The Lion and the Lamb
How He is both.
Jesus has many titles — Son of God, Son of Man, Lord, Savior, King of kings, and more. However, there are two that really caught my eye. I want to look at them so that we can better understand who Christ is.
The Lion
In Revelation 5, there is a scroll unable to be opened by anyone. This devastates John, as Revelation 5:4 says, “I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside.” The next verse, however, says, “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” (Revelation 5:5).
The one who can open the scroll is clearly Jesus, but what really interested me here was the title. Jesus is referred to as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and we see this prophesied in Genesis 49:9-10, which says, “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.” This scepter and staff will not depart from Judah because out of its lineage will come “he to whom it belongs.” Who is he to whom it belongs? It’s the Messiah, Jesus Christ. He holds the scepter, He is the Lion of Judah, and “the obedience of the nations shall be his.”
Jesus’ role as the lion is Jesus as the sovereign, majestic Lord who judges the nations. It represents His power and strength, and ultimately His role as the triumphant King. This contrasts, but does not contradict, His other role.
The Lamb
Revelation 5:6 says, “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.” This lamb represents His other role. His role as the meek Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
As the lamb, Jesus is our savior, the one judged for our sins. This represents His redemptive sacrifice on the cross. His meekness is strength under control, as Isaiah 53:7 says, “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.” Though He was treated unjustly, He did not protest — He maintained His strength under control, and He maintained His position as the Son of God.
J. Vernon McGee writes on page 936 of Thru the Bible Volume 5, “The lion represents the government of God; the lamb represents the grace of God.” A beautiful summary of what these characters represent. These are two roles of the same God — the role of the lion, who governs and judges the entire world in His sovereignty, and the role of the lamb, who died for our sins and showed us His amazing grace. The question arises, are you going to wait for the lion to judge you, or are you going to accept the grace of the lamb who already paid the price for your sins? To all those who have not yet accepted Him, He waits on. But He gives us all adequate time to embrace Him, and those who do not will face His judgment. Romans 10:13 says, “for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” If you call on the name of Jesus Christ, the Lion of Judah and Lamb of God, you will be saved. He has provided the sacrifice, and it is up to you to accept it.
Conclusion
Jesus is both the Lion of Judah and the Lamb that was slain, and above all, He is God. He wants us to know Him, and He gave His life so that we could. He deserves all of our praise, and we shall sing with every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” (Revelation 5:13)