Why are the requirements on the Lamb of God so strict? Why couldn’t just any Tom, Dick or Harry give their life for the human race? In order to understand this we must understand a few basics:

23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Rom 6:23)

The basic we are after from this passage is “the wages of sin is death”. This means that all people who will ever walk this earth will very quickly fail to live without sin, and come to deserve death by committing sinful acts. Without a savior, death is permanent. Death has two implications; firstly, the death of our body, secondly, being separated from the presence of God.

The whole point with a savior is that he should defeat death! Not just die. He would have to be without sin. If he just dies, the gates of death and hell would still be closed, and the dying would have been in total vain. All Tom, Dick and Harry could do is to die. Since they, themselves, already have their backs are laden with sins of their own, there would be no room on their backs for yours or mine.

Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: (Isaiah 49:24)

The ‘Mighty’ and the ‘Terrible’ mentioned in this passage is Lucifer. It is clear from this passage that because we are not without sin we are lawfully his captives! The lawful owner of us will not accept Tom, Dick and Harry, nor their sacrifice, since they belong to him as well! The only one who can save the lawfully imprisoned is the only one who, through being without sin stands outside of Lucifer’s prison system.

Now, this is what happened; Jesus volunteered to be a Trojan horse in the prison of Death. He did so by letting the sins of every living soul who would ever walk this earth fall upon him, and he took the punishment for those sins. Laden with our sins, Jesus was no longer without sin, and became the lawful captive in Lucifer’s dungeons, bearing all sins. Since he bore all sins, everyone else in those dungeons who would accept his sacrifice could now leave, without sin, since Jesus were now the sinner-by-proxy. When a triumphant Satan thought he had the Christ, Jesus rose in full majesty on the third day, shedding all the sins on the dungeon floor. They were atoned for, and could bind no-one.

This could only be done because he was without sins of his own. Lucifer could not point to him and shout ‘stay put!’ No, Jesus was without sin. He was always pure. He only bore the sins of others, our sins, to suffer our pains, and to free us from death and hell.

One bad thought, one ill feeling or one secret act of disobedience, and Jesus would have been a lawful captive with the rest of us. He would have been no more help to us than Tom, Dick and Harry.

A sacrifice like this could only be made by pure charity. No one could be forced to suffer like that in righteousness, for in the midst of suffering it would not be possible not to curse the one forcing this suffering onto you. Further, who would God be if he would force anyone to undergo such torture? No, the only driving force possible in performing this sacrifice is the power of love.

12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:12-13)