Lamb of God

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about the Christian theological concept. For the Latin liturgical prayer, see Agnus Dei. For other uses, see Lamb of God (disambiguation).
Ecclesiastical Latin: [ˈaɲ.ɲus ˈde.i]) is a title for Jesus that appears in the Gospel of John. It appears at John 1:29, where John the Baptist sees Jesus and exclaims, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world."[1] It appears again in John 1:36
.

Christian doctrine holds that a divine Jesus chose to suffer crucifixion at Calvary to save the world from its sins. He was given up by divine Father, as an "agent and servant of God" in carrying away the sins of the world.[2][3] In Christian theology the Lamb of God is viewed as both foundational and integral to the message of Christianity.[4][5]

A lion-like lamb that rises to deliver victory after being slain appears several times in the

burnt offering" to which Abraham responded "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." (Genesis 22:7-8). However, it was a Ram (not a Lamb) that was ultimately sacrificed in Isaac's place, and the Ram was caught in a thicket (i.e. thornbush). (Genesis 22:13). The lamb metaphor is also in line with Psalm 23
, which depicts God as a shepherd leading his flock (mankind).

The Lamb of God title is widely used in Christian prayers. The Latin version,

contemplative prayer.[8][9] The Agnus Dei
also forms a part of the musical setting for the Mass.

As a visual motif the lamb has been most often represented since the Middle Ages as a standing haloed lamb with a foreleg cocked "holding" a pennant with a red cross on a white ground, though many other ways of representing it have been used.

Gospel of John

Lamb bleeding into the Holy Chalice, carrying the vexillum
apostles of Jesus, who immediately follow him, address him as Rabbi with respect and later in the narrative bring others to meet him.[10]

Adoration of the Mystic Lamb
. The face of the Lamb was painted over with a more animal-like appearance (left). The originally intended version (right) has unusually humanoid features, with distinct ears and forward-facing eyes that appear to look directly at the viewer of the panel.
Person of Christ.[1] In Johannine Christology the proclamation "who takes away the sin of the world" begins the unfolding of the salvific theme of the redemptive and sacrificial death of Jesus followed by his resurrection which is built upon in other proclamations such as "this is indeed the Saviour of the world" uttered by the Samaritans in John 4:42.[11][12]

Book of Revelation

The Book of Revelation includes over twenty-nine references to a lion-like lamb ("slain but standing") which delivers victory in a manner reminiscent of the resurrected Christ.[6] In the first appearance of the lamb in Revelation (5:1–7) only the lamb (which is of the tribe of Judah, and the root of David) is found worthy to take the judgment scroll from God and break the seals.[6] The reference to the lamb in Revelation 5:6 relates it to the Seven Spirits of God which first appear in Revelation 1:4 and are associated with Jesus who holds them along with seven stars.[13]

In Rev. 19:6-9, the lamb is said to be having a

wedding feast, and that his bride's pure linen garment is said to be the "righteous acts of the saints."[14] A wedding feast, in Jewish law, is an obligatory banquet after a Jewish wedding.[15] In Jewish eschatology, the messiah will hold a wedding feast with the righteous of every nation (people), called a Seudat Chiyat HaMatim, wherein the messiah and his wedding guests will feast on the flesh of the Leviathan.[16] The identity of the lamb's bride is not specified in the passage, but the Christian Church is referred to as the bride of Christ
elsewhere in the New Testament.

In Revelation 21:14 the lamb is said to have twelve apostles.[6] The handing of the scroll (i.e. the book containing the names of those who will be saved) to the risen lamb signifies the change in the role of the lamb. In Calvary, the lamb submitted to the will of the Father to be slain, but now is trusted with the judgment of mankind.[17]

From the outset, the book of Revelation is presented as a "revelation of Jesus Christ" and hence the focus on the lamb as both redeemer and judge presents the dual role of Jesus: he redeems man through self-sacrifice, yet calls man to account on the day of judgment.[18]

Christology

The concept of the Lamb of God fits well within

John's "agent Christology", in which sacrifice is made as an agent of God or servant of God for the sake of eventual victory.[3][19]

The theme of a

Saint Augustine wrote: "Why a lamb in his passion? Because he underwent death without being guilty of any iniquity. Why a lion in his passion? Because in being slain, he slew death. Why a lamb in his resurrection? Because his innocence is everlasting. Why a lion in his resurrection? Because everlasting also is his might."[20]

scapegoat, which is subjected to punishment for the sins of others without knowing it or willing it.[2] Anselm emphasized that as Lamb of God, Jesus chose to suffer in Calvary as a sign of his full obedience to the will of the Father.[2]

Herod's Court Jesus could have argued for his innocence, but instead remained mostly quiet and submitted to crucifixion in obedience to the Father, for he knew his role as the Lamb of God.[21][22]

In modern

Eastern Orthodox Christology, Sergei Bulgakov argued that the role of Jesus as the Lamb of God was "pre-eternally" determined by the Father, before the creation of the world, by considering the scenario that it would be necessary to send The Son as an agent to redeem humanity disgraced by the fall of Adam, and that this is a sign of His love.[23]

San Damiano Cross depicts the sacrificial Christ as Agnus Dei

Multiple hypotheses about the suitable symbolism for the Lamb of God have been offered, within various Christological frameworks, ranging from the interpretation of Old Testament references to those of the Book of Revelation.

