DO WHAT A LAMB DOES BEST
An Example to Follow
Different animals are endowed with different gifts. A cheetah can run, a rooster can crow, a penguin can swim, a monkey can climb. The Lord has blessed all of his creatures with different skills and attributes that he uses to beautify the world, to keep things in order, and to benefit the people living on this earth. And because of all the different qualities that the birds and the fish and the animals of this world possess, the Lord oftentimes uses compares them to human beings. For example Jesus tells us in the book of Matthew to be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. The book of Proverbs encourages us to work hard like a colony of ants. Jesus even describes himself as a hen who longs to gather her chicks under her wings. But out of all the animals in this world, the one creature that Scripture uses the most to illustrate who we are and how we should act in this life and the way in which Jesus himself functioned while he was here on this earth is the lamb.
You know very well that Jesus is called the Lamb of God and the Passover Lamb in the Bible, mainly because he was the fulfillment of the many lamb sacrifices that were performed in Old Testament times. Along those same lines he is also described as a Lamb led to the slaughter and in the book of Revelation he is pictured as a Lamb who has been killed. In other parts of Scripture the Jewish people were referred to as the lost sheep of Israel and some of the crowds that Jesus came across in his travels he thought of as sheep without a shepherd. The apostle Peter too picks up on this familiar analogy in his first letter. And as he continues to talk to us about Christian living today he urges us to live like a lamb. Specifically, he asks us to do what a lamb does best. And that is: follow.
“To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. ‘He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.’ When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.”
The Lamb of God committed no sin; he did not retaliate; he made no threats. Instead, he handed everything over to his Father who would judge those who hated him. That’s the example that the Lord has laid out for his lambs. And lambs follow. That’s just what they do. They follow their leader and, as our gospel reading in John 10 said, they listen to his voice. And the way that we are to follow our leader and listen to his voice is to act how he acted and have the same gentle attitude that he had.
Wandering Sheep
Of course, realize the implications of that example. That means when someone gets mad at you, you don’t get mad back. And when someone yells at you, you don’t yell back. And when someone hurts you, you don’t hurt them back. And when someone doesn’t like you, you actually like them back. You love them. You forgive them. You open your heart to them and do everything you can for them as if they were the most important person in the world to you. Because that’s the kind of care and devotion and patience Jesus showed. That’s how he acted. That was his attitude while he lived on this earth. He was like a gentle Lamb. No matter how many people hated him and no matter how many pains he unjustly suffered, he remained a gentle Lamb. And he asks us to do the same.
But I’ve got to tell you: I don’t normally like being a gentle lamb. I don’t like to just “take it” without retaliating. I don’t like to be wronged only to drop it. I don’t like to be nice to those who aren’t nice to me. And I would doubt that you like to do that either! Because acting like a gentle lamb makes us “weak” in the eyes of others. That kind of attitude makes us seem like “pushovers” who lack the confidence to stand up for ourselves. And we don’t want that, do we? We don’t want to be perceived as timid or even cowardly.
And so what do we do? Instead of doing what a lamb does best and following Jesus’ example of compassion and mercy and love, we act like a snapping turtle or a crocodile or a snake and strike back. We want to hurt those who hurt us and unnecessarily argue with those who disagree with us and talk against those who aren’t like us. Because then we’re “strong.” Then we’re bold and self-confident. Then we can show people that we have a high self-esteem and we aren’t going to let anyone just walk all over us. And that’s more impressive to the people around us, isn’t it? Not to mention that it makes us feel good. It makes us feel good when we can get the upper hand. It makes us feel good when we can get back at that person or “win” in some way.
That doesn’t sound much like a lamb to me. It doesn’t sound very gentle or caring. It doesn’t sound a whole lot like Christ, the Lamb of God. On the other hand, it does sound a little bit like a lamb in a negative respect. Because listen to how Peter describes us, “You were like sheep going astray.” Instead of being lambs that follow, we are lambs that go astray. We wander off. We go our own direction other than the way his Word is pointing. And that’s very fitting description of the way we sometimes live, isn’t it? It’s a very apt illustration of what we normally do: instead of doing what lambs do best, we end up doing the worst thing possible because we just don’t feel like “following” our leader today.
