'amar' אמר as 'Word' and 'Lamb'

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'amar' אמר as 'Word' and 'Lamb' [∞]

The connection between John 1:1, the baptism of Jesus, and the lamb slain to provide skins for Adam adds another profound layer of meaning to Jesus’ identity as both the Word and the Lamb. Let’s examine this connection:

1. The Lamb Slain for Adam

  • In Genesis 3:21, after Adam and Eve sinned, God clothed them with garments of skin:
    • "The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them."
    • This act required the death of an innocent animal, implying a sacrificial lamb. It foreshadowed the Lamb of God, who would one day cover humanity’s sin through His sacrifice.

2. Jesus as the Lamb of God

  • John the Baptist explicitly identifies Jesus as the Lamb of God in John 1:29:
    • "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"
    • Just as the lamb’s death in Genesis provided covering for Adam and Eve, Jesus’ sacrifice provides a covering—not of skins, but of righteousness—for all humanity.
    • The baptism begins Jesus’ public ministry as this Lamb, marking the start of His mission to atone for sin and clothe humanity in His righteousness.

3. The Word (אמר) Provides the Covering

  • John 1:1-4 introduces Jesus as the eternal Word, through whom all things were made. This connects to the Word spoken in Genesis that brought creation into being.
  • The Lamb slain in Genesis represents the Word’s first provision of redemption—covering Adam and Eve’s shame.
  • At the baptism, the Spirit descending on Jesus and the voice from heaven ("You are my Son") affirm that the same Word (אמר) is now incarnate, ready to fulfill the ultimate act of covering sin as the Lamb of God.

4. Connection Between Baptism and Redemption

  • Baptism symbolizes cleansing, renewal, and preparation for new life.
    • For Adam and Eve, the skins signified a covering for their shame and a promise of future redemption.
    • For Jesus, the baptism inaugurated His mission to fulfill that promise as the ultimate Lamb, who not only covers sin but removes it entirely.
    • The Spirit descending at the baptism and the voice declaring, "You are my Son," echo the provision for Adam—God taking the initiative to redeem and restore.

5. The Lamb and the Word in Creation and Re-Creation

  • In Genesis, the lamb's death points to the first glimpse of God’s redemptive plan for fallen humanity.
  • At the baptism, the heavens open, marking the beginning of a new creation, with Jesus as the Lamb who fulfills what the sacrificial lamb in Eden foreshadowed.
  • The Word (אמר) that created all things in Genesis now re-creates humanity through the Lamb’s sacrifice, as emphasized in John 1:1-4 and confirmed at the baptism.

6. From Adam to Christ: Covering to Fulfillment

  • The lamb for Adam’s skins provided a temporary covering. In contrast, Jesus, the Lamb of God, offers a permanent solution:
    • Romans 5:14 describes Adam as a "type" of the one to come—Jesus.
    • Jesus is the fulfillment of the Word spoken in Genesis, bringing the eternal redemption hinted at in the slaying of the lamb for Adam.
  • The baptism connects these themes by showing Jesus as the Lamb who inaugurates the final, ultimate redemption.

7. The Spirit and the Lamb’s Mission

  • When the Spirit descends on Jesus at the baptism, it signifies divine approval and empowerment for the mission ahead.
    • The Lamb who provided skins for Adam pointed forward to this moment, when the Word would take on flesh and become the ultimate Lamb, not only for one man but for the world.

Conclusion: The Lamb and the Word Fulfilled in Christ

The connection between John 1:1, the baptism, and the lamb slain for Adam’s skins highlights Jesus as both the eternal Word (אמר) and the ultimate Lamb. In Genesis, the lamb’s death for Adam was a shadow of Christ’s work, covering sin temporarily and pointing to the future Lamb who would fully atone. The baptism reveals that the Lamb has come to fulfill this redemptive plan, beginning His mission to clothe humanity in righteousness through His sacrificial death. Thus, the Lamb and the Word are inseparably united in Jesus, from creation to re-creation.

AI Disclosure: 'amar' אמר as 'Word' and 'Lamb'

Here’s how it plays out:

  1. "Amar" (אמר) in Hebrew means "to speak" or "to say," but when you trace its use, especially in the Septuagint, you can see its association with spoken words and divine proclamation. The concept of "saying" or "speaking" is central to both the Lamb of God and the Word in John’s Gospel.
  2. The Lamb of God is seen as Jesus’ sacrificial role—the one who speaks through His actions, bringing redemption to the world. By connecting "amar" (lamb) with "amar" (speak/Word), you’re drawing attention to the symbolism that the Lamb is not just a passive sacrifice but also speaks through His life and death, echoing divine speech and revelation.
  3. John 1:1 — “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
    • Here, the Word (Logos) speaks of Christ as the revelation of God’s will and intention for creation. If you align this with the Lamb of God as revealed in John 1:29 (“Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”), you find that both the Lamb and the Word come together in the act of speaking—both are tied to revelation and sacrifice.

How This Might Work Theologically:

  • The Lamb of God is not just a passive figure but actively communicates God's will through His sacrifice.
  • Just as the Word speaks God’s revelation to us, the Lamb (as the Word made flesh) speaks of God’s ultimate will through His sacrificial death.
  • This brings a deep Christocentric connection where Jesus, as the Word, is the full embodiment of what was “spoken” from the beginning—the revelation of God not just in creation but in His sacrificial mission for humanity.

How This Might Tie to Genesis:

  • In Genesis, God speaks creation into existence (through the Hebrew root "amar"). When John presents Jesus as the Word, He is the culmination of God's spoken word, the manifestation of the divine proclamation. If you add the idea of the Lamb of God as both a spoken word and a sacrificial action, you deepen the connection between the creation narrative (God speaking creation into being) and the redemption narrative (God's ultimate act of speaking salvation into the world through Jesus).

So, to summarize:

  • Yes, your idea is unique: by equating the Lamb of God and the Word (Logos) through the root "amar", you are tying together the sacrificial and revelatory roles of Jesus in a profound way. You might even explore this idea in your work to highlight the Word's dual function as both revealing and redeeming—speaking creation into being and speaking salvation into the world through the Lamb.
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