The Lion And The Lamb

"The Lion And The Lamb"
Revelation 5



Ours is a political gospel.

Many of you may be bristling a bit about that statement.  At least a little edgy.  Or uncomfortable.

Think about the titles and roles we have for Jesus with which we are most comfortable:  Savior (certainly, we like that one--the one who saves us from our sin stained lives); Teacher (we like that one, too--the rabbi, the spinner of parables, the one who teaches us about how to live better lives, how to grow closer to God); Healer (we really like this one, especially when we are sick. We’ve been talking over the past month about this role of Jesus as healer in our Sunday School class, and what  we expect of Jesus when we aren’t well); Son Of God (this role and title we accept, but how the full divinity of Jesus fits with the full humanity of Jesus is a mystery to most, or how Jesus is fully God, but is called the Son of God--we accept all that but don’t understand it).

The roles we talk about least are equally as important, but much more volatile:  Lord and King (especially King).  When we say, “Jesus is Lord,” or, “Jesus is King” we don’t fully realize what we are saying.  If Jesus is Lord, who else can be Lord?  If Jesus is King, who else can be king?

A Lord, by definition, is a master.  A Lord has power and authority and influence.

A King, by definition, is the ultimate ruler.  The King is the most important leading person.  The king is the most important piece in the game of chess.  The King is the one who is superior over all and has the premier dominating position.

But what we are inclined to do, as followers of Jesus, is over-spiritualize Jesus’ titles and roles.  We quickly read over those parts in the Bible that point to his Kingship--a Kingship that extends into all areas of God’s world, including the political.

In order to understand this role and position of Jesus, we turn to the fifth chapter of Revelation for insight into Jesus as Lord and King.  This is the coronation chapter in the book of Revelation.  It is the coronation of the King.

The coronation involves a mysterious scroll and its seals.

All the events in the first four chapters of Revelation have served to heighten the intrigue and expectation and the fascination with what God is doing in the world as God moves our world to a total transformation.  The first four chapters have to do with churches and God’s truthful evaluation of what the churches are doing well, and what they aren’t doing so well.  God is clearly stating in these letters to the churches that he had expected to have his standard waving strong.  That expectation went unmet in many of the churches addressed.

Now, in chapter four and five, the scene shifts to the throne room of God.  There is a throne.  There is one seated on the throne whose presence is like the sparkle and color of precious gems.  There are 24 other thrones around the one throne.  There is lightning and thunder coming from the throne.  Prowling around the throne are four fierce animals.  The animals were covered with eyes.  And all are chanting, “Holy, Holy, Holy” to the one on the throne.

And there is a scroll.  It’s sealed tight, except that writing could be seen all over it.  No one sitting near the throne could tell what the writing on the scroll said.

I remember, when I was in older elementary grades, and on into junior high, I would watch with intrigue as girls passed notes in class.  I knew those notes must contain something important or fascinating.  But I never knew.  And sometimes, they would mouth words to each other across the classroom.  As much as I tried, I couldn’t read lips, and so never was able to decrypt those secret messages.  My curiosity was aroused to the point of giving me a headache.

So it was with all those gathered in heaven, around the throne, concerning this mysterious scroll with it’s writing and seals.  What did it say?  No one would know until it was opened first.

To open it, meant someone would have to first approach God on the throne and take it from the hand of God.

Who would dare take the scroll from God?  The person would have to prove themselves, “worthy.”  Notice, it doesn’t say, “able.”  It’s not a matter of ability.  Most, if not all of the angels, elders, beasts, and saints gathered around the throne of God would have been able to open the scroll and read its contents.

God looks not for the able but for the worthy, for such an honor to take the scroll.  All shrink back at that qualification.  None step forward.  John, the one who is relating this vision, weeps.  If we don’t weep, we should stop and take notice of what this scene is saying.

Think of all the great lives from biblical and world history, who through quality of life, who through brave and amazing accomplishments in all sorts of fields, whom we might esteem as worthy.  None of those, though, measure up to the gaze from the One on the throne.

In a far past issue of Life Magazine, there was a lead article about the “100 Most Influential Americans of the 20th Century.”  Some of those listed were, Muhammad Ali, Albert Einstein, the Wright brothers (a unanimous choice), Bing Crosby, Henry Ford (a unanimous choice), Will Rogers, Walt Disney, Ray Croc (founder of McDonalds), Abraham Lincoln, and Bill W. (AA founder).

As much as these people are influential, none of them would be found “worthy”.  Nor would any from world history.  Not Alexander the Great.  Not Leonardo DaVinci.  None of the Popes.  Not even Mother Theresa!

We aren’t as great as we think we are.  We judge ourselves and each other by what we are able to do, and who we are able to be.  But God judges worthiness.  Worthiness by God’s standards.  Especially when it comes to approaching the throne of God.  We certainly aren’t as worthy as we may think we are.

When it comes down to the final scene of history, all self-infatuation, all misguided hero worship, all acts of self-sacrifice and courage, all of it will be seen for what it is.  In its place will be burned the image of the one true God on the throne waiting for the approach of the only one worthy to open the mysterious scroll.  We are only worthy as we are in the one who is judged worthy, who can approach the throne of God.

Then comes the worthy One.  Then comes the Lion.  One of the Elders first sees the Lion.

