Which lamb in the Old Testament is Jesus equated to?
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We see Jesus being referred to as the Lamb of God, on many occasions. John the Baptist calls him the Lamb of God who takes away of the sins of the world (Jn 1:29). St. Paul refers to him as the lamb whose blood saved Israel from Egypt:
>Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch - as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. (I Cor 5:7)
In Ex 12: 6-13 we see how Israel is asked to slaughter the Passover lamb and sprinkle its blood on the door-frames as as sign of their presence inside.
Besides the Passover Lamb, we see references to two lambs in the Old Testament which would get Israel reprieve for their sins, in Leviticus 16:
> He (Aaron) shall take from the congregation of the people of Israel two male goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering..........He shall slaughter the goat of the sin offering that is for the people and bring its blood inside the curtain, and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, sprinkling it upon the mercy seat and before the mercy seat...... When he has finished atoning for the holy place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall present the live goat. Then Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and sending it away into the wilderness by means of someone designated for the task. The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to a barren region; and the goat shall be set free in the wilderness.
The phraseology used by John the Baptist points to the second lamb that was left to the wilderness loaded with the sins of Israel.
In the prayer *Agnus Dei*, we call Jesus the Lamb of God "who takes away " the sins of the world.
In brief, the three lambs in the Old Testament bore three different missions.
My question therefore, is: **According to Catholic scholars, which lamb in the Old Testament is Jesus equated to?**
Asked by Kadalikatt Joseph Sibichan
(13704 rep)
Apr 18, 2022, 05:43 AM
Last activity: Mar 29, 2024, 04:34 PM
Last activity: Mar 29, 2024, 04:34 PM