Lion and the Lamb

As I write this, it is the first day of March. Where I live, it has been a rather calm day, though not necessarily a beautiful one, with the possibility of storms late in the evening. As such, I am uncertain whether to say that March is coming in as a lion or as a lamb. For those who may not be familiar with the adage, there is a saying that “March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.” This means that the weather on March 1 will be stormy, but at the end of the month, it will be beautiful weather. Sometimes it is said to be true in reverse also so that however March comes in, it will leave the opposite way.

The contrast between the lion and the lamb is used to illustrate extremes. In the animal kingdom, the lion is the king of the beasts, at the top of the food chain, and known as powerful and ferocious. The lamb is the opposite extreme. It is seen as a gentle, docile creature, sedate, peaceful, and harmless. The lion is a predator, and the lamb is the prey. They could not be more different.

It is instructive that the scriptures speak of Jesus as both the Lion of the tribe of Judah and the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. Jesus is both Lion and Lamb. He is at the far end of the spectrum, whichever end you look. Jesus is also spoken of as the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. Jesus is all-encompassing. He is what we need and all we need, regardless of the need.

Consider for a moment Jesus as the Lamb. He is the One who is our sacrifice. He laid down His life for us. He was docile and gentle as He was unfairly treated, beaten, and even killed. He could have been a lion, but He chose to be a lamb. We know this is true because when the soldiers came to arrest Jesus, He did not hesitate to identify Himself. As He spoke the words of His identity, the soldiers were all knocked to the ground by the authority emanating from Him. He chose to be the Lamb.

There were also times in which Jesus showed His nature as the lion as well. He is the One who spoke to the storm and caused it to cease. He is the One who blessed the food and fed the multitudes. He is the One who demonstrated power over both sickness and death, including His own resurrection. There is no doubt concerning His authority, His position, and His place of preeminent power. He is the Lion!

One day, every single person on earth will be fully aware that Jesus is the Lion. He may have come to this earth as a lamb 2000 years ago, but when He returns, He will come as the Lion who rules and reigns. He will leave no doubt as to who is the “King of the Jungle.”

One important thing to learn from all of this is that Jesus is always able to be exactly what you need. It is not that He is either Lion or Lamb, but rather He is both. Always both. When you need a lion to fight for you, He is the Lion. When you need a peaceful lamb by your side, He is the Lamb. Jesus is who and what we need.