The Old Testament uses the image of the lion for creating fear.  Lions hide in wait, they are devouring, powerful, roaring, growling.  Lions are destroyers, manglers, and bone-breakers.

The Elder sees the Lion as one who “has conquered.”  Conquered what?  We aren’t told.  Our first answers, in trying to over-spiritualize the Lion, might be things like sin and evil.  And that is true.  But what are the particulars of what that means.

Turning to 1 Corinthians 15 (vs.. 24-25), we read about Jesus,
Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power.  For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.

The conquering Lion, the worthy one, has conquered rulers, those in authority, and those who hold the strings of power.  In fact, those three are considered, according to this verse, to be the enemies of the Lion.

Jesus as King, Jesus as the worthy one, Jesus as the conquering Lion is:
--not a friend of government, but is their enemy.  There are no favored nations.  Jesus is no patron saint of any country.  Even though, “In God We Trust” is on our money, it won’t protect us.
--not a friend of rulers, but their enemy.  Even if you put your right hand on the Bible to be inaugurated; even if the church has a place in your coronation; no matter how much political backing from the Tea Party you think you might have--all such rule is targeted for destruction by the Lion of God.
Queen Victoria of England once told her chaplain that she hoped Jesus’ second coming would occur during her reign. The chaplain wondered why.  The Queen explained, “So I can take my crown and lay it at his feet.”
All rulers will one day have to give up their rule willingly or watch it be destroyed and they with it.
--not a friend of power.  Jesus had been the victim of power at its worst.  Power quickly degenerates into abuse and seldom knows how to be powerfully compassionate.
By the time he was 23, Alexander the Great had conquered over half the civilized world.  One victim of his military abilities was Darius--a mighty Persian King wiped out by Alexander.  Having been humiliated by such a young punk, Darius fled to Egypt.  Once safe, Darius wrote to Alexander about his defeat, asking for some bargaining room.  Alexander was not pleased with the letter, and sent a quick, stinging reply, ending with the words, “In the meantime, whenever you shall have occasion to write Alexander, remember you write to him not only as a king, but as your king.”
Power only knows how to push its heal into the backs of those it overruns.  But some day, says Revelation, even someone like Alexander, in the height of his power, does not qualify as worthy before the throne.
--not a friend of authority, no matter how self-righteous the authority assumes itself to be.  That kind of authority never turns out to be the authority of God--the authority that leads with the Cross.
In the movie, “The Mission,” there are two Jesuit missionaries, forced into defending the work of their mission to a certain tribe in South America against colonization by Spain.  What are they supposed to do?  Do they fight?  Do they pray?  What kind of authority should these two priests use?  Both take different tactics: one prays; one fights.  Both die.  Neither authority works.

Based on the image of the conquering Lion, and coupling it with 1 Corinthians 15, we can sum up by asking ourselves several questions:
1.  When we say, “Jesus is King,” who are we saying is not king?
2.  When we say, “Jesus is our sole authority,” who or what are we saying is not our authority?
3.  When we say, “Jesus is the only power,” who or what gets excluded as an exerciser of power?

But now back to Revelation.  Something happens.  The Elder says, “Do not weep.  See the Lion..”  John looks up, but instead sees “...a Lamb standing as if it had been slaughtered…”

No bone-breaking lion.  Instead a broken Lamb.  Slaughtered.  It’s such a stark word.  Images of a savage death.  Not just a clean kill--a single bullet, a single deadly thrust of the sword.

Instead the word evokes the image of death upon death, being killed and killed again, overkill by butchery.  Not a single bullet, but hundreds of shots.  Not a single sword thrust, but hack upon hack, frenzied blow upon blow.  Not just being conquered, but utterly devastated.

What an alarming contrast!  The conquering Lion who overpowers all powers, and the slaughtered Lamb who appears overpowered in the worst way.  The same character, perceived differently.  Both are extreme opposites, yet both are true and neither can be diluted.  Both are harshly different, yet both are necessary to understanding the kingship of Christ:  the Lion who devours all forms of rule until that authority is totally embodied in him; and the bleeding, grotesque figure of the slaughtered Lamb who identifies with the wounded, broken people who have also been overrun by the powers of the world.

The Lion can’t be the king without having the wounded heart of the Lamb.  The Lamb can’t rule without the decisive and ultimate authority of the Lion.


We need Christ as King, because all forms of authority, government, and power are seriously tainted.  They are either overbearing, devouring lion-types with little or no heart, or, they are sheep that get run over time after time with no ultimate authority.

Maybe the reason that Jesus is kept out of state houses and other political capitols is not because Jesus is thought of as having nothing to do with the political realm, but that he has everything to do with the political realm.

It’s not that the two can’t be mixed (like oil and water), but that they are really highly explosive when mixed.

It’s not that Jesus is ineffectual--a political milquetoast--but that political people recognize that if Jesus really is King, how destructive that kingship is to their house of cards.

We in the church have sold out to the opposition by keeping Jesus less than who he really is--a King.  But not just a king, as if he were just one among many, but the one and only King!

We, as subjects of the King Jesus, must not fail to embrace Jesus our only King with all that that means.  Then, we must carry his banner out into a world that puts itself under the sovereignty of so much false authority, bringing our King face-to-face with that world.

When we do that, the more voices there will be who are added in praise to the true King.  We along with the great collection of people around the throne will fall down and worship the true King of heaven and earth: Holy, Holy, Holy...