Now I would never accuse of not wanting to follow Jesus. But I think you would agree that we as Christians can sometimes theoretically agree with what the Bible says, but then act in a completely different way. We all agree that we should follow Christ’s example and act like he acted, right? But to walk out these doors and actually plan to incorporate that into your life? That’s a little different, isn’t it? Because it’s no fun being a lamb. It’s difficult being a lamb. It’s self-deprecating being a lamb. And so when it comes down to it, we like the fact of following Christ in theory, but not in practice.
The Shepherd’s Sacrifice as a Lamb
And if there was anyone that understood the difference between theory and practice, it was the author of this letter: the apostle Peter. Think about all the things that happened in his life: In theory he was going to follow his Lord and stand up for him on pain of death; in practice he denied that he even knew who the Lord was when Peter was pressured in the courtyard of the high priest. In theory Peter was going to follow his Lord and walk on top of the water to Jesus because Jesus said that he could; in practice Peter was overwhelmed by the sights and the sounds of the winds and the waves and began to sink. In theory Peter would follow his God everywhere he went; in practice Peter ended up reprimanding Jesus when the Lord told him that he was going to Jerusalem to be handed over to enemies for crucifixion. And so when Peter wrote this letter later on in his life, he understood that promising to follow Jesus was one thing; actually taking the steps to do so was another.
And because Peter understood this concept so well, he also understood that we would have trouble with it too. And so right after he informs us that we are supposed to do what lambs do best and follow Jesus’ example, he immediately reminds us about what the Lamb of God did for us when we fail to do so. “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”
This is not the example we are supposed to follow as his lambs. This is the source of our forgiveness when we don’t follow his example. The Lamb of God died. But he didn’t just die; he took all or our sins with him and suffered the consequences of their punishment. But the result wasn’t just that he suffered either; what resulted from that sacrifice was that by his wounds we are healed. Jesus was the Lamb that we could never be because Jesus was the offering that we could never be. He gave up his entire being for us. He let his blood fall for us. When we wandered, he did not close the gate. When we refused to follow, he did not turn away. No, instead he turned to us. He reached out to us. He called us back. He pulled us in. Because Jesus is not only the Lamb of God; he is also the Good Shepherd. And the Good Shepherd will do anything for his sheep.
Follow the Shepherd
And that is still true today. Our Good Shepherd will do anything for the good of his sheep. He guards us when we are in trouble. He guides us when we are lost. He feeds us when we are hungry. He comforts us when we are sad. He warns us about the dangers. And he forgives us when we fall. And that is what makes it easy for us to live like lambs: Our Good Shepherd has done everything for us; why wouldn’t we want to follow him? He has not just set an example that we are supposed to keep; he is a God who has provided for us in every way imaginable so that now we want to stay close to him every step of the way. He does not use the whip and demand that we live up to a godly standard or else; he uses his staff and pulls us closer to his cross on which he forgave us for not keeping that standard. Jesus is not a business man. He is not someone who will fire you or replace you or get rid of you if you do not reach your production levels. He is the Shepherd and the Overseer of your soul. He actually cares for you. He longs for you. He died for you! What greater proof of his love do we need? And with that in mind we know that we can follow him not to get where we’re going but because he has already promised to take us there! We live like lambs not because that earns us the right to be part of his flock but because he has already brought us into his fold.
And so continue to do what lambs do best: follow your Shepherd. Lambs don’t lead; lambs don’t advise; lambs don’t help out. Lambs follow. And that’s just what your Shepherd wants you to do. He wants you to follow his Word through faith and, out thanks for what he has done, he want you to follow his example through life. And what an exciting thing that is for us to do! We get to be lambs of the Lamb of God! We get live free of consequences hanging over our heads. We get to live full of peace. We get to live with our Shepherd always over us and we get to live with other sheep all around us. What a blessing it is to be a part of the Good Shepherd’s flock. And what a joy it is to have the privilege to do what lambs do best.
Amen.
