How is Jesus Both the Lion AND the Lamb in the Bible?
Estimated reading time: 16 minutes
Introduction
My four kids are really into music right now! Every time we get in the car, they immediately ask me to play different songs. And one of their favorites is a new song called “Lion,” by Elevation Worship. Whenever the word “roar” comes up in the song, they all sing it out as loud as they can. It’s quite the experience! As we finished listening to it the other day, I asked them, “Kids, do y’all even know Who the Lion of Judah is?” They curiously answered, “Jesus???” I smiled then, and I got to have a very sweet conversation with them about why Jesus is known as a lion and also a lamb in the Bible. They seemed a little confused for a while, but they ultimately thought it was pretty cool that He is compared to both animals for different reasons.
Curiosity Peaked
After that conversation, I have been mulling over this beautiful analogy for quite some time. I knew I needed to dig in and write about it. I find it enormously intriguing that Jesus is known for being like the most powerful as well as the most “powerless” of animals. Lions are predators, and lambs are prey. Lions are majestic, and lambs are meek. And lions are dominant, and lambs are dependent. This picture of Jesus Christ being both the lion of Judah and the lamb of God is one of the clearest forms of proof to the world that our God is all encompassing. He covers both sides of the spectrum. He is the full measure, the whole shooting match, the yin and the yang.
It is easy to assume that if God is loving, then He can’t be just. Or it’s logical to think that if He’s a perfect leader, then He can’t also be a humble follower. Or it’s reasonable to wonder if He’s on His throne, then how could He also be in our hearts. These thoughts are normal for our limited mindsets. But God is ready to blow our minds. He wants to set the record straight and amaze us yet again. He wants to take us on a journey and open our eyes to see just how big and broad and beautiful He really is. I want to help you dive into what the Bible says about His identity as the “Lion and the Lamb,” and help you discover how knowing Him in this way can truly change your life.
Why is Jesus called the Lamb of God?
Spotless Sacrifice
Let’s journey back to the good news of the gospels when John the Baptist was preaching repentance and preparing the way for Jesus. As He was baptizing the people, Jesus walked up, and John said, “Look, the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29) God the Father had revealed to John that Jesus would be the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. He prophesied over Jesus what many other prophets before him had already declared. The words of Isaiah also said He would be led like a lamb to the slaughter and would keep silent. (Isaiah 53:7) John and Isaiah and many others may not have quite known the gravity of what Jesus was about to accomplish, but they recognized that He would usher in a new and better covenant.
The Old Testament covenant required the people of Israel to offer continual sacrifices of different animals for sin. The most common were pure and spotless lambs. And as near perfect as they seemed to be, sacrificial lambs’ blood only served to cover over sin. Christ Jesus, the Son of God, came as a flawless lamb. And only the precious blood of Christ was enough to completely abolish and forever atone for the past, present, and future sins of the world. Christ’s sacrifice brought such a sweet aroma up to heaven, and the Father’s wrath was appeased once and for all. The Old Covenant only served as a model for what would ultimately suffice for sin’s atonement. A Lamb was needed, but not just any lamb. Before sin ever came into the picture, a Savior had willingly volunteered to be the sufficient, sacrificial Lamb.
Model of Meekness
Another beautiful reason Jesus is compared to a lamb is because He showed tremendous humility and meekness as He willingly stepped out of heaven and adamantly followed only what His Father told Him to do or say. He came to earth in human form so He could not only relate, but fully restore us in our depravity. He set a beautiful example for us to follow, by beautifully following the leading of His Father. The only reason He could be our Good Shepherd is because He was first a Lamb Himself. Lambs are constantly in need of a shepherd for many reasons. They are dependent on the shepherd’s wisdom and leading, and they want to learn His voice and His ways.
Jesus was already all-knowing and all-wise. He was already strong and unstoppable. He was already a leader and Lord. Yet, He chose to be weak and vulnerable. He was willing to be dependent and humble. He agreed to be a faithful follower so that we also could learn to follow the Good Shepherd. Christ set a precedent that was only made possible by His grace every day. But the simplicity of this path is clear. Christ longs for us to humbly listen for the Shepherd’s voice as He humbly listened for the Father’s voice. He humbled Himself even unto death so that we could be humbled by the life He gave us.
Why is Jesus Referred to as the Lion of Judah?
King of Kings
If we journey back to Genesis, chapter 49 verse 9, we see that Jacob actually called Judah a lion’s cub when he blessed his son at the end of his life. A young lion is known as the king of beasts and is a symbol of majesty, ferocity, and leadership. Judah’s descendants would possess strength and bravery, and there would also be many kings, like king David, that would come from his line for generations to come. But the biggest blessing of all was that God chose Judah’s line to be the one from which the King of Kings and Lord of Lords descended. Our Savior was the roaring Lion of Judah. And as much as He willingly humbled himself like a quiet lamb in order to save the world of their sins, He never lost the splendor of that which made Him like a lion.
