Lenten Reflection #3: The Lamb and the Dove

"Look, the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world!...

I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on Him..."

John 1:29..32

Picture it, the gentlest of God's creatures, the dove resting on the lamb. The dove symbolizes peace (the Holy Spirit), while the lamb suggests meekness and submissiveness. The Dove can only rest on him whose heart is like the Lamb's: humble, submissive, fully surrendered.

The Lamb:

The SIMPLE Lamb - the lamb is a picture of helplessness and simplicity with no schemes of its own to help itself. Jesus made Himself as nothing for us, with no plans to deliver Himself from difficulties, just simple dependence on the Father all the time. But we have our lives so complicated! What energy it takes to control our issues, to live the Christian life "as if we were something and could do something!"

The SHORN Lamb - Jesus was our shorn Lamb, willing to be stripped of His heavenly and earthly rights, His reputation, even as a lamb does not resist when being shorn of its wool. He showed no resistance. He did not say, "Hey, you can't treat me like that! Don't you know who I am?" While God does not want us to be doormats for abuse, we more often in this rights-entitled society become hard and unloving in our demand for respect due our position.

The SILENT Lamb - Like a sheep before its shearers, Jesus said nothing, never defending Himself, explaining Himself. Our natural reactions is loud self-defence, self-vindication, with angry voices. The Dove has left because we were not silent. There is a time for speaking, but with love purged of sinful anger, but we need the Dove to rest on us first.

The SPOTLESS Lamb - He said nothing, but there was also nothing in His heart but love for those who persecuted Him and nailed Him to the Cross. No grudges, no bitterness. Even as they were pounding the nails forcefully into His flesh, He could say [and mean], "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." Think of the stains in our hearts of bitterness towards those who have wronged us. The Dove had to fly away.

The SUBSTITUTE Lamb - The Jewish sacrifice of a lamb was always as a substitute. It was slain with its blood sprinkled on the altar to atone for the sins of the people. [Atone: to supply satisfaction for--to reconcile God to man] Jesus carried our sins on His Body. He Who knew no sin, willingly became sin, for us, and allowed His Blood to be spilled for us, so that there might be cleansing and forgiveness of our sins, so that we might be reconciled with God. He was the only one without sin, the perfect Lamb whose blood was an eternal sacrifice for us, to once again have access to the Father.

Return, O heavenly Dove, return,

Sweet messenger of rest!

I hate the sins that made Thee mourn,

And drove Thee from my breast.**

Father, help us to grasp and become more like the perfect Lamb, humble, meek, submissive, filled with love, emptied of bitterness, in full dependence on You. May we have a resting place for the Dove. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

**Thoughts and quotes have been gleaned from the book I am using to reflect for Lent, The Calvary Road, by Roy Hession.