What do you need most from Jesus? Do you need him to be your Savior willing to die for you as the Lamb of God, or do you need to experience his Kingship as the Lion of Judah? As we live in the middle of the now and the not yet, living in a world where evil seems to be gaining ground, we can worship the Lamb who came to take away the sins of the world, yet we can live with great hope and awareness that the Lamb is also the Lion. He is coming back as King and Judge. A writer named Jim Juris explained the dichotomy of these two names this way, “It is in this harmonious coexistence of lion and lamb that we find the unique Christian depiction of divinity: one that wields absolute power yet chooses the path of peace and sacrifice.” Let’s dig into these titles depicting this Divinity.
The lamb of god
God is intentional. Everything he does and speaks holds great meaning and purpose. His names reveal what he’s done, what he is doing, and what he will do. The title “the Lamb of God” is no different. Before we talk about his sacrifice, first let’s talk about sheep. Let’s consider the temperament of a lamb. Growing up in Oklahoma, most of the farmers raised cattle, but one of my close friend’s dad was not the typical Southwest farmer. Her daddy raised sheep. I still remember the day we watched the harvesting of their wool. I’ve never seen so much fuzzy , fluffy wool and so many naked sheep. It is true, sheep are gentle. They didn’t run from the guy with the clippers nor did they protest. They simply let the sheerer do his job. Jesus is a gentle Savior. Though the title Lamb of God does reveal Christ’s peaceful nature, it also revealed what he would do.
Born in the perfect stable
We’re very familiar with the story of his birth. Our nativity scenes remind us every Christmas. But I’ve discovered through the years that this birth place, this stable, wasn’t an ordinary stable, nor this shepherd’s field any old field. Without going into too much detail, theologians believe Jesus was born in a stable named Migdal Edar, which was prophesied in Micah 4:8. This special “watch tower” stood in a field where the sacrificial lambs were born, only five miles from the Temple in Jerusalem. The priestly shepherds would help birth these special lambs and clean and inspect them for any injuries or abnormalities. They would then swaddle the perfect lambs in special cloths made specifically for the sacrifices to be kept clean and unharmed. These were the “cloths” Mary wrapped Jesus in.
Unable to find a room in the inn, Mary and Joseph found themselves exactly where God wanted them to be. It was the cleanest stable in town, and a perfect, swaddling blanket was provided. It’s these little details, so symbolic, so powerful, that get me. God does not miss one amazing element to the story.
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The passover lamb
A thousand years before that baby boy took his first breath under the stars, God ordained a special meal for his people to eat to prepare them for their exodus from Egypt, their freedom from slavery, and protection from the death of each first born child the night of their escape.
The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats.Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs.That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast.. . . Eat it in haste; it is the Lord’s Passover.
(Exodus 12:5-11)
Living on the other side of the cross, the symbolism of the Passover, and the slaughter of a perfect lamb whose blood covers our sins protecting us from eternal death just as the blood of the lamb covering the door post protected the Israelite families, is clear and poignant. God has given clue after clue of his plan of redemption–his love for his people. And living two thousand years from the resurrection of Jesus, the prophesies of his suffering seem evident.
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 its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
(Isaiah 53:7)
Yet, many Jewish believers today do not connect these passages to Jesus. That may seem strange to us who believe in Jesus, but before we judge too harshly, we must understand their convictions. This is where the Lion of Judah and the Lamb of God meet.
two mountain peak prophesies
Mark Robinson connects these two titles while providing an understanding of the Jewish denial of Jesus as their Messiah in his article, “The Lamb and the Lion.” Robinson explains that Christians understand the Messiah has come and will return. We believe Messiah comes twice, and we are waiting on his second coming. Jewish faith interprets the messianic prophesies as a one-time event. These two “mountain peaks” within the ancient prophecies reveal the suffering messiah, the Lamb of God, who died to take away the sins of the world, and the Lion of Judah who will come with judgment and establish his eternal kingdom. Robinson explains:
“For Jewish people they are looking at these two “mountain peaks” of prophecy from behind the mountain of the second coming of Messiah, when He will bring peace to the world and rule in righteousness. Thus they can’t see the mountain of prophecy concerning his first coming. Looking at the these mountains from the correct perspective, from a side view, one will see that there is a “valley” of time separating the two.”
I found this fascinating. Don’t forget the majority of those who came to Christ in the first century were Jewish. On the day of Pentecost when Holy Spirit came, the three thousand baptized after Peter’s sermon were Jews. He addresses them, “My fellow Israelites.” Jerusalem was packed that day because God’s people had come from all over the countryside to celebrate their Pentecost (Shavuot) which was the celebration of the day they received the Law from Moses. Though many did come to faith in Jesus, many did not and still do not recognize the Lamb of God because he did not come to reign. They are waiting for the Lion of Judah to judge and bring peace with his reign, and so are we.
The lion of judah
While the Lamb of God shows us God’s grace and Jesus’s divinity as God’s “only begotten Son” sacrificed for us, the Lion of Judah connects the humanity of Jesus–the “fully man” part of Jesus, who was born through the line of David whose family traces back all the way to Jacob’s son, Judah. This was the blessing of Judah:
“Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons will bow down to you. You are a lion’s cub, Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness—who dares to rouse him?
The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his.
The Lion of Judah unites Jesus with God’s people, the twelve tribes of Israel. Israel plays a pivotal role from Genesis to Revelation. We are grafted in, adopted children, but they have always been and will always be his chosen people. Oh, somebody say, “Hallelujah!” The King of Israel, the Lion of Judah will one day reign forever just as Gabriel promised Mary. He told her, “You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end” (Luke 1:31-33).
Bible reading plan
This month’s reading plan is different in the sense that many of the verses have been chosen to help us better understand the history behind these titles for Jesus. It’s my prayer that as you read, you’ll want to dig deeper. I pray for greater revelation and understanding, and I pray when the light comes on inside your spirit, the knowledge you receive will be used to help somebody else put the puzzle pieces together.
Every name and title for Jesus from Redeemer to Prince of Peace, Rabboni to the Good Shepherd,Logos to the Light of the World, reveal the nature, purpose, and power of Jesus. These names are powerful, every one of them. Yet, as I wrote this post, I found myself again in awe of the names for this month, the Lamb of God and the Lion of Judah. They seemed even greater. Though I pray this has helped you understand these names for Jesus a little better, I know the mysteries of God are beyond our complete comprehension until he comes back. One day he will rule and reign over an eternal kingdom of light. He’ll judge the living and the dead and defeat darkness forever. One day no valley will separate the mountain peaks. One day they will be one as both the Lion and the Lamb. John saw it with his own eyes. He wrote:
I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside.Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne.And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. And they sang a new song, saying:
“You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.”
