Some extended family members own sheep. When we visited their house this spring, a sheep was due to give birth any day. The family was a little concerned because this sheep hadn’t been a great mom in the past. Each time she had a lamb, she wouldn’t nurse, and the family had to bottle-feed the lamb to keep it alive. (And who wants to take the time to do that?)

My husband asked why the other mama sheep couldn’t step in to nurse. (I mean, our barn cats have done that.) As it turns out, sheep are finicky and won’t accept another lamb. The farmer told us that this only works if the sheep’s lamb dies; then you skin it and place it over the living lamb.

Wow! 

The Bible became so much clearer to me that day.

Now when I read what John the Baptist said about Jesus—“Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)—I have a far better, deeper, richer picture of exactly what happened when Jesus stepped in to save us. The Father couldn’t accept us as we are—because we were not part of his family. However, because he loved us so much, God’s Son, Jesus, came to earth to be the Lamb of God. He died, and now his sacrifice covers us. The Father accepts us as his lambs now—and, like the sweet song says, “I am Jesus’ little lamb!”