In 1950, Future Farmers of America (FFA) was a thriving program in Texas. Competition was fierce because the opportunities for the winners were broad. At that time, my dad raised and showed different animals. Yet for the most, he showed sheep. One of his sheep became the grand champion of Texas. The process of getting there was no simple task.

It started with selecting the right lamb. Dad would drive to Mountain Home, Texas, to select one from the flock of Amy Frank Reall. (Any man named Amy living in Texas had to be strong.) There, he would look for the qualities needed in a good lamb and buy it. Dad would then spend months feeding and grooming the lamb. He put a fan in its pen in the summer, bathed it in his mother’s shower, and cut some dates with Mom short to feed it. Though I am sure the lamb loved it, Dad’s mother and my mother were not thrilled over the attention it was receiving. The final step in the process was the judging. Dad’s lamb was to be judged by a circle of judges. Each judge had a clipboard with a list of areas to critique. Each judge gave his own opinion and the consensus determined which lamb became grand champion.

The Bible identifies Jesus as the Lamb of God. He is the grand champion over sin. He came to this position because He was selected, prepared, and presented by God to take away the sin of the world. Yet make no mistake, Jesus has had His circle of judges. Each has given his opinion whether or not He is the champion. Each has judged whether or not Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God.

Judge #1: John the Baptist
“Announcing the Lamb of God”

If appearances determined the credibility of this first judge, most would never listen to him. His clothes were made of camel’s hair and held together with a leather belt. With a steady diet of locusts and wild honey, you would think this man spent most of his time alone. Yet John the Baptist had grown accustomed to the press of the crowds. Commenting on John’s life, Jesus said in Matt 11:7-10,

7 …”What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 8 If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces. 9 Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it is written:

‘I will send my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way before you.’”

The people traveled to the wilderness instead of the temple, to listen to a prophet instead of the priests, because he was God’s messenger. And in John 1:29, I am sure John the Baptist stunned the people when he “saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’” The people had to be stunned because no one in the crowd moved toward Jesus. John’s judgment about Jesus stunned the people for the following reasons.

Fulfilling an Old Promise
Many believe that the first prophecy of the coming of Jesus Christ occurs in Genesis 3:15. Before God tells Adam and Even the consequences for their sin, He first tells Satan his. God says, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” God tells Satan that the offspring of a woman would be his ultimate destruction. John was saying Jesus was that offspring. He was the lamb that would fulfill the promise thousands of years old.

Meeting an Impossible Standard
The people were also stunned because it was hard to believe any man could meet the impossible standards of a lamb. Fifty times in the Old Testament God makes it clear that the animals offered to Him as a sacrifice had to be without blemish. It was inconceivable that any individual could be born and live a life without blemish. Yet 1 Peter 1:18-20 says that is what God did through Jesus.

18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.

John was saying that Jesus had met God’s standard. Though He was a man, He was God’s unblemished lamb.

Addressing a Universal Need
The ultimate stun of John’s statement was that if true, it would meet a universal need. According to the Old Testament, lambs were used in twelve different offerings and ceremonies in order to establish and maintain a right relationship with God.¹ Yet it was not working because Hebrews 9:9 states these offerings could never clear the conscience. Therefore, they were always offering another lamb. The stunning thought is that Jesus would become the ultimate lamb to meet the universal need. Three times in Hebrews, the Bible says Jesus died “once for all.” ² John believed Jesus was the ultimate Lamb of God.

Such a statement today still stuns some but saves others. While testing the acoustics in the vast Agricultural Hall, the great nineteenth century preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon shouted, "Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world." A worker high in the rafters of the building heard Spurgeon’s thunderous announcement and was saved.³ Preachers like Spurgeon and John the Baptist continue to announce Jesus as the Lamb of God. Some are saved while many remain stunned and need the report of another judge.

Judge #2: God
“Tagging the Lamb of God”

The judgment of the second judge should be the most convincing. Most would say, “If God would just tell me His view of Jesus, I would believe.” Well, God knows Jesus is His only messiah, as easily as a shepherd knows his only lamb.

I read that shepherds used to brand their sheep. However the branding was not very helpful since the sheep’s wool would grow over the brand. This caused shepherds to pursue a different means for identifying their own. They would pierce the sheep’s ear with a personal tag. The miracles, the teaching, and the perfect life of Jesus should have been enough to reveal God’s personal tag on Him. Yet it wasn’t. Therefore, God used four events in Jesus’ life to emphasize that God had tagged Him as the Lamb of God.

In Luke 2, God sent His angelic choir to sing at the birth of His Son. God sang to His Lamb. In Matthew 3, God’s voice is heard at Jesus’ baptism saying, “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.” God smiled on His Lamb. In Mark 9, God gave Peter, James and John a glimpse of Jesus’ heavenly glory. During Jesus’ transfiguration, God shined on His Lamb. Finally in Matthew 27, God’s wrath was felt as the earth shook, tombs were opened, and the veil in the temple ripped from top to bottom. This happened because God had slain His Lamb.

Other men and women in history have identified themselves as God’s messengers, mediums, or prophets. Yet no one in history was sung to by God, smiled on by God, shined on by God, or slain by God other than Jesus Christ. In their life, others pointed to the sin of the world, but by His death, only Jesus took away the worlds sin. Only Jesus could do this because only Jesus bore God’s tag as God’s Lamb.

His last year of high school, my dad traveled to Mountain Home to purchase two lambs. His plans were to feed them, groom them, show them, win with them, and then sell them. The profit would pay his way to college. However, when one of the lambs died before the shows, Dad’s dreams were dashed. When his lamb died, Dad’s plans died with it. That was not true when God’s Lamb died. When God’s Lamb died, God’s dreams came alive, for He rose from the grave and ascended to face His third judge—the hosts of heaven.

