Jesus Christ, the sacrificial "lamb slain from the foundation of the world," was revealed symbolically long before He came to earth in the flesh. When John recognized Him by the sign of the Holy Spirit's descent upon Him, he did not say "Behold the Messiah," or "Behold the One on Whom rests the Holy Spirit," but "Behold the Lamb."

Perhaps the first instance of the bloodshed of an animal  on behalf of sinful man was in the garden of Eden. As Adam and Eve realized the meaning if sin and their nakedness, "The Lord made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them" (Gen. 3:21). The Bible doesn't say what kind of animal had to die to create the garments that covered the sin of Adam and Eve, but I bet it was a lamb.

 On another occasion, Isaac questioned his father Abraham, "The fire and wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?' And Abraham [prophetically] answered, 'God Himself will provide the lamb.' God found  a man who was willing to kill his beloved son out of faith and obedience to Him, opening up the door for God to do the same. God intervened on behalf of Abraham's son, indeed sending a substitute for Isaac. Then, when the time was right, God sent His beloved Son Jesus Christ as a substitute for us, the sons and daughters of sinful man who deserved death. "Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, 'Abraham believed God, and it is credited to him as righteousness,' and he was God's friend" (James 2:21-23). And God sent the ram [which also translates male sheep] as the sacrifice.

In Exodus 12, the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron saying, "Tell the whole community of Israel that on the 10th day of this month, each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household. If any is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor . . . The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. Take care of them until the 14th day of the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs . . . Do not eat the meat raw or cooked in water, but roast it over the fire--head, legs, and inner parts. Do not leave any of it till morning . . . The blood will be a sign on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you [and you will not die]" (Ex. 12:3-12 selective).  The people were instructed to eat the whole lamb, not just their favorite parts, just as we must receive all of Christ, not just the parts that we pick and choose. In Christ again, the blood of the lamb brings salvation. 

Lambs and goats continued to be sacrificed for the burnt offering to show commitment and devotion to God and to atone for unintentional sin (Lev. 1, 6:8-13, 8:18-21); the fellowship offering as an act of worship (Lev. 3, 7:11-34); the sin offering as atonement for sins and cleansing from defilement(Lev. 4:1-5:13, 6:24-38, 8:14-17, 16:3-22); and the guilt offering for restitution and cleansing from sin (Lev. 5:14-6:7, 7:1-6). Of particular fascination is the direction for the scapegoat. "Then [Aaron] is to take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. He is to cast lots for the two goats--one lot for the Lord and the other for the scapegoat. Aaron shall bring the goat whose lot falls to the Lord and sacrifice it for a sin offering. But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be used for making atonement by sending it into the desert as a scapegoat. . .When Aaron has finished making atonement for the Most Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting and the altar, he shall bring forward the live goat. He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites--all their sins--and put them on the goat's head. He shall send the goat away into the desert in the care of a man appointed for the task. The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a solitary place; and the man shall release it into the desert" (Lev. 16:7-10, 20-22).

Did John see all this as Jesus walked before him? How completely he understood the truth of his statement, we can not know. But in these days as the scripture has been revealed, we do recognize Jesus Christ as the One who covered our nakedness, the One who substituted for our punishment, the One who caused death to pass us by, and the One who carried our sins away upon Himself. Hebrews 9:2b says "Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." "So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him" (Heb 9:28).

I love Twila Parris' Song Lamb of God:

Your only Son, no sin to hide, 

Yet You have sent Him from Your side

To walk upon this guilty sod,

And to become the Lamb of God.

Your Gift of Love, they crucified

They laughed and scorned Him as He died

The humble King, they named a fraud

And sacrificed the Lamb of God.

Oh Lamb of God, Sweet Lamb of God,

I love the Holy Lamb of God,

Oh wash me in His precious Blood

My Jesus Christ the Lamb of God.

I was so lost, I should have died,

But You have brought me to Your side,

To be led by Your staff and rod

And to be called a lamb of God.

Oh Lamb of God, Sweet Lamb of God,

I love the Holy Lamb of God,

Oh wash me in Your Precious Blood,

My Jesus Christ the Lamb of God.  Amen