Jesus is the Connecting Thread

“The bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. … I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the read that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (John 6:33, 51).

In the previous article, we saw that our Lord Jesus died as the ransom for Adam, and hence for and all mankind, and that he died on the cross to redeem Israel from the curse of the Law.

Jesus died at Passover in the spring of 33 AD at the age of 33. From his baptism in 29 AD to his death in 33 AD was 3½ years. Thus Jesus presented himself to be baptized at Jordan at the age of 30 in the fall of 29 AD, probably following the feast of tabernacles.

We see Jesus as the bullock of the Atonement Day sacrifices. We also see that Jesus went through the 3½ years of experiences, trials, and tests to qualify him as the sympathetic High Priest able to restore mankind back to perfection.

The Lamb of God

We study the Passover annually and understand the symbolism, that the Passover lamb represents our Lord Jesus. The firstborn of Israel being passed over pictures the saving power of the Jesus as our Passover lamb. We understand the nation of Israel being delivered from the bondage of Egypt represents the world of mankind being delivered from the bondage of death.

But, are there other lambs that represent the Lord Jesus in the Old Testament? Yes, there are! They are found in the Tabernacle arrangement and again later in the Temple arrangement. Every day the priests were to offer two lambs, one in the morning, the other in the evening, as a daily offering. This is referred to in Exodus 29:38, and Numbers 28:3-4.

“This is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar; two lambs of the first year day by day continually. The one lamb thou shalt offer in the morning; and the other lamb thou shalt offer at even [Hebrew, between the two evenings]” (Exodus 29:38-39).

The morning sacrifice and prayer was allowed at any time between the rising of the sun and the third hour, 9 AM (R2953). The time of the evening sacrifice and prayer is “bainhaarbayim, between the evenings, that is, between the sun’s declining west and his setting about three o’clock pm. For the Jews observe two evenings in each day. The first commences after twelve o’clock at noon, and the second at three o’clock PM. Between these two evenings the daily evening sacrifice was offered up, and immediately after the Passover lamb was killed and prepared” (R2953).

Why Two Lambs?

Exodus 29:38 says the two lambs were to be “day by day continually.” What is the point of “continually”? Here are two options. (1) It is always to be done from this point forward, a generational responsibility (Exodus 29:42 NASB). (2) The fire is to burn without going out (Leviticus 6:9-13). Both of these seem valid.

But why two lambs? Were two lambs used daily to ensure that the fire would burn continually? If so, then why not have the lambs offered 12 hours apart, to better provide continuity through the day? Why six hours apart?

The answer seems to pertain to Jesus’ experience at his crucifixion. On the day Jesus died, he was taken “early in the morning” to Pilate (Mark 15:1 NASB). He was before Pilate at 6 am, for John 19:14, using Roman time, says “about the sixth hour … he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!” Jesus was placed on the cross at 9 AM. “It was the third hour when they crucified him” (Mark 15:25 NASB).

At noon, “the sixth hour came [and] darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour” (Mark 15:33, NASB), which was the time of Jesus’ death. “At the ninth hour Jesus … uttered a loud cry, and breathed his last” (Mark 15:34, 37, NASB).

Thus, Jesus was placed on the cross midmorning, consistent with the offering of the morning sacrifice, and died mid afternoon, consistent with the offering of the evening sacrifice. Jesus was put on the cross in order to endure the deepest curse of the Law, hanging on a cross. He subsequently died for Adam and all his race.

Acts chapter 2 speaks of the day of Pentecost, when the holy Spirit came on Jewish believers, even causing some of them to speak with tongues as a testimony of the Spirit’s influence. Acts 2:15 specifies the time, “the third hour of the day” — the same time of day that Jesus was placed on the cross.

Later, when the Gospel went to the Gentiles, Cornelius was the first recipient. Acts 10:3 says that he was visited by a vision at “the ninth hour,” 3:00 pm, the time Jesus died, to send for Peter. Cornelius *referred to this again when speaking with Peter. “Four days ago to this hour, I was praying in my house during the ninth hour” (Acts 10:30 NASB). At which time “the holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message,” and they were baptized into Christ (Acts 10:44 NASB).

Jesus died as a perfect man to ransom Adam and his progeny. It did not matter how Jesus died, but he had to give himself willingly as a perfect man. Because Israel was under the additional burden of the Law, in order to redeem all Israelites, Jesus additionally took on himself the deepest curse of the Law. He hung on a tree, the wood of the cross, thus to redeem even the most guilty. Thus Jesus provides “A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel” (Luke 2:32).

The immediate benefits of his offering came to the Church in the Gospel Age. Then, in the Kingdom to come, Christ and the Church will bless “all the families of the earth,” as promised to Abraham. How thankful we are for Jesus, “who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrew 12:2 ESV)

The Red Thread

Why this title? The life of man is represented in the blood. Offering blood symbolizes giving life. The life and death of Israel’s Messiah, and our Savior, is what threads together —
(1) the Adamic curse,
(2) the Law Covenant,
(3) the Ransom,
(4) the Lambs of God,
(5) the events of the cross.
All for the purpose of ransoming mankind from the grave, and setting up the process for the restoration of man, mind and body, to perfection. Then all will be in harmony with their creator and Heavenly Father. Oh, what a Savior!