“The Lamb of God”
Week 2, Part 2
“The Lion of Judah”
“Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it. So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and readthe scroll, or to look at it. But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.”
Revelation 5:2-5
Last week, we looked at the name “Lamb of God,” and how a merciful God came to us in the form of sinful man, walking the earth in humility and submitting to the cross in meekness. Not only did He become the perfect sacrifice for us, making a way for us to be reconciled to God, but He demonstrated a life of humility and service to a world so opposed to that ideology.
So how can we call the very same Being, the Gentle Lamb, something as fierce as the Lion of Judah? It seems that the two descriptors should be mutually exclusive, creating some sort of paradox. But before we discuss that issue, let’s take a look at where we see this name in Scripture.
For such a popular name, we see it only twice in the Bible; and what I find to be most interesting is that it appears in Genesis and Revelation. In Genesis 49:8-12 we read of Jacob’s final blessing on his son Judah, right before his death. He refers to Judah as a lion’s whelp, and says of him, “He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him?” That doesn’t seem very ferocious, does it? But how would a lion lie down? The answer: in peace and security. As Jacob said, “Who shall rouse Him?” A lion can lay down in peace after a day of hunting, knowing that his work is done, his victory is won. And who is brave (or foolish) enough to disturb Him from that rest.
The second reference we see to the title is in the book of revelation, when an angel comes forth holding a scroll which no one is found worthy to open. We read that John wept over this because, as he guessed, the scroll held a vision and promise for the future. John was longing for that promise, a hope to hold on to, for the days were dark for the church. But there was one found worthy, and not just anyone; Jesus Christ, the Lion of Judah, is worthy to open the seal. From history we know that the only one who can open the seal is the rightful recipient and owner of the scroll. So Jesus was the owner and holder of the scroll, the future, and in this there is much hope for John. You see, in the darkest of days, facing a tyrant intolerant of the Church, facing death and exile, longing for the return of the Lord, John could place his hope in the fact that Jesus held the future. Even more so, this was not simply the Gentle Lamb who lived in humility and service, but the Conquering King, a Warrior. He conquered as a Lamb, and now returns as a Lion, unable to be challenged and fiercely protective of His Pride.
As a final note, I want to share something I learned about lions. There are three reasons that they roar. The first is to warn the pride of intruders, other predators who come to attack weak members. The second is to scare off younger males, those within the pride that would vie for supremacy and take control away from the alpha male. The third is to draw in and round up stray members of the pride who have wandered away. In each of these we can see the characteristics of our loving and jealous God, who calls us to His side and protects us from dangers, both within and without.
A. Larkin 5/16.12
Week 1, Part One
“We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.”
Isaiah 53:6-7
Have you ever wondered just where we get all of these names for Jesus Christ? Some of them are rather self-explanatory, like “King of Kings,” “Son of God,” or “Savior.” But there are some whose meanings seem to be more elusive. One that had me puzzled for a while was “The Lion of Judah.” However, before I look at that name, there is another that we need to understand in order to get the full meaning of “The Lion of Judah.”
One of the more popular names, particularly lending itself to song, is “The Lamb of God.” It may seem to some to be referring to the gentleness of Jesus, especially as He related to His people. Looking deeper we begin to associate this name with the requisite sacrifice for sin in the Old Testament, a pure spotless lamb. Jesus certainly was the sacrifice necessary, and the only one sufficient, to pay for all of men’s sins for all of time. But the meaning goes even deeper than that.
In Isaiah 53:6, the prophet compares us to sheep. Not the meek, cooperative creatures who willingly follow the shepherd; instead a stubborn, rebellious herd refusing direction and running headlong into destruction. However, instead of allowing us to pursue our own selfish desires to our own detriment, God sent His Son, not as a ruler or rod of correction to steer us into proper pastures, but as a Lamb Himself. Instead of leaving us to bear the consequences of our own immorality, this spotless Lamb took our punishment and shame upon Himself.
Now, any shepherd can tell you that the stubbornness of sheep extends to fighting against the very one who wants to help them the most. In the heat of summer, they would rather endure the discomfort of their heavy, matted, dirty, woolen coat, than submit to the salvation of the shepherd’s shears. When we are truly honest with ourselves, we can see this same tendency underlying our behaviors and attitudes. But, though Jesus took on this form, He forsook the inclination to fight against the shepherd, instead submitting to His will. In Isaiah 53:7 we read that he remained silent as He was led to the slaughter. He trusted the shepherd, though He knew the end result. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, taught us submission and humility by example. He showed us how to trust the Great Shepherd, even under the direst of circumstances. He entered this world in humility, and left it the same way. In an “Age of Entitlement,” we tend to forget what that looks like, and that we need to emulate that same meekness.
Next time we will look at how the same Jesus Christ can be both the Lamb of God and the Lion of Judah, and what this means for us.