Paschal Lamb in Exodus 12:1–4, coupled with John 1:29–36, and yet another symbolism relies on Revelation 5:5–14 in which the lamb is viewed as a lion who destroys evil.[24][25] However, as above, the view adopted by Saint Anselm and John Calvin rejects the scapegoat symbolism. They view Jesus as making a knowing sacrifice as an agent of God, unlike an unwitting scapegoat.[2][21][22]

In modern Roman Catholic Christology,

baptismal water. In this analogy, the blood of the Lamb washed away the sins of humanity in a new baptism, redeeming it from the fall of Adam.[26]

Liturgy and music

Main article: Agnus Dei
Agnus Dei from
Schubert
.

In the

Host.[27] It is said to have been introduced into the Mass by Pope Sergius I (687–701).[28]

Agnus Dei has been set to music by many composers, usually as part of a Mass setting.[29][30]

Art

Lamb of God mosaic in presbytery of Basilica of San Vitale (built AD 547) Ravenna, Italy
Lamb of God with vexillum, Sacred Heart Church (Berlin), 1898

In

St George's Cross), though the cross may also be rendered in different colors. Sometimes the lamb is shown lying atop a book with seven seals hanging from it. This is a reference to the imagery in the Book of Revelation 5:1–13, ff. Occasionally, the lamb may be depicted bleeding from the area of the heart (Cf. Revelation 5:6), symbolizing Jesus' shedding of his blood to take away the sins of the world (Cf. John 1:29, 1:36
).

Mosaic in Santi Cosma e Damiano

In

Early Christian art the symbol appears very early on. Several mosaics in churches include it, some showing a row of twelve sheep representing the apostles flanking the central Agnus Dei, as in Santi Cosma e Damiano
, Rome (526–30). Agnus Dei is standing on a hill with four rivers of Paradise flowing out underneath.[31]

The Moravian Church uses an Agnus Dei as their seal with the surrounding inscription Vicit agnus noster, eum sequamur ("Our Lamb has conquered, let us follow him").

Although the depiction of Jesus as the Lamb of God is of ancient origin, it is not used in the liturgical

Church Slavonic: Агнец, romanized: Agniets). In 692 AD the Synod of Constantinople prohibited using a depiction of lamb as a symbol of Christ, but this directive was mostly ignored.[31]

Lamb of God Easter decorations in Poland

Lamb of God is also part of Easter decorations.[32]

Heraldry

An heraldic escutcheon blazoned as A paschal lamb, as drawn by Arthur Charles Fox-Davies (1871–1928)

A paschal lamb is a charge used in heraldry, for example as the

Cross of St. George (except in Perth's coat of arms, where it flies a banner of the Cross of St Andrew
).

Catholic sacramental

In the

sacramental.[34]
These were often set in jewelry, and might be worn round the neck on a chain, or as a brooch.

Gallery

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Agnus Dei.

References

Citations

  1. ^ a b c Bulgakov 2008, p. 263.
  2. ^ a b c d Deme 2003, pp. 199–200.
  3. ^ a b Cullmann 1959, p. 79.
  4. ^ Gerlach 1998, p. 22.
  5. ^ Hoffmann 2005, p. 117.
  6. ^ a b c d Glabach 2007.
  7. ^ Chrysostom 1889.
  8. ^ Linman 2010, p. 148.
  9. ^ Marshall 1989, p. 369.
  10. ^ Redford 2007, pp. 100–101.
  11. ^ Pollard 2005, p. 21.
  12. ^ Hengel 2004, p. 371.
  13. ^ Schreiner 2008, p. 502.
  14. ^ Revelation 19:6–9
  15. ^ Shulman, Shlomo (n.d.). "Guide to the Jewish Wedding". aish.com. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  16. ^ Hirsch, Emil G.; Kohler, Kaufmann; Schechter, Solomon; Broydé, Isaac (n.d.). "Leviathan and Behemoth". jewishencyclopedia.com. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  17. ^ DeHaan 1998, p. 103.
  18. ^ Witherington 2003, p. 27.
  19. ^ Sadananda 2004, p. 281.
  20. ^ Weinrich & Oden 2005, p. 73.
  21. ^ a b Old 1998, p. 125.
  22. ^ a b Edmondson 2004, p. 91.
  23. ^ Bulgakov 2008, p. 129.
  24. ^ a b Neville 2001, p. 13.
  25. ^ Köstenberger et al. 2012, p. 114.
  26. ^ Rahner 1975, p. 74.
  27. ^ Henry 1907.
  28. ^ Lieuwen, Reader Daniel (n.d.). "Lives of Orthodox Western Saints". orthodox.net. McKinney TX – via St Nicholas Orthodox Church.
  29. ^ Randel 2003, p. 28.
  30. ^ Atkinson 1975, p. 14.
  31. ^
    OCLC 1055176997
    .
  32. ^ Kowalczyk, Maria (2020). "Geneza i obchód Wielkanocy w Polsce. Zarys problematyki" (PDF). Studia Elbląskie (in Polish). XX: 273–294.
  33. ^ Montague-Smith 1968, p. 232.
  34. ^ Thurston 1907.

Sources

External links

  • Media related to Agnus Dei at Wikimedia Commons
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lamb_of_God&oldid=1219179246"