The Lion and the Lamb

In Revelation 5, John himself is confronted with two very different images of Jesus back to back. The vision God gives him, puts right next to each other, two views of Jesus: Jesus as the Lion of Judah; Jesus as the slain yet living Lamb. The Setting

Recall that in Revelation 4, John sees a vision of throne room of God. In this room, God is right at the center. Around Him, praising Him, are four living creatures, representing everything that has breath. Around them are 24 more thrones, with 24 elders seated on them. These elders seem to represent all the redeemed of all time. They acknowledge that everything they have, all their rewards, all their accomplishments come from God. So they praise Him as the source of all, the creator, the One who freely chose to create. God is supreme, God is central.

And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?" 3 And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, 4 and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. Rev. 5:2-4

The Lion

And one of the elders said to me, "Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals." Revelation 5:5

There is one who is worthy! There is one member of the human race who has not sinned: The Lion of the tribe of Judah!

Why is Jesus called a lion? Lions are powerful and dangerous. Lions are majestic - even in Jesus’ day, the lion was a symbol of royalty.

This is a specific reference to the prophecy that Jacob gave about the descendants of Judah in Genesis 49:

⁹ Judah is a lion's cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down; he crouched as a lion and as a lioness; who dares rouse him? ¹⁰ The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. Genesis 49:9-10

“The scepter shall not depart from Judah” – and thus his kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom. “To him shall be the obedience of the peoples” – and thus every tribe and tongue and people and language will serve Him. Since Jesus is a descendant of Judah, all this is fulfilled in the images of Revelation 5.

The angel also refers to Jesus as the “Root of David”. This term comes from Isaiah 11 (although there He is called the “Root of Jesse”, David’s father):

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. ² And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. ³ And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, ⁴ but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. ⁵ Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins. . . . the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. ¹⁰ In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples- of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious. Isaiah 11:1-5, 9b-10

This passage pictures a perfect king, a king who will bring justice to the poor and the weak, a king who will punish the wicked by killing them with the breath of his lips, and striking the earth with the rod of his mouth.

So John expects to see a mighty, powerful, majestic Lion. He expects to see one who is able to overcome all opposition! This is the person he expects to take the scroll.

But that is not what he sees at all:

The Lamb

John hears a description of the Lion – then looks, and sees something completely different. This happens several times in Revelation. The contrast sheds light on the character of what is heard and has seen.

And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. Revelation 5:6

The Lamb must be spotless. Otherwise, the Lamb would have to die for His own sins. But since Jesus was sinless, He was the perfect sacrifice. As the book of Hebrews says:

in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 4:15

He did not have to die for His sins. So He was able to take on the sins of all those who believe in Him.

The Lamb of God, the Lion of Judah, is God Himself! He is worthy of worship! He is the second person in the Trinity! Lion and Lamb

Jesus is the Lion and the Lamb. He is the King, coming to wreak vengeance on His enemies; He is the gentle lamb, dying for His people. As Isaiah writes:

Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. 11 He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. Isaiah 40:10-11

He comes to rule, He comes to pay back His enemies; He comes to gently carry His lambs.

See Him in His entirety! See Him in ALL His glory! Don’t try to tame Him, to limit Him, to box Him in!

• Love Him as the Lamb, dying for your sin!
• Love Him as the Lion, with all authority, might, and power!
• Love Him as the bridegroom, coming for His church!
• Love Him as the conquering, vengeful King with the bloody robe!

Love the complete Christ – and rejoice that He is king.

Bits and Pieces of a sermon by Coty Pinckney.