Article March 30, 1946 Issue

The Lamb of God

HAZEL A. WOOD

One of the most dramatic incidents related in the Gospels is the account of John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness of Judea, calling the people to repentance, and bidding them make way for the coming of the Christ. When Jesus appeared, John recognized him at once as the long-awaited Messiah, and announced him with these words: "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). And in confirmation of this declaration John saw "the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove" and resting upon Christ Jesus.

Mary Baker Eddy, discerning the mission of the Christ, writes in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (pp. 567, 568): "Divine Science shows how the Lamb slays the wolf. Innocence and Truth overcome guilt and error." And she throws further light upon the subject of how the "Lamb slays the wolf," or "taketh away the sin of the world," by defining "Lamb of God" thus (ibid., p. 590): "The spiritual idea of Love; self-immolation; innocence and purity; sacrifice." The world does not generally consider the qualities of thought attributed to the Lamb a sufficient defense from evil. In fact, mortal belief demands just the opposite in its plea to resist evil with pride and self-will.

Self-immolation implies a willingness to lay down a human sense of self, together with all its preconceived opinions about what should be done in any circumstance. It means willingness to give up even one's most cherished plans and to listen for divine Love's directing to make the way of life plain. In church activities self-immolation is an essential quality. It is far from a weak state of thought. On the contrary, it is powerful and accomplishes good, for it removes the obstruction of pride and willfulness so that God's plan may be recognized. Have we not all seen how human resistance to error often causes tension and confusion and makes it difficult to see the issue clearly? Self-immolation, the abandoning of mortal mind and its mortal self with all its material desires for the true concept of man, enthrones the spiritual sense of being. Through this spiritual sense the right and timely solution of any problem can be found.

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