BY GREG CRUM
“And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.” Revelation 5:5-6
Here in the book of Revelation we reveal powerful imagery honoring our Lord. We see a most wonderful contrast that speaks to the range of influence and depth of significance of our Savior. Here we read of Jesus—the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and the Lamb that has been slain!
Friends, let’s think about the meaning behind such a diverse comparison and what that says about our Jesus for a few moments. A lion and a lamb. What a tremendous contrast! When it comes to the nature of two animals, and the roles they typically fill in the animal kingdom, there couldn’t be two animals any different. One, a lamb, is almost always depicted as small, fragile, innocent, and, as far as purpose, is raised mostly for consumption, prey for animal and human alike. The other, a lion, is powerful, fierce, aggressive, an apex predator if there ever was one. Two vastly different animals, yet Jesus is compared to both equally. How? Why? Well, in the nature and function of these two animals we see more about the nature of Christ and the roles he has performed for mankind.
Let me explain. First, Jesus is the Lamb of God. Born into this world, innocent, free from sin, but born to die as a sacrifice for us. Born to be “consumed” so we could live. In the Old Testament we read that the night before the Exodus the Israelites were commanded to take a lamb and kill it, to consume its flesh, and take its blood and put it on the doorposts of their dwellings so the destroyer would “pass over” them and go on to unprotected homes. What’s more, even before this night, young, innocent sheep were traditionally slaughtered as appeasement for sins. Why? To remind people of the consequences of their unjust lifestyles? To give them an emotional connection to a spiritual problem? Sure, but also to point to the sacrifice of THE Lamb, one free from sin sacrificed so we could be cleansed forever!
Secondly, Jesus is the Lion of the tribe of Judah. Come into this world the first time as a sacrifice, but coming again as the stately, powerful ruler of all, and fierce protector of his kingdom! Proverbs 30:29-30 states, “There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going: A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any.” King of the jungle? Yeah, you know the answer! Now, I don’t have personal experience with lions; I’ve never been around one, but I have been around a lot of cats over the years and fed my fair share of strays.
Among those feral cats that have hung around our house to get food, I’ve noticed something: there’s always an alpha male. These alphas are interesting. They rarely seek human attention; that’s not their focus or desire.
What is?
Protecting what they perceive is theirs. These cats are vigilant and will fight to the death to keep “outsiders” from infiltrating their cat “family.” In this regard they are just like their larger versions, lions: Vigilant and fiercely aggressive to protect what’s theirs when necessary.
The spiritual point? When Jesus returns, he will be our stately King of not just the jungle but all of Creation! He will also be our forever vigilant protector. At his roar, all the other “lions” will flee. None will be able to stand in opposition to our Jesus in that day!
Greg Crum is the pastor of Calvary Temple in Lovely.