Agnus Dei (Lamb of God)
Agnus Dei (Latin for Lamb of God) is an expression referring to Jesus Christ in his role of the perfect sacramental sacrifice that atones for the sins of man in Christian theology.
In John 1:29 and 1:36, John the Baptist points to Jesus with the words: “Behold, the Lamb of God is who takes away the sin of the world.” In Revelation 5:4, Jesus appears in the form of a slain lamb.
In Isaiah 53:7 it reads:
Like a lamb He was led to the slaughter;
like a sheep that is dumb before its shearers,
so he opened not his mouth.
In Acts 8 we read that this passage was read by the Ethiopian chamberlain and that it was explained by the apostle Philip. In Acts 8, this text is quoted from the Septuagint, which explains why the text is different from the Hebrew text in Isaiah 53.
The sacrifice of a lamb and the blood of the lamb are a more commonly used image in the religions of the Middle East.
In art, the Agnus Dei is the figure of a lamb carrying a cross, symbolizing Jesus as Lamb of God. This representation is often used in Christian works of art, of which The Adoration of the Ghent Altarpiece is the most famous.
Prayer of the Lamb of God Latin and English
| Agnus Dei | Translation |
|---|---|
| Agnus Dei, | Lamb of God, |
| qui tollis peccata mundi, | who takes away the sins of the world, |
| miserere nobis. | have mercy on us. |
| Agnus Dei, | Lamb of God, |
| qui tollis peccata mundi, | who takes away the sins of the world, |
| miserere nobis. | ontferm U over ons. |
| Agnus Dei, | Lamb of God, |
| qui tollis peccata mundi, | who takes away the sins of the world, |
| dona nobis pacem. | grant us peace. |
Sources: PinterPandai, Liveabout, Britannica
Photo credit: Jan van Eyck, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Photo description: The twelve interior panels. This open view measures 5.2 x 3.75 m. The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb is a religious polyptych by the brothers Hubert and Jan van Eyck, completed around 1432. The work, a highlight of the Flemish Primitives, was painted on oak, commissioned by the Ghent burgher-merchant Joos Vijd as an altarpiece for the Vijd Chapel in Ghent’s Saint Bavo Cathedral. Except for one stolen panel, the Just Judges, the painting can be admired intact in that church building.
