“Behold, the Lamb of God…See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah…has triumphed.” John 1:29, Revelation 5:5, NIV
A Lion. A Lamb.
Strong, fierce, bold. Meek, gentle, sacrificial.
The lion and the lamb have long been paired in literature and history.
The juxtaposition of the powerful King of Beasts and the gentle helplessness of the lamb creates a longing and hope for the two to live in harmony, symbolizing peace to the world.
Lions remind me of Aslan of Narnia, the MGM movie lion, or the constellation Leo—but especially the great Lion of God, the Lion of Judah, the Savior, and Jesus the Messiah. I love the lion that graces the flag of Jerusalem.
But before we can know Jesus as a Lion, we need to know Him as the Lamb.
Jesus came the first time as the Lamb of God, born a baby. Thirty years later, John the Baptist declared, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
Jesus was falsely accused, “treated harshly…like a lamb led to the slaughtering block, like a sheep silent before her shearers, He did not even open his mouth” (Isaiah 53:7, NET). He was led to the Cross, pierced and slain, His blood poured out for the sins of the world.
The Lamb of God fulfilled His mission. He brought healing, redemption, and reconciliation with God to the world.
Soon, the Lamb will return as a Lion!
While we wait, we are meant to live as children of the Lamb and the Lion.
The early apostles were new to all of this, untrained and under constant threat. But they bravely spoke to a gathering of priests, rulers, elders, and scribes who concluded, “When they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13).
The apostles learned that their strength would always come from being with Jesus.
We too will overcome discouragement, hardship, and fear because we have been with Jesus, the sacrificial Lamb and the triumphant Lion.
We can lay down our lives like the Lamb. And we can walk in the victory and power of the Lion.
