“And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and read the book, neither to look thereon. 5. And one of the elders said unto me, Weep not: behold, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. 6. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.”
The context of Revelation 5:4-6 is the occasion of the opening of the seven seals. John was shown a book, or a scroll, that was sealed with seven seals. He wanted to see what was in it, but no one was able to open it. Then one of the twelve elders told him who could open the scroll. “The lion of the tribe of Judah,” is a designation for Jesus Christ, who was born into the family of David. But when the Lion came to open the book and to break open the seals, he had become “a Lamb as it had been slain.” This is what I want to settle on in this article: Jesus, described as “the lion of the tribe of Judah,” was then described as “a lamb as it had been slain.” This is an interesting depiction of Jesus. He is, indeed,“the Lion of the tribe of Judah,” but thank God, He is also a slain lamb. The Bible describes Jesus as the “Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world.” He was/is the mighty Messiah, who came to earth, born of a virgin and lived a perfect life. Jesus showed throughout His ministry that he had power over death, disease and nature. He raised dead people to life, healed people of all sorts of illnesses, and walked on water. When Jesus spoke, most people listened and marveled because “He spoke as one who has authority.” In many ways in His life on earth, Jesus revealed Himself as the “Lion of the tribe of Judah.” While Jesus lived His whole life in humble service, He became the “lamb slain” when He surrendered Himself to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind. Paul wrote about Him: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” (Philippians 2:5-8) In 2 Corinthians 5:21 Paul wrote: “For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” It was all-important for us that the Lion become a Lamb, for he had to die as a sacrificial lamb in order for us to be saved. If we have any righteousness, it is righteousness imputed, given to us, by Christ. It is important for you to see that the “Lion of the tribe of Judah,” became “a Lamb as it had been slain” for you. It is a personal thing. We come to the One who humbly gave His life on the cross to save us from sin and discover that He is also the Lion who brings His power into our lives through the power of the Holy Spirit. This is the way God does things. Jesus did not become our savior just because He was “the Lion of the tribe of Judah,” but because He was the “Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world.” In seeming weakness, God showed His great strength. If you do not know Him as your savior, receive Him by faith today. If you do know Jesus as your Savior, come to a greater appreciation of what Jesus has done for you by saving you and working in your life to make it more abundant. Thank Him today for who and what He is in your life. Be grateful that the lion became a lamb. Bro. Joe
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AuthorDr. Joe Beauchamp is the author of this blog and website. Categories
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