Revelation 5

Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.” Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. Revelation 5:5-6 NIV

Jesus is the “Lion of the tribe of Judah”, but He is also a sacrificial lamb that was slain in order to conquer all of the sin and evil in the world.  These symbols of Jesus remind us that He is all-powerful and full of righteous judgment, but at the same time, He is gentle and is our comforter and our healer.  The Lion of Judah was only able to be victorious over sin and death because He was willing to first act as a sacrificial lamb.  He came into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday like a king being carried to His throne, and He went out of Jerusalem on Good Friday like a lamb on its way to be slaughtered.  But He is no ordinary lamb.  In the description in this passage, notice that the Lamb is standing, not slumped in a heap on the ground.  He is standing, surrounded by adoring creatures and elders because He has attained victory.  Also notice that the Lamb has seven horns.  A horn is a symbol of strength and power, and the number seven signifies perfection, fullness and completeness.  He is “…a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:19).  Again, this is no ordinary Lamb.  He is also full of power and authority, and is worthy of honor and respect.  In fact, Revelation 6:16 shows that all men will fear the power of this Lamb: “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb.”  Since Jesus is represented as both a lion and a lamb, we, who are conforming to His image, should be a godly mixture of both.  We must attain God’s perspective on our lives and on our interactions with others, and have a balanced approach to our problems.  Throughout the Gospels, we see both sides of Jesus coming out in different situations.  He confronts the money changers and men selling animals in the temple with lion-like intensity, overthrowing their tables and boldly demonstrating God’s will.  He says to them in Matthew 21:13, “It is written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’”  Yet we see Him in Matthew 27:12-14 as a lamb, standing falsely accused, without speaking one word in His own defense.  Isaiah 53:7 says that Jesus “was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth.”  What can we learn from studying Jesus’ seemingly contradictory behavior?  Some situations call for righteous anger, boldness, standing up for what is right, and even forceful action, if necessary.  Other times call for silence, humility and prayer, which can be equally as powerful, although not easy.  It is a challenge not to defend ourselves when we are wrongly accused.  It is difficult to ignore insults and refrain from retaliation when we are being mistreated.  As difficult as it is to stay in control and to handle volatile situations with Christ-like wisdom and peace, it is possible if we stay connected to Him and listen to the Holy Spirit guide us through it (rather than listening to our hurt feelings, offense and rage).  This doesn’t mean that we should always keep quiet when we are faced with injustice, but sometimes it truly is the best thing to do.  Let us be thankful, that as followers of Christ, we have access to the strength and power of the Lion when needed, but also the humility and gentleness of the Lamb.