Everyone feels differently about rainy days and thunderstorms. I enjoy an occasional gray, rainy day. As I sit here writing, I hear the thunder rumble off in the distance. The patter of a gentle rain delights my soul as it nourishes the spring flowers. A dreary day is a perfect time to stay indoors and enjoy a nice cup of steaming tea.
But, this is springtime in Oklahoma. I watch the rain to see if it strengthens. I listen for the chirp of my weather alarm to alert me to any severe weather. A gentle storm can become dangerous quickly around here. Tornado sirens can send us scrambling into our storm shelters. Or, at least into the street to watch the storm develop. Weather can change quickly.
Isaiah 53:7 “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.”
Do you view Jesus as the lamb or as the lion? Many times, I think we want to see Him only as a lamb. I love the picture that shows a lamb lying down with a lion beside it. We want to see Jesus as gentle and meek, full of love for everyone. The picture of God as a roaring lion scares us like the Oklahoma severe weather scares people. We prefer to see a gentle Jesus.
But, what are we missing if we only see Jesus as a lamb? I think seeing Jesus only as a lamb allows us to overlook the consequences of our sin. God loves us no matter when or how much we sin. Romans 3:23 reminds us “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” But, we must also be aware of the words in Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The Lion of Judah will judge our sins someday in the future.
Mark 1:15 “and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
We want a meek, loving God to ignore our little sins. But, we want the Godly Lion to punish those who commit big sins like murder. Paul warns us against this kind of thinking in Galatians 6:8 “For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” God views all sin in the same way. Do not be deceived by the worldly view of Jesus as only a lamb. Be alert and watch for the signs of sin in your life. Repent before the Lamb turns into the Lion of Judah who looks to destroys the unrepentant.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son; that whosoever believes in him, may not perish, but may have life everlasting.”
Oh no, just like that, my gentle rain shower has changed. The storms are turning severe with tornado warnings. The area is advised to take shelter to protect our lives. Like the weather, we must always be aware of the things happening around us to avoid feeling the wrath of the Lion.
Blessings,
Yvonne – #blogger, #speaker, and #author
Matthew 28:19 “Therefore, GO and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
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Yes, we must know Christ as both Lion and Lamb to glorify Him and keep His commandments.
I agree and I appreciate you visiting. Thanks and God bless
I love this reminder! My Bible study ladies and I were just talking about how we always see Jesus as the servant and forget He is also the One riding on the white horse, conquering all! Or the Lion, too. 😉
So true Emily. Thanks for visiting and God bless
Powerful message, Yvonne! We prefer the Lamb because we like to keep Jesus where we can dictate things and where He will overlook our sin. But that was why the Lamb had to die! The penalty for our “little sin” is death!, Furthermore, unless we recognize Him as the Lion, we will never understand the magnitude of His sacrifice as the Lamb. Jesus, we thank you for your great sacrifice as the Lamb and we bow down and honor you as the Lion, who is coming back soon!
Beautiful words Melissa. The king of the world died for his created beings. So hard to fathom. Amen and God bless
So very hard to fathom! May we pause and stand in wonder and joy at what God has done for us, in drawing near forever, through His Son. Jesus, the King of the world! Blessings to you, dear sister!
Such good reflections, Yvonne. I think of Jesus as both because Scripture points out both I know in Revelation, the reference to the Lion of the tribe of Judah is thought to be Jesus Christ!
Thanks Karen. I appreciate your thoughts. God bless
So true, Yvonne. I fall into that trap often, even though I know that eventually enough is enough. I’ve already received so much mercy, including the years before I knew what sin is. There’s no reason to believe His mercy will last. Thank you for this reminder.
It is so easy to fall into this trap to try to make Jesus meek. Thanks Stephen and God bless
I see Jesus as both the lamb and the lion. I love him, but I also fear him. This is quite similar to the way I felt towards my dad when I was a young boy, Love, fear, and respect at the same time.
Amen Will. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Proverbs 1:7. God bless
I love this message reminding us to read the Bible completely and not just pick out one aspect and see Christ only that way.
Amen Nancy. So many people seem to only want to believe certain parts in our society. Thanks and God bless
Love this! Fear of the Lord is something that we need to have a bit more of in our society.
So very true. Proverbs reminds us that fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Thanks for visiting and commenting
I love this. He is the lion AND the lamb, all-powerful and all-loving.
Amen. Thanks so much Jessica and God bless
I like how you pointed out that, if we see him as the lion, we have to grapple with his power to overcome our sins and doubts. Excellent post, as always, and convicting. Thank you.
Thank you Candice. He is our mighty Savior. God bless.
Without Jesus having borne the wrath of God on our behalf, we would have no hope! I’m grateful that the gentle Jesus allowed himself to be crucified for me, for you, for the sins of the world, that those who believe in him need not face the wrath of God. What a merciful Savior!
He is merciful and we are undeserving of it yet He gives it freely. Thanks Melinda and God bless
I think you’ve made an excellent point in this blog. Today, many Christians have reduced Jesus to just see Him as the Lamb. It’s easier to see Him this way—as if He turns a blind eye to our disobedience. But when Jesus resurrected, He overcame it all, and became the Lion, the One who conquered death and all it entails. He is now the Judge of all humanity and will judge us justly because He walked in our shoes—He knows what it means to be human. And this includes the Lion’s roar, at times, when necessary. Yes, we are forgiven (thank God!), but that does not give us license to forget that we cannot continue to ‘willfully’ sin. The Lion will roar at that, to be sure.
Stay safe this Spring in those Oklahoma storms! Bless you. Lisa Q
Thanks Lisa, our storm season is just starting so probably many more of those severe weather days ahead.
Yes, it is so much easier to think of Jesus as soft and loving only so we don’t have to think about judgement. We are more concerned with how others see us and judge us. He is the Lamb but also the Lion. God bless
What you say rings very true to me. I see Him as both. I try my best to correct when I am convicted by him in my quiet time and when reading scripture. I know he is coming back and I want to be ready when he does.
Me too and He will return as the roaring lion. Thanks Afi and God bless