come while I'm speaking. First of all, I want you to know that there's no sin that anyone in this place has ever committed so horrible, so wicked that it can't be forgiven.

The Cleansing Blood and Christ's Righteousness

God doesn't turn anybody down. And secondly, I ask you to, once you confess your sins and believe in the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus Christ, don't go back to them, give them over, and don't let the devil haunt you with them because they're under the blood of Christ.

And some of you that are here now, you live in condemnation, you live in fear. But once you believe that this lamb that was slain was for you and your sin was laid on his shoulder and he carried your sin and he paid the price for that and nothing you do to work it through.

So right now, just believe it and lay it down. And when these thoughts come back to haunt you, say, Jesus is my righteousness. Christ is my righteousness. Christ is my right. When he comes and lies to you, when he tells you that you still have some devil in you or whatever he says, right now, you just say it back.

Christ is my righteousness. Say it right now. Christ is my righteousness. Hear it again. Christ is my righteousness. Glory be to God. He is our righteousness, not your own. We deserved hell and he gave us heaven because we trust in him.

The Sinner's Prayer of Faith

Now I'm gonna have you pray this prayer, even though some of you have prayed long prayers and maybe some of you have prayed many, many times. I don't know whether you're coming back to Christ or you're renewing your love.

I don't know if you're here for the first time, but I want you to pray this in faith. Lord Jesus, you are my lamb. You were sacrificed for me and your blood cleanses me from all unrighteousness and all my sins, even my sin in my mind and in my flesh.

God knows my thoughts. Cleanse them, Jesus. I give you my confidence and I trust in you and I believe you as the Lord and King of kings ascended into heaven for me. I believe. The Bible says, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shall be saved.

I believe that. I believe that with all my heart. Rejoice in the Lord now and be glad.