Part 2: The Lamb Slain for Our Transgressions
The transition from the humble manger to the public ministry of Jesus Christ was not merely a passage of time, but a systematic fulfillment of the “Law and the Prophets.” If the first part of our series established the timing of His arrival, Part 2 examines the purpose of His walk among men. The child born in Bethlehem did not grow up to be a mere moral teacher or a social reformer; He grew up to be the Lamb of God, whose every step was calculated to satisfy the righteous requirements of the Father.
The Ministry of Fulfillment
The ministry of Christ was marked by a constant refrain: “that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet.” From the beginning of His work in Galilee, He was identifying Himself as the promised one of Israel.
I. The Proclamation of Liberty When the Lord stood in the synagogue at Nazareth, He opened the book of the prophet Esaias and read His own job description. He declared that the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him to preach the gospel to the poor and to set at liberty them that are bruised (Luke 4:18). By doing so, He was confirming the ancient promise:
“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek…” (Isaiah 61:1, KJV).
II. The Servant-King The world expected a political liberator, but the Word of God had long foretold a suffering Servant. His miracles—the blind seeing, the lame walking—were not just acts of compassion; they were judicial evidence of His Messianic claim. Yet, as prophesied, He was rejected by the very people He came to save:
“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” (Isaiah 53:3, KJV).
The Precise Hour of the Sacrifice
The climax of the Second Appearance was the Cross. It is here that we see the most staggering precision of biblical prophecy. The death of Christ was not a tragic accident or a martyr’s end; it was a divine appointment.
I. The Time of the Cutting Off The prophet Daniel, writing centuries earlier, gave a specific timeline for when the Messiah would be “cut off, but not for himself” (Daniel 9:26). This prophecy, known as the “Seventy Weeks,” pointed directly to the window of time in which Christ entered Jerusalem and was led to Calvary.
II. The Details of the Passion The physical details of the crucifixion were written in the Psalms long before the Romans had even perfected that form of execution. We read in the Bible a description that can only apply to the Lord Jesus:
“For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.” (Psalm 22:16-18, KJV).
Every detail—from the thirst He endured to the fact that not one of His bones was broken—stood as a testament that this was the Lamb Slain from the foundation of the world.
The Victory of the Resurrection
Part 2 does not end at the tomb. A dead Saviour can save no one. The final “defense of the truth” in His first appearance was the empty sepulchre. The resurrection was not an afterthought; it was the promised victory over the grave.
“For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.” (Psalm 16:10, KJV).
By rising on the third day, Christ proved that the debt of sin had been paid in full and the Father’s justice was satisfied. He who was “born to die” is now “alive for evermore.”
We must see that the same meticulousness God used to bring Christ to the Cross is the same meticulousness He is using to bring Christ back to the Throne. The work of redemption is finished; the work of restoration is yet to come.