TruthNotes

Mary had a little Lamb,
Its fleece was white as snow.
Down from heav’n to earth it went
Salvation to bestow.

Eden’s Garden, with its trees,
Was such a lovely place.
Eating the forbidden fruit
Caused mankind’s fall from grace.

God the Father wouldn’t keep
His love all to Himself.
Instead He vowed to overcome
The Tempter’s wicked self.

“’Tween their seed and you,” he said,
“Enmity I’ll put.
He will crush your wicked head;
You’ll only bite His foot.”

To Sarah and to Abraham,
The promise God professed.
“Through your seed all earth’s families
Shall be forever blessed.”

Isaac, Abraham’s only son,
Was born when he was old.
From Jacob, one of his twin sons,
Would come the Lamb foretold.

Twelve was the number of the sons
That Jacob, he did bear.
But Judah was the one God chose
To be the Lamb’s great heir.

To Egypt did God’s people go
In order to be fed.
But Pharaoh’s wicked plan was foiled;
To freedom they were led.

The wilderness, it was their home
For forty long, long years.
Then through the Jordan they were led
To pacify their fears.

The people failed to obey
The Lord’s intent to live
And be a light for all to see
The Lamb that God would give.

But God would not His vow take back
And leave His people cold.
Instead His prophets He did send,
To speak His message bold.

The little Lamb so long foretold
By prophets long ago.
Each generation prayed the Lord
That they the Lamb would know.

When the time had been fulfilled,
One cold mid-winter’s morn,
Of Mary, chosen virgin mild,
The little Lamb was born.

The Lamb was wrapped in swaddling cloths
Just like the angel said.
And shepherds came to worship Him,
A manger was His bed.

To Bethlehem came wise men three,
Trav’ling from afar.
To the Lamb’s house they were led,
Following the star.

Wicked Herod tried to kill
The Lamb when He was small.
To Egypt safely He did go,
There to await God’s call.

Finally when all was safe,
And Herod’s terror done,
Out of Egypt did God call
The promised Lamb, His Son.

To Jordan’s River He did come
By John to be baptized.
“Here is the Lamb, God’s chosen One,”
The Baptist realized.

The Spirit then came down from heav’n
And o’er the Lamb appeared.
“This is My beloved Son,”
The Father’s voice declared.

To His disciples, John did say,
“The Lamb of God is He.
The whole world’s sin He takes away,
Now and eternally.”

The Lamb was led to desert drear,
Temptation to endure.
For forty days and nights did He
Avoid temptation’s lure.

The Tempter came to Him and said,
“Why not change stones to bread?”
“One does not live by bread alone,
But by God’s Word,” He said.

“Then from the Temple why not jump?”
The devil tempted next.
The Lamb replied, “The Lord your God
Do not put to the test.”

“The splendor of the world I’ll give
To You,” the Tempter vowed.
“Away from me,” the Lamb replied.
“I’ll serve the Lord, my God!”

For three long years the Lamb declared
The Father’s love and grace.
But those He came to serve and save
Refused to seek His face.

“I must go to Jerusalem,”
His foll’wers He advised.
“To be betrayed, condemned, and killed,
And on the third day rise.”

On a donkey meek He came.
Jerusalem did sing
With palms held high and voices loud,
“Hosanna to the King!”

One last Meal He did eat,
A Sacrament to give.
“Eat My body; drink My blood.
Your sins I will forgive.”

He came unto Gethsemane,
The Tempter to confront.
While His disciples fell asleep,
His time in prayer was spent.

“My Father, if it’s possible,
Remove this cup from Me.
Not what I want, but what You want,”
Became His earnest plea.

An angel came to strengthen Him
With power from on high.
“It’s time to go,” He did decide.
Betrayal, it was nigh.

Judas come up where He stood,
Betrayed Him with a kiss.
It was the sign that he would give
The others could not miss.

They took Him to the Sanhedrin,
They judged Him late at night.
“He deserves to die,” they said,
And death became His plight.

They took Him next to Pilate’s court,
Their sentence to fulfill.
A murderer they chose to save;
The Lamb they chose to kill.

The Lamb was led to Golgotha,
And nailed upon a tree.
To pay the price for human sin,
And set all people free.

“It is finished,” loud He cried,
And bowed His head to die.
“Surely this Lamb was God’s Son,”
A soldier then did cry.

The Lamb was taken from the cross,
And laid down in a tomb.
A stone across the door was rolled
And sealed, to mark His doom.

The tomb itself could not contain
The Lamb of God always.
He rose to life, just like He said,
In only three short days.

Although the devil bit his heel,
He crushed the Tempter’s head.
Satan’s power had been foiled,
Just like the Lamb had said.

Back into heaven He did go,
His father there to meet.
And someday back to earth He’ll come,
His mission to complete.

So when the going gets you down,
And everything seems lost,
Remember what the Lamb has done
And how much it has cost.

For Mary had a little Lamb,
Its fleece was white as snow.
From heaven down to earth He went,
Salvation to bestow.

Special thanks to Rev. William Hessler, who graciously allowed me to reprint this sermon he preached a number of years ago.