The Meaning and Purpose of Time

...But there is more to this test than simply Abraham's love for God. As Abraham recovered in relief from the near death of his son, the Scripture says that he "lifted up his eyes, and looked,...." What he saw was much more than a "ram caught in a thicket by his horns." Many hundreds of years later, the Lord Jesus, the sacrificial Lamb of God, tells us what Abraham saw. "Abraham rejoiced to see my day:" Jesus said, "and he saw it, and was glad."

In the short range view, Abraham saw the ram, caught in the thicket, which he would gladly sacrifice in the place of his son. But in the long range view, Abraham saw the awesome love of God the Father freely sacrificing the most precious item God had, His only begotten Son, on the cross of Calvary in the place of us sinners, in order to reconcile sinful mankind to Himself. Abraham's son was spared from being sacrificed; but God's Son, the Lord Jesus, was not spared. He, the sinless Lamb of God, bore all our sinful shame on the Cross and died there, fully paying the penalty of our sin in order that God the Father might redeem and restore His creation to Himself.

Does the language of John 3:16 have a bit stronger meaning to you now? "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,...." There was not a more precious item God could have given to redeem us from sin and death.