“May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” - Hebrews 13:20-21
An Example to Follow
Different animals are endowed with different gifts. A cheetah can run, a rooster can crow, a penguin can swim, a monkey can climb. The Lord has blessed all of his creatures with different skills and attributes that he uses to beautify the world, to keep things in order, and to benefit the people living on this earth. And because of all the different qualities that the birds and the fish and the animals of this world possess, the Lord oftentimes uses compares them to human beings. For example Jesus tells us in the book of Matthew to be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. The book of Proverbs encourages us to work hard like a colony of ants. Jesus even describes himself as a hen who longs to gather her chicks under her wings. But out of all the animals in this world, the one creature that Scripture uses the most to illustrate who we are and how we should act in this life and the way in which Jesus himself functioned while he was here on this earth is the lamb.
You know very well that Jesus is called the Lamb of God and the Passover Lamb in the Bible, mainly because he was the fulfillment of the many lamb sacrifices that were performed in Old Testament times. Along those same lines he is also described as a Lamb led to the slaughter and in the book of Revelation he is pictured as a Lamb who has been killed. In other parts of Scripture the Jewish people were referred to as the lost sheep of Israel and some of the crowds that Jesus came across in his travels he thought of as sheep without a shepherd. The apostle Peter too picks up on this familiar analogy in his first letter. And as he continues to talk to us about Christian living today he urges us to live like a lamb. Specifically, he asks us to do what a lamb does best. And that is: follow.
“To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. ‘He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.’ When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.”
The Lamb of God committed no sin; he did not retaliate; he made no threats. Instead, he handed everything over to his Father who would judge those who hated him. That’s the example that the Lord has laid out for his lambs. And lambs follow. That’s just what they do. They follow their leader and, as our gospel reading in John 10 said, they listen to his voice. And the way that we are to follow our leader and listen to his voice is to act how he acted and have the same gentle attitude that he had.
Wandering Sheep
Of course, realize the implications of that example. That means when someone gets mad at you, you don’t get mad back. And when someone yells at you, you don’t yell back. And when someone hurts you, you don’t hurt them back. And when someone doesn’t like you, you actually like them back. You love them. You forgive them. You open your heart to them and do everything you can for them as if they were the most important person in the world to you. Because that’s the kind of care and devotion and patience Jesus showed. That’s how he acted. That was his attitude while he lived on this earth. He was like a gentle Lamb. No matter how many people hated him and no matter how many pains he unjustly suffered, he remained a gentle Lamb. And he asks us to do the same.
But I’ve got to tell you: I don’t normally like being a gentle lamb. I don’t like to just “take it” without retaliating. I don’t like to be wronged only to drop it. I don’t like to be nice to those who aren’t nice to me. And I would doubt that you like to do that either! Because acting like a gentle lamb makes us “weak” in the eyes of others. That kind of attitude makes us seem like “pushovers” who lack the confidence to stand up for ourselves. And we don’t want that, do we? We don’t want to be perceived as timid or even cowardly.
And so what do we do? Instead of doing what a lamb does best and following Jesus’ example of compassion and mercy and love, we act like a snapping turtle or a crocodile or a snake and strike back. We want to hurt those who hurt us and unnecessarily argue with those who disagree with us and talk against those who aren’t like us. Because then we’re “strong.” Then we’re bold and self-confident. Then we can show people that we have a high self-esteem and we aren’t going to let anyone just walk all over us. And that’s more impressive to the people around us, isn’t it? Not to mention that it makes us feel good. It makes us feel good when we can get the upper hand. It makes us feel good when we can get back at that person or “win” in some way.
That doesn’t sound much like a lamb to me. It doesn’t sound very gentle or caring. It doesn’t sound a whole lot like Christ, the Lamb of God. On the other hand, it does sound a little bit like a lamb in a negative respect. Because listen to how Peter describes us, “You were like sheep going astray.” Instead of being lambs that follow, we are lambs that go astray. We wander off. We go our own direction other than the way his Word is pointing. And that’s very fitting description of the way we sometimes live, isn’t it? It’s a very apt illustration of what we normally do: instead of doing what lambs do best, we end up doing the worst thing possible because we just don’t feel like “following” our leader today.
