Behold, the Lamb of God:
A Bible Study on Jesus' Atonement

A 86-page book providing a 5-week Bible study on Jesus as the Lamb of God (Agnus Dei), focusing on themes of redemption and atonement from sin through Christ's sacrifice on the cross.

The 2nd edition published Jan 07 includes minor changes from the first edition.

When John was preaching repentance and the forgiveness of sins while baptizing in the Jordan River, Jesus came to meet him and be baptized. John looks at him and says, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." In these words he capsulizes the mission of Jesus and gives us a clue to understanding the significance of Jesus' death and resurrection. In this five-week series you'll study the concept of Jesus as our atoning sacrifice for sin. As you study you'll be amazed and thankful -- and a more thoughtful and faithful disciple as a result.

This study can be used a number of ways. Individual laypersons who want a serious study of Abraham's life will find lots of materials to help them grow in their faith. Each lesson contains the text from the New International Version (NIV), an exposition of the passage, four or five discussion questions for thought, writing, or discussion with another person, a prayer, one or two key verses from the passage for meditation or memorization, and references I used in the study. Bible study leaders can use this book as the basis for a small group discussion, with participant notes for each lessons included in Appendix 5 for copying and distribution.

Also available on DVD for classes and small groups. Click here for more information

Pastors and teachers will find a great deal of material to serve as grist for lessons and sermons. This is an ideal series leading up to Good Friday and Easter.

1. Behold, the Lamb of God - Basic Concepts of Sacrifice (John 1:29)
2. The Lamb Who Took Our Place (Isaiah 53)
3. The Lamb Who Redeems Us from Slavery (1 Peter 1:18-19)
4. The Passover Lamb of Whom We Partake (1 Corinthians 5:7)
5. The Triumphant Lamb We Worship (Revelation 5:1-14)

Behold, the Lamb of God began as an online e-mail Bible study in the Spring of 2003, that spanned nearly 2,000 participants in 68 countries. This format includes URLs to an online forum where the discussion questions can be commented on and where you can read others' comments.

Table of Contents

Note: the DVD series includes Dr. Wilson teaching each of the 5 chapters, but not Appendices 1-4.

Preface		2
Copy Pricing Policy		4
Abbreviations and References		8
#1. Behold, the Lamb of God – Basic Concepts of Sacrifice (John 1:29)		10
	John the Baptist's Prophetic Insight	11
	Ancient Animal Sacrifice	12
	Holiness, Anger, and Justice	12
	The Repulsiveness of Animal Sacrifice	13
	Atonement	13
	Basic Elements of Sacrifice for Sin	14
	Forgiveness and Grace of God	15
	Behold, the Lamb of God	16
#2. The Lamb Who Took Our Place (Isaiah 53)		18
	Universal Atonement	20
	Jesus Saw His Ministry as a Fulfillment of Isaiah 53	21
	1. The Servant Is a Substitute Who Bears Our Sin	22
	2. The Servant Is a Substitute Who Bears Our Punishment	24
	3. The Servant Acts Willingly	25
	4. The Servant Acts as a Priest	26
	5. The Servant Is Exalted by God	26
#3. The Lamb Who Redeems Us from Slavery (1 Peter 1:18-19)		31
	Slavery in the Ancient World	32
	The Old Testament Kinsman-Redeemer	32
	Redeemed by the Lamb (1 Peter 1:18-19)	33
	A Ransom for Many (Mark 10:44-45)	34
	Bought at a Price (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)	34
	Elements of the Slave Ransom Analogy	36
	Who or What Enslaves Us?	36
	Satan Is Defeated, Not Paid Off	37
	Atonement for Our Sins	38
#4. The Passover Lamb of Whom We Partake (1 Corinthians 5:7)		41
	The Plague on the Firstborn	41
	The Sacrifice of the Passover Lamb	42
	The Last Supper as a Passover Meal	43
	Bread and Wine in Light of the Passover Lamb	44
	Words of Institution Contain Explicit Sacrificial Terms (Matthew 26:26-28)	45
#5. The Triumphant Lamb We Worship (Revelation 5:1-14)		49
	An Introduction to the Book of Revelation	50
	The Scroll with Seven Seals (5:1-4)	51
	The Lion Who Is the Lamb (5:5)	51
	The Slain Lamb Standing (5:6)	52
	Worshiping the Lamb Who Is Worthy (5:7-8)	54
	A Song of Redemption (5:9-10)	55
	A Song of Praise (5:11-12)	57
	A Song to the Divine Lamb (5:13-14)	57
Appendix 1. Theories of the Atonement		61
Appendix 2. Classic Protestant Liberalism and the Atonement: A Plea for Reconsideration		63
	Characteristics of Classic Protestant Liberalism	63
	A Liberal Approach to the Atonement	64
	A Dishonest and Demeaning Caricature	64
	The Downside of Classic Liberalism	65
	The Jesus Seminar Fallacy	65
	Revulsion at Animal Sacrifice	66
	A Plea for Reconsideration	66
Appendix 3. Quotations, References and Allusions in the New Testament to Isaiah 53 and other Servant Songs		68
Appendix 4. Boys' Philosophies		72
Appendix 5: Discussion Questions		73
	Discussion Questions: #1. Basic Concepts of Sacrifice	74
	Discussion Questions: #2. The Lamb Who Took Our Place	75
	Discussion Questions: #3. The Lamb Who Redeems Us from Slavery	76
	Discussion Questions: #4. The Passover Lamb of Whom We Partake	77
	Discussion Questions: #5. The Triumphant Lamb We Worship	78
About the Author		79
JesusWalk Bible Study Series		80

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"Appreciated by our four small groups who used it.  It was thorough and stimulated good discussion."

You can purchase this book either as an e-book or a printed book. Click here to review the Behold the Lamb of God Video Kit (DVD), which includes the book as part of the package.

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Copyright © 1985-2007 Ralph F. Wilson. <pastorjoyfulheart.com> All rights reserved. A single copy of this article is free. Do not put this on a website. See legal, copyright, and reprint information.