Even though He was born in a stable, raised as a nobody, and nailed to a cross, He still maintained the magnificence of being drenched with the glory of God. He came as a King, but not in the way that anyone expected. He was building a different kingdom, a better kingdom, a kingdom not of this world. That is why the world did not understand Him. They killed Him because they knew not His kingship. But when He arose from the grave, the roar of His power was made known. Because He submitted Himself to death on a cross, the Father raised Him up on the third day, seated Him on heaven’s throne, and placed everything under His rule forever. Jesus is the Lion of Judah because He is Lord over all, and the King of my heart.
Vessel of Victory
Jesus is not only compared to a Lion because He is “King,” but also because He reigns “victorious.” He isn’t just a King that cares, or a King that comforts, but He is a King that conquers. He gained the ultimate victory that no one else on this earth could have ever fought for and won. And today, He continues to advance that victory forward in the lives of God’s people who have accepted His lion heart as their own.
Christians who know the Lord can have a victorious mindset because they know that lions are apex predators, meaning that no other predators are left to devour them that have not already been defeated. The apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:55-57, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” It’s all because of Him! This is the lamb in the Bible that died for us, and this is the lion who devoured and destroyed the power of sin and the work of the enemy so that we could live a triumphant, abundant, and passionate life!
How Should we Respond to Christ in each of these Roles?
As a Lamb
Sincere Gratitude
Many times, it is easy for mature Christians to start to devalue the work of the cross. We assume that this free gift is only important at salvation. We tend to think we can move past this part of the gospel, and dig into deeper and richer things. Well, we have strayed off course if we ever veer away from the preeminence of the cross. Every new revelation we will ever learn, and every new level of intimacy we will ever experience with Christ is completely tied to the choice He made to become our sacrificial lamb. In fact, the more we grow as Christians, the more we should actually appreciate our salvation. Christ was not the “Lamb of God” back in Bible times, and the “Lion of Judah” now! No! He will always be Lion Who reigns forever “AND” the Lamb who took away the our sins.
He will always be the chosen one that is mentioned by the apostle John in the book of Revelation chapter 5 when they could not find anyone worthy to open the scroll in the Father’s hand. The lion and the lamb was the only one the Father deemed worthy, and all in the heavenly throne room bowed down to praise Him, the Lord of hosts. If this does not show us how to respond to Christ as our spotless Lamb, then I don’t know what will. Our gratitude for His sacrifice should continually be etched more and more on our hearts. And our praise should well up from deep within. The Lamb offered Himself up in our place, and for the rest of our lives, in our own way, we thank Him deeply, for He is truly worthy.
Humble Attitude
We can also respond to Christ’s example as the Lamb of God by walking as He did in humility and meekness. Everything He did here on earth seemed a little bit backwards from the way of the world. That’s why we sometimes refer to His kingdom as the upside down kingdom. He showed that He was God not by exalting Himself as supreme, but by going low as a servant. The lamb did not retaliate when they wrongfully accused Him, but He turned the other cheek. He ate with sinners. He chose tax collectors and fishermen to be His disciples, and He washed their feet. Being born a Jew, He was willing to talk to a Samaritan woman and ask for a drink.
Jesus stepped so far outside of the rigid expectations of what a king should look like, and He set a new precedent for living. He ushered in a new covenant, and demonstrated a new realm of royalty. Jesus exemplified an abundant life in relationship with His Father, and oh the beauty that came from the fruit of that relationship. He demonstrated the profound truth that He preached in the New Testament when He said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. And blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:3,5) When we walk in the overwhelming fullness of the Holy Spirit, then we too can consider others above ourselves. We can respond to the Father’s great love in meekness. In Christ, we can exemplify Christ to the world.
As a Lion
Inspired Awareness
It is rather a significant truth to grab a hold of when we start to recognize that we have been called and chosen by the King of Kings Himself. Sometimes, we might tend to think that we had some “good qualities” in us that made us qualified to be chosen. Yet, this is so far from the truth. He chose us “while we were yet sinners.” In our futile ways, the Bible says God’s lion and lamb declared us righteous by His blood when we had done everything to label ourselves as “guilty.” The King chose us because He loved us! and He loved us because He chose to, not because we earned it.