Now I would never accuse of not wanting to follow Jesus. But I think you would agree that we as Christians can sometimes theoretically agree with what the Bible says, but then act in a completely different way. We all agree that we should follow Christ’s example and act like he acted, right? But to walk out these doors and actually plan to incorporate that into your life? That’s a little different, isn’t it? Because it’s no fun being a lamb. It’s difficult being a lamb. It’s self-deprecating being a lamb. And so when it comes down to it, we like the fact of following Christ in theory, but not in practice.
The Shepherd’s Sacrifice as a Lamb
And if there was anyone that understood the difference between theory and practice, it was the author of this letter: the apostle Peter. Think about all the things that happened in his life: In theory he was going to follow his Lord and stand up for him on pain of death; in practice he denied that he even knew who the Lord was when Peter was pressured in the courtyard of the high priest. In theory Peter was going to follow his Lord and walk on top of the water to Jesus because Jesus said that he could; in practice Peter was overwhelmed by the sights and the sounds of the winds and the waves and began to sink. In theory Peter would follow his God everywhere he went; in practice Peter ended up reprimanding Jesus when the Lord told him that he was going to Jerusalem to be handed over to enemies for crucifixion. And so when Peter wrote this letter later on in his life, he understood that promising to follow Jesus was one thing; actually taking the steps to do so was another.
And because Peter understood this concept so well, he also understood that we would have trouble with it too. And so right after he informs us that we are supposed to do what lambs do best and follow Jesus’ example, he immediately reminds us about what the Lamb of God did for us when we fail to do so. “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”
This is not the example we are supposed to follow as his lambs. This is the source of our forgiveness when we don’t follow his example. The Lamb of God died. But he didn’t just die; he took all or our sins with him and suffered the consequences of their punishment. But the result wasn’t just that he suffered either; what resulted from that sacrifice was that by his wounds we are healed. Jesus was the Lamb that we could never be because Jesus was the offering that we could never be. He gave up his entire being for us. He let his blood fall for us. When we wandered, he did not close the gate. When we refused to follow, he did not turn away. No, instead he turned to us. He reached out to us. He called us back. He pulled us in. Because Jesus is not only the Lamb of God; he is also the Good Shepherd. And the Good Shepherd will do anything for his sheep.
Follow the Shepherd
And that is still true today. Our Good Shepherd will do anything for the good of his sheep. He guards us when we are in trouble. He guides us when we are lost. He feeds us when we are hungry. He comforts us when we are sad. He warns us about the dangers. And he forgives us when we fall. And that is what makes it easy for us to live like lambs: Our Good Shepherd has done everything for us; why wouldn’t we want to follow him? He has not just set an example that we are supposed to keep; he is a God who has provided for us in every way imaginable so that now we want to stay close to him every step of the way. He does not use the whip and demand that we live up to a godly standard or else; he uses his staff and pulls us closer to his cross on which he forgave us for not keeping that standard. Jesus is not a business man. He is not someone who will fire you or replace you or get rid of you if you do not reach your production levels. He is the Shepherd and the Overseer of your soul. He actually cares for you. He longs for you. He died for you! What greater proof of his love do we need? And with that in mind we know that we can follow him not to get where we’re going but because he has already promised to take us there! We live like lambs not because that earns us the right to be part of his flock but because he has already brought us into his fold.
And so continue to do what lambs do best: follow your Shepherd. Lambs don’t lead; lambs don’t advise; lambs don’t help out. Lambs follow. And that’s just what your Shepherd wants you to do. He wants you to follow his Word through faith and, out thanks for what he has done, he want you to follow his example through life. And what an exciting thing that is for us to do! We get to be lambs of the Lamb of God! We get live free of consequences hanging over our heads. We get to live full of peace. We get to live with our Shepherd always over us and we get to live with other sheep all around us. What a blessing it is to be a part of the Good Shepherd’s flock. And what a joy it is to have the privilege to do what lambs do best.
Amen.
“May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” - Hebrews 13:20-21
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