It’s that time, spring has arrived, one of my favorite times of the year. There is so much to love about springtime. I love going outside and soaking in the warm spring sunshine, smelling the fresh spring air, and listening to the birds sing as they welcome in the new season. Everywhere I look there are signs of new life. I love watching as my daffodils and tulips emerge from their winter slumber to produce beautiful vibrant colors. As much as I love about spring, there are things that are not so pleasant too, such as the daunting allergies and the moody weather! It reminds me of the old proverb that says “March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb.” I am reminded of this when the weather changes from 70 degrees and sunny one day to 40 degrees and windy the next. Often in nature we see things that are complete opposites, yet still the same.

In the Bible, we learn of the many names that Jesus takes on. These names all represent one aspect of what Jesus represents, and what his purpose is, but they are all different. There are none that are quite as opposite from each other as the Lion and the Lamb. How can one person, one being, take on two such different personas at the same time? Let’s dive into it a little more.

The Lamb is probably one of the most common names we have for Jesus. We often hear Jesus portrayed as the Lamb of God who sacrificed himself for our sins. When you think of a lamb, what is the image that you get in your head? It is probably the image of a cute, fluffy little animal that goes about its business unaware of all the danger that lurks out in the world. I laugh to myself as I think of a story a friend told me just this week. She was baby-sitting a lamb for another friend who was going on vacation. The lamb still needed to be bottle fed and could not be left alone. Being as the weather was still a little chilly, she had been keeping the lamb in her house. It would follow her around everywhere as she tried to do her housework and cry out for her if it saw her across the room. It even curled up next to the dogs to go to sleep!

So how do we compare this cute and cuddly little creature to Jesus our Lord? Jesus came into this world like a lamb, humble and meek, born in a stable as a little babe. He left this world as a lamb that was slaughtered. He was sacrificed on the cross for us. He came to fulfill the prophecy set forth many years before.

“He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.”
Isaiah 53:7

John the Baptist knew exactly who Jesus was and what he had come to do. He so boldly proclaimed as he saw Jesus coming toward him, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” Jesus is the Lamb of God. He came to Earth to humbly serve and to freely give himself as the sacrifice for our sins! He willingly led himself to the slaughter without complaint.

So now let’s look at Jesus as the Lion. What image do you get when you think of a lion? Power? Strength? Royalty perhaps? We often associate a lion with triumph and victory over its adversary. The book of Revelation 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

Jesus is the Lion of Judah. He has triumphed over sin and death! He won the battle for you at the cross. He will triumph again over Satan when he returns! Jesus is our strength and our salvation. He is our guardian, our protector, and our king. Jesus is the mighty one, all powerful and deserving of our praise.

“Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Philippians 2:9-11

When I picture Jesus as the Lion of Judah, I picture a strong lion sitting on a throne. He is watching over all his kingdom, guarding them and protecting them from harm. I feel safe and protected. I know that even though sin and evil will try to attack me here on earth, I am saved by Jesus the Lion. He was willing to give up his life as the Lion to become the Lamb. He sacrificed himself for all of his kingdom. What greater love and sacrifice is there than this?

You will often find me referring to songs in my blogs. This is because I feel that music is one of the greatest gifts that God has given us. It can stir up so many emotions from deep within, and it can also help us to offer up our praise to God. Check out this song from Big Daddy Weave.

So as we enter this Holy Week and prepare ourselves to celebrate Christ’s death and resurrection on Easter Sunday next week, let us remember these two images. Jesus is the Lion and the Lamb. He is the Lion, our savior and protector that brings us victory over death, and he is the Lamb, the ultimate sacrifice that saves us from punishment for our sins. Let us give thanks and praise to the Lion and the Lamb!

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