Look to the Lamb of God

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Also see 30+ Ideas for Promoting Hymn Singing in your church. As others have contributed ideas, this wonderful resource has grown to over 80 items now. And, for more than three dozen reasons why congregations should still use hymn books rather than merely projecting words on the wall, see The Value of Hymn Books.

Words: Henry Godden Jackson (b. Jan. 1, 1838; d. Nov. 10, 1914)
Music: James Milton Black (b. Aug. 19, 1856; d. Dec, 21, 1938)

Links:
Wordwise Hymns (for another article see here)
The Cyber Hymnal
Hymnary.org

Note: Henry Godden Jackson and his wife spent many years in Buenos Aires, Argentina, serving as Christian missionaries. After returning to the States, they lived in the area of Chicago. Jackson wrote quite a few hymns, many of them in Spanish. He based the gospel song we’re considering here on John the Baptist’s announcement of Jesus quoted below. The tune was composed by James Black, who also gave us the song When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder.

Some animals have remarkable eyesight. It’s said that an eagle can spot a rabbit 3.2 kms (2 miles) away. But which human being has the sharpest vision? Years ago, the testing of an unnamed Aboriginal man found he had what they called 6/1.5 sight, meaning the smallest print the average person could read he could read from four times further away.

But now, a new laser eye surgery is able to give patients what’s been called “super vision,” the ability to see fifty percent better than the best humans could formerly do by nature. Doctors say new eye charts will be needed to test this, since those with “super vision” can easily read the smallest print on the chart.

We can look with our physical eyes. But there’s also looking with our soul’s insight and perception, a kind of looking that involves giving attention to our interests and priorities. “Look to your future,” some will say, meaning think about what you’re going to do with the rest of your life. Or we could be advised, “Look to your health.” Or, “Look to your conscience.”

The Bible too talks about this kind of looking. Using the term in a negative sense, the Lord describes corrupt leaders in Israel as “greedy dogs,” saying, “They are shepherds who cannot understand; they all look to their own way, every one for his own gain” (Isa. 56:11). And in our day, who hasn’t known politicians like that–who seem to be in office mainly for what they can get out of it for themselves?

In the positive sense, we are to look to God in faith and expectant hope.

“Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, until He has mercy on us” (Ps. 123:2). That’s an appealing image of trust and confidence.

The great nineteenth century preacher, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, put his faith in Christ in 1850, at the age of sixteen, responding to the call of God from Isaiah 45:22, “Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth!” He decided, as the prophet Micah did, “Therefore I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me” (Mic. 7:7).

In the New Testament this look of faith is focused particularly on the Lord Jesus Christ. When John the Baptist introduced Him at the beginning of His public ministry, he called out:

“Behold! [Look!] The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (Jn. 1:29).

It was a way of saying, “Here is the One who’ll fulfil those Old Testament sacrifices. His will be the final and full atoning sacrifice.

The writer of Hebrews invites us to…

“Consider Him [think over what you have learned about Him]….Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher [the Source and Goal] of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Heb. 12:2-3).

CH-1) If you from sin are longing to be free,
Look to the Lamb of God.
He to redeem you died on Calvary,
Look to the Lamb of God.

Look to the Lamb of God.
Look to the Lamb of God.
For He alone is able to save you,
Look to the Lamb of God.

CH-2) When Satan tempts and doubts and fears assail,
Look to the Lamb of God.
You in His strength shall over all prevail,
Look to the Lamb of God.

CH-4) Fear not when shadows on your pathway fall,
Look to the Lamb of God.
In joy or sorrow Christ is all in all.
Look to the Lamb of God.

Questions:
1) What or whom are you looking to, today, to meet your deepest needs?

2) What does it mean that Paul calls Jesus “our Passover” (I Cor. 5:7)?

Links:
Wordwise Hymns (for another article see here)
The Cyber Hymnal
Hymnary.org