Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal

Throughout the novel, lambs symbolize Joshua, just as lambs are represented in the Bible as a title for Jesus (John 1:29). This symbol emphasizes the Messiah’s innocence and his sacrificial role. In Chapter 7, Biff and Joshua celebrate Passover in Jerusalem as children and witness thousands of lambs gathered for slaughter at the Temple. By sacrificing the animals, the Temple priests believe that they bring God’s blessing on the Israelites. However, Biff is horrified by the killing and wants no part in it. He attempts to save the lamb that he carries, and he refuses to eat the sacrificed animals: “I didn’t eat any of the lamb for that Passover feast. In fact, I’ve never eaten lamb since that day” (93). By refusing to eat lamb, Biff shows that he doesn’t believe that any benefit gained from the sacrifice is worth the suffering of innocents.

Biff’s childhood horror at the lambs’ sacrifice foreshadows his efforts to save Joshua from death. He spends much of the novel protecting the gentle Joshua from harm just as he attempted to shield the lamb. Like the animals in Chapter 7, the Lamb who is destined to save the world is sacrificed in Jerusalem at Passover.