Lamb of God

Three strands go into this figure of speech: the lamb as apocalyptic lamb, as suffering servant and as paschal lamb. Of these, the last two predominate, in fact replacing the first which was probably the one held by John the Baptist.

The term "lamb of God" appears only twice in the NT, each time as a title John the Baptist bestows on Jesus. His role is here defined as "taking away the sins of the world" (John 1:29, 36). Comparisons are drawn between Jesus' bearing during his passion and the behavior of a lamb (Acts 8:32, quoting from Is 53:7; I Pet 1:19). As these usages indicate, the early Christians saw that Jesus' special relationship to God could be expressed in the terminology of self-sacrifice. They repeatedly affirmed that Jesus voluntarily gave up his life for his people. That point is lost in the image of the lamb, for no lamb consents to its death. While the term "lamb of God" does not appear in the Apocalypse, the image of the lamb "standing as slain" dominates that book in a very unusual fashion. For the lamb clearly holds the clue to history and until he emerges, John's only response to what he sees is tears (Rev 5:4).

The figure of the lamb is not unknown in Jewish apocalyptic writing (Testament of Joseph 19:8; Enoch 90:38). But whereas in other sources the lamb is transformed into a ram who exerts his authority and power over his enemies by fighting, the lamb in the Apocalypse of John is remarkable in never being portrayed as making war (in 17:14 he is attacked and in turn, in solidarity with his faithful followers, "overcomes"); he always conquers through the fact that he is worthy to take power and authority for "you were slain and have redeemed us to God by your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation; and have made us kings and priests, to our God and we shall reign on the earth" (Rev 5:9-10). It is also important to note that the word used here for lamb is not (as above) amnos, but rather arnion – lamblet or lambkin. Yet the fury of the lamb (Rev 6:15-17) is described as the love of God rejected. The lamb is described as a lamp (Rev 21:23), a temple (Rev 21:22) and as getting prepared for a wedding (Rev 21:9).

A Christian term for Jesus, first used in the Gospel of John. It carries out the image of the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus as a new Passover: a lamb was killed for the Jewish Passover, and Jesus himself, in the sacrifice of his death and Resurrection, is the lamb for the new Passover.