Fray Louis of Leon has already treated of this title, but his book is little known and less read—more’s the pity—and I have felt justified in treating of it for that reason.

We know that it is a title of Christ because St John the Baptist gave it him when they met, for the first time in early manhood, on the banks of Jordan. It may seem strange that St. John, when pointing out ‘him that was to come to his followers, should from all his titles choose this one: ‘Behold the Lamb of God’ (John i, 29.) Why did St John think ‘the Lamb’ the title most fitted for the occasion? We can but surmise, yet such surmise may give us insight into the meaning of this title, even if we cannot be sure that all was present to the mind of St John himself or of his hearers.

There was an ancient story told of the father of their race, Abraham, that one day there was demanded of him a sign of real belief in his God and in his God’s promises. It took the form of God telling Abraham to kill his only son Isaac in sacrifice.