When we begin to scratch the surface of this undeserved position in Christ and His kingdom, there is an overwhelming awe that comes with it. Our response to the Lord God as the great Lion of Judah is an extreme awe inspired awareness of His unlikely choice to graft us in, to grant us eternal life, and to grace us with the transforming beauty of His presence. If we ever begin to lack in our awareness of this, we can ask our King to remind us over and over again of the gravity of this “belonging.” He doesn’t mind making our jaws drop over and over. He rather enjoys giving us sweet glimpses of the reality of our inheritance. The Lion of Judah moved heaven and earth to make us “His” again, and He wants us to live in a constant cognizance of His powerful pursuit of our hearts.
Inherited Authority
In view of the triumphant Lion of Judah who fought against the enemy and conquered him forever, we now can respond by living in the confidence and great authority that comes with this victory. If Christ was truly victorious, and Christ is “in us,” then we also can live victoriously! Even if we feel beaten down in our circumstances, we can hold firm to the belief that nothing can destroy the victory our spirits hold; therefore, we will rise above our struggle. Walking in victory does not mean we live a perfect life free from pain or suffering. No, it’s quite the opposite actually. It’s usually more prevalent when we choose an unwavering mindset of freedom “despite” our hardships.
Life on earth will never be free from despair because of the presence of sin in our world. But God has provided a way for us live “in” the world, but not be “of” it any longer. This means that we can adopt an inherited authority that comes with knowing we are part of the kingdom of God, a heavenly kingdom, a kingdom where the enemy has been permanently defeated. Because the Lion of Judah triumphed over Satan, we also can rebuke his advances, resist his temptations, and reject his lies. He has no power over us any longer unless we give it to him. By walking in the authority of Christ, we are broadcasting instead of banishing His victory.
Conclusion
God Held My Heart
When I was thirty years old, I lost my dad very suddenly. We had no idea anything was wrong with his heart, and within an hour, he was simply gone. My family and I were in complete shock, and we experienced the most intense pain and grief we had ever known. Losing someone that was part of who made me felt like losing half of myself. I couldn’t find myself again for quite some time. And beyond that, I was angry with God. I had just had my first child, and I couldn’t believe she would not know her grandpa, the man who had been such a spiritual anchor in my life. And for myself, I felt like I had lost him about thirty years too early. I stayed angry for months. Day after day, I looked for places of comfort to run to, and didn’t know where to go.
I finally came to the conclusion that the One I was angry with was also the only One I could run to. I gave up and came to Him, confessing my anger, and then letting Him have it. He filled my emptiness with His unfailing, endearing, all-consuming love. The Spirit of the Lord took me in His big arms and cradled me to His chest. I was still grieving, but I began to feel weightless like I was being carried. There were so times I would crawl into bed at night, and I would be mystified as to how I actually got through the day. His nearness was surreal, and I began to yearn for His presence like never before. My grieving opened up my heart to immense growth and I was so grateful. The Father reached down and held me close when I needed it most.
God Fought for my Mind
However, He also did something else quite the opposite. While He was so comforting and caring, He also fought for me with ferocity. You see, I became consumed with fear after losing Dad. I would continually play out scenarios in my head of something else happening to someone I loved. It took me a while to realize that I was actually being brutally tormented by the enemy. I could not get these thoughts out of my head, and I was trembling with terror. I dreaded every day because I assumed the other shoe was about to drop at any minute.
After speaking to my husband and my mother, they both prayed fervently for me. They rebuked the enemy’s tactics, and named my fears and cast them out. They proclaimed the perfect love of the Protector over my life like a banner, and there was no more room for fear. I immediately experienced a change, and was so grateful. It didn’t mean that I was never scared again, but I was not longer tormented by all of these “what-if” situations. God stood up for me when I needed it most. He went to battle for my mind, “AND” He came to bear up my broken heart.
Lion and Lamb; One and the Same
I still miss my dad and always will. But his death allowed me to see more sides of my Savior than I had ever seen before. It helped me know that He is everything I’ll ever need and so much more. He really is all-encompassing. Our God is the deepest form of eternal satisfaction, for He created us to be fulfilled by Him alone. He is enthralling to find and an example to follow. He is Father and Friend. He’s Lover and Lord. My God is mighty and meek, holy and humble, triumphant and tender. He’s my lion, and He’s my lamb. I will bask in His righteousness, and bow to His roar.
About the Author
Celeste Claborn
Hi! I’m Celeste! I am a mother, a wife, and a writer! I have the joy of raising 5 kids, one of which is my husband, John. When we’re not writing, we enjoy the great outdoors, traveling or playing outside with the neighbors. I hope you find joy in my writing, as well as impactful articles that lead you closer to freedom and adventure in Jesus.
