“Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah…has prevailed…And I looked, and behold…stood a Lamb as though it has just been slain.” Rev 5:5,6
In verse 5 John the Revelator describes a vision of Jesus as a powerful, fearful yet majestic Lion. As his knocking knees buckled, verse 6 says he lifted his eyes and the One in the vision has been mystically transformed into a gentle, mercy-filled, irresistibly approachable Lamb. So which is Jesus, a Lion or a Lamb? How you answer this question is much more than a theological matter. Our perception of Who Jesus is and how He interacts with us has far-reaching implications for how we live. It can also have a direct impact on our ability to stand firm in our faith as the darkness around us increases in these days.
In truth, our finite, natural minds tend to latch on to Jesus as either a Lamb, or a Lion. Understandably, we struggle to comprehend how He could be both; and in our ambivalence, we gravitate towards Him, and join others in forming camps, around one depiction or the other. Though we may give mental assent that scripture describes God as an extravagant and open-armed Father as well as a fire-eyed Warrior who exacts vengeance, like a magnet we tend to be strongly pulled towards one and repelled by the other.
Throughout Church history trends have varied. Whole generations passed when the roar of the Lion is what echoed from pulpits. People were brought to conviction, were vigilant to obey, had a keen sense of Christian duty and a vocal intolerance of sin. Believers raised in these times spoke of the fear of the Lord not as some ancient, Old Testament and inferior understanding. The posture of the worshiper was reverence, of bowing before the One who is holy. This actually is the way that many Christians around the world still approach their God and King.
The messages in our churches today, especially in the West, have shifted and reflect our clear preference to exalt not just a Father, but a “Dad”, One who is ever-accepting, non-condemning, and full of grace. Those in the “Lamb Camp” don’t talk much about God as Judge, or as holy. When is the last time you heard someone talk about the fear of the Lord? Some would even cringe at the suggestion God is to be feared; they have a list of scriptures to prove that such talk is very old fashioned!
The irony of this contradiction can be seen in our chatter about revival. While it is true that some revivals have been characterized by healing and laughter, a reflection of the Lamb’s character, it is also true that many others have been very Lion-like. People in these moves of God spoke of being “undone”, of coming under deep conviction of sin, even being led to public confession of transgressions. Those coming out of the great revival of China in the 80’s wrote songs of war, of radical obedience, even dying for the cause of Christ. If we are only oriented around our one-sided Lamb perspective, we may miss, reject, even criticize what we see when God answers our prayers to pour out His Spirit!
Consequences of clinging to our preferred concept of Jesus as Lion or Lamb can be as “harmless” as a missed opportunity and as grave as our faith becoming shipwrecked. A total buy-in of Jesus as a Lamb, or embracing His comforting, advocating qualities, can leave believers storm-tossed and confused when harsh trials such as outbreaks of disease and wars, or persecution, pummel us. But people who are singly bent on seeing Jesus through a Lion prism also face dangers. They tend towards expressions of faith that are rigid, ritualistic and law-bound…lifeless. They can fall short in accessing the grace of God to heal and refresh. They may find themselves struggling to live with contentment. This too may lead to a falling away when times get really tough.
Frankly, sometimes we need to fall at His feet as though dead. At other times, we need to, in childlike hilarity, run as fast as we can and jump as high as we can only to be caught in His pillowed and liberating embrace. Jesus is not either a Lion or a Lamb. He is both a Lamb and a Lion. To truly know Him is to grow to appreciate and worship these two incredible though opposite aspects of His nature. My prayer is each one of us would press on to know God exactly as He is*, not tinged or tainted by the prevailing, culture- and time-bound images of our Savior.
“Let us know, let us press on to know the Lord…” Hos 6:3
*Hosea 6:1-3 nicely juxtaposes these two dialectical notions, as do many other scriptures. May this article whet your appetite to mine for more of these treasures from the wonders of His Word. If you have some, I’d love to hear from you!