Judge #3: Heaven
“Crowning the Lamb of God”

By the time you get to the third judge, there is an emotional eruption. John has announced Jesus as the Lamb. God has affirmed Jesus as the Lamb. Now, heaven adorns Jesus as the Lamb. Jesus is crowned in heaven with a celebration worthy of the King of Kings. Revelation 5:11-12 describes the event.

11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12 In a loud voice they sang:

“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!”

Jesus was robbed of recognition on earth, but robed in it in heaven. Heaven crowned Him as the Lamb of God. And having crowned Him, heaven acknowledged so much more.

When God inspired John to write the Gospel of John and 1, 2, and 3 John, He inspired Him to use the word amnos when referring to Jesus as the Lamb. Yet when God inspired John to write Revelation, He inspired him to use arnion as heaven’s view of Jesus as the Lamb. Revelation refers to “The Lamb” twenty-nine times, and nothing is lost in the word change. Jesus is still seen as the lamb that was slain (Revelation 5:6, 12). His blood alone is still seen as the only antidote for sin (Revelation 7:14). However, though nothing is lost, so much more is added through the way heaven sees and says, “The Lamb.” Heaven gives to the Lamb authority and power, wrath and victory. He is the controller of history and the object of worship. The hosts of heaven saw what the hearts of earth missed and crowned Him as the Lamb of God.

I read that Charles of Anjou, King of Hungary, was crowned three times. The first time he was crowned they used an emergency crown because the historic crown of St. Stephen was not available. Some people said the value of the historic crown had been consecrated by the pope, so a papal envoy consecrated a second crown and Charles was crowned a second time. Finally, keepers of the original crown of St. Stephen released it and Charles was crowned a third time on August 20, 1310.⁴ Jesus has also been crowned three times. Once was with a crown of thorns as the people shouted, “Crucify the man!” A second time He was crowned with glory as heaven sang, “Worthy is the lamb.” The third coronation is up to you. You have to judge, is Jesus the Lamb of God? You have to judge, will He be Lord of you life? You have to decide. Will you crown the Lamb as Lord of your life?

Judge #4: Others
“Changed by the Lamb of God”

You are the final judge. How will you judge Jesus? Be careful how you judge Him for your decision can change your life. It did this for many throughout history. Look at the chain reaction that begins in John 1:35-38.

35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”

37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.

Andrew was one of the two disciples that heard John the Baptist say, “Look, the Lamb of God.” Andrew judged Jesus as the Lamb, would crown Him as Lord and be fulfilled. Andrew brought his brother Simon to Jesus. Jesus changed his life and changed his name. Simon floundered like the fish he caught, but Peter would become steady as a stone—all because Peter judged Jesus as the Lamb and crowned Him as the Lord of his life.

This chain of change would continue throughout the ministry of Jesus. It continues today. Yet not everyone is changed because not everyone has judged Jesus as the Lamb and crowned Him as Lord of his or her life.

As I explained earlier, when Dad’s lamb was seen by the circle of judges, each was responsible to make their own judgment. The consensus of their judgments ultimately determined which lamb would be grand champion. You need to understand that the Lamb of God is not determined by consensus. It is not decided by who believes it the most. It is Jesus. God affirmed Him and Heaven crowned Him.

For that reason you need to consider the following. Your judgment of Jesus will not affect His status with God. He will forever be the Lamb of God. However, your judgment of Jesus will forever affect your status with God. Your judgment will determine whether or not you will forever be with God. Do you judge Jesus as the Lamb of God? Have you crowned Him as Lord of your life?

Beware the Bribe

Though one of Dad’s lambs died, he still prepared the one remaining to be judged. Dad was known for his groom skills, so others would hire him at the show to groom their lambs as well. While grooming another lamb, Dad heard two judges admiring his lamb in the pen beside him. As they were bragging on Dad’s lamb, he heard one judge say to the other, “This one should be the champion. Too bad it’s not to be.” Overhearing this, Dad knew some of the judges had been bribed to overlook Dad’s lamb.

The Bible calls Satan the father of all lies, and I see him as the hand behind all bribes. What has Satan bribed you with to overlook Jesus as the Lamb of God?

Has Satan bribed you with riches? Do you think you can make more and keep more if you overlook Jesus? Name an amount you can make on earth that you can take to heaven. You have been bribed by a liar.

Has Satan bribed you with power? Do you think you can do more and climb higher if you overlook Jesus? Regardless of the volume of your accomplishments or altitude of your position, emptiness is still emptiness at every level. You have been bribed by a liar.

Has Satan bribed you with freedom? Do you think you will be freer to do what you want if you overlook Jesus? A prisoner is free in his 8 x 5 cell but he is still a prisoner. Only Jesus gives freedom from guilt and freedom to life. Only Jesus gives freedom from sin and freedom to live. If you overlook Jesus you are still a prisoner in your cell of sin, and you have been bribed by a liar.

Jesus has passed by the circle of judges. Prophets and preachers have announced Him as the Lamb of God. God has affirmed Jesus as His Lamb. Even heaven has adorned Him, crowning Him as God’s Lamb. Your life and eternity depends on your judgment of Jesus. Judge Him as God’s Lamb. Pray and ask Him to forgive you of your sins. Crown Him as your Lord. Surrender to Him everything of your life. If you do this, you will be able to point to Him with freedom and conviction, and for the first time say, “Behold the Lamb.”

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[1] William Barclay, Jesus As They Saw Him (Grand Rapids, Michigan; William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1962), 303-304.
[2] Hebrews 7:27; 9:12; 10:10
[3] “Charles Haddon Spurgeon,” Christian History, no. 29.
[4] Robert C. Shannon, 1000 Windows, (Cincinnati, Ohio: Standard Publishing Company, 1997).