1 views
THE LION OF JUDAH
When you think of a lamb you think of tenderness, gentle,and I would add even submissiveness. Before Jesus was baptized, He was declared the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.While Jesus was all these things, there is another description in Scripture that is the complete opposite of him as a lamb -that description is the Lion of Judah. I think it is of great importance in knowing Jesus Christ as the lion of Judah.
First, let’s consider the significance of the tribe of Judah. Judah was one of the twelve sons of Jacob. To make is simple, the descendants of these sons formed the twelve tribes of Israel. A reference to the tribe of Judah is a reference to the human or natural lineage of Christ.
The mention of the lion happens in Genesis 49. In this occasion, Jacob calls his sons together and tells them what will happen to each of them in the days to come. Clearly Jacob is speaking with prophetic language. When he gets to his son Judah he proclaims: -Judah , my son, is a young lion that has finished eating its prey. Like a lion he crouches and lies down; like a lioness—who dares to rouse him? The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from his descendants, until the coming of the one to whom it belongs, the one whom all nations will honor.
When you consider these scripturs , then a reference to the Lion of the tribe of Judah points to the conquering, victorious king that would descend from Judah’s lineage. We know that this lion was pointing to only one person, Jesus himself, God in human form, who is the lion of the tribe of Judah.This truth is important because it fulfills the promise and prophecy of God’s word. It also gives us hope and confidence in this one who will ultimately be our deliverer.As we look closely at this proclamation made by Jacob in Genesis 49, some prophetic truths come to light. These are truths that, when considered, point directly to Jesus.Regardless of what people think or feel about Jesus, one thing we know for sure: He is Lord. Because he is Lord, everyone will eventually praise him as Lord. It doesn’t matter if a person believes that now, but at some point, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess this to be true. When you recognize this now you can willingly bow and acknowledge him as Lord of all, and most importantly Lord of your life.Ultimately Jesus will destroy all his enemies, even Satan who knows he is on borrowed time because his defeat is imminent. However, the greatest enemy we face as humans is the reality of sin and death. Our sin interrupted our relationship with God and our death meant eternal separation and punishment for our sin. Jesus conquered both of these enemies on our behalf. Our lion has given us victory over sin and has removed the penalty of death and replaced it with the promise and hope of eternal life. You can celebrate, because you are victorious today. You are no longer under the penalty of sin. Another wonderful reason to know God as the Lion of Judah is that his kingdom will reign forever. The good part about being on his side is that you will win in the end, regardless of how challenging life gets and regardless of the struggles or persecutions you may experience in this life. It is so important to recognize that as long as you are on Jesus’ side, you will win at the end. Because he will rule for all eternity, and you are part of his kingdom, then you get to experience the benefits of his kingdom for all eternity. So, don’t be discouraged, no matter how bad it may feel or get, it is only for a little while. Your lion is coming soon and he will reign forever.As important as it is to know God as the lion, that wouldn’t have mattered much unless he became the lamb. He would still be God. He would still reign forever. He would still ultimately triumph over his enemies. However, we would still be lost. What makes Jesus all the more impressive is that his road to conquering – his road to being the lion – came through suffering. He didn’t redeem us by keeping his status as a lion. He redeemed us by becoming humble as a lamb. That precious blood he spilled purchased our salvation, forgave our sins, and allowed us to triumph. I am thankful that he is the lion who fights for us and will come to our rescue. I am also thankful that he became like a lamb to win back our salvation. In fact, it was his suffering as a lamb that paved the way for him to be the true Lion of the tribe of Judah.I guess when you consider all the reasons to know God as the Lion of Judah, there is one connection that cannot be dismissed. You will never truly understand his position as the lion of Judah, until you understand him as the lamb who had to be slain. If you misunderstand his purpose in being the lamb, then you will misunderstand his position in being the lion. It’s the suffering Jesus that paves the way for the conquering Jesus. It was his lamb-like surrender, which goes against the norms, that positioned him to become the true Lion of the tribe of Judah.
© Clarencë mc
First, let’s consider the significance of the tribe of Judah. Judah was one of the twelve sons of Jacob. To make is simple, the descendants of these sons formed the twelve tribes of Israel. A reference to the tribe of Judah is a reference to the human or natural lineage of Christ.
The mention of the lion happens in Genesis 49. In this occasion, Jacob calls his sons together and tells them what will happen to each of them in the days to come. Clearly Jacob is speaking with prophetic language. When he gets to his son Judah he proclaims: -Judah , my son, is a young lion that has finished eating its prey. Like a lion he crouches and lies down; like a lioness—who dares to rouse him? The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from his descendants, until the coming of the one to whom it belongs, the one whom all nations will honor.
When you consider these scripturs , then a reference to the Lion of the tribe of Judah points to the conquering, victorious king that would descend from Judah’s lineage. We know that this lion was pointing to only one person, Jesus himself, God in human form, who is the lion of the tribe of Judah.This truth is important because it fulfills the promise and prophecy of God’s word. It also gives us hope and confidence in this one who will ultimately be our deliverer.As we look closely at this proclamation made by Jacob in Genesis 49, some prophetic truths come to light. These are truths that, when considered, point directly to Jesus.Regardless of what people think or feel about Jesus, one thing we know for sure: He is Lord. Because he is Lord, everyone will eventually praise him as Lord. It doesn’t matter if a person believes that now, but at some point, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess this to be true. When you recognize this now you can willingly bow and acknowledge him as Lord of all, and most importantly Lord of your life.Ultimately Jesus will destroy all his enemies, even Satan who knows he is on borrowed time because his defeat is imminent. However, the greatest enemy we face as humans is the reality of sin and death. Our sin interrupted our relationship with God and our death meant eternal separation and punishment for our sin. Jesus conquered both of these enemies on our behalf. Our lion has given us victory over sin and has removed the penalty of death and replaced it with the promise and hope of eternal life. You can celebrate, because you are victorious today. You are no longer under the penalty of sin. Another wonderful reason to know God as the Lion of Judah is that his kingdom will reign forever. The good part about being on his side is that you will win in the end, regardless of how challenging life gets and regardless of the struggles or persecutions you may experience in this life. It is so important to recognize that as long as you are on Jesus’ side, you will win at the end. Because he will rule for all eternity, and you are part of his kingdom, then you get to experience the benefits of his kingdom for all eternity. So, don’t be discouraged, no matter how bad it may feel or get, it is only for a little while. Your lion is coming soon and he will reign forever.As important as it is to know God as the lion, that wouldn’t have mattered much unless he became the lamb. He would still be God. He would still reign forever. He would still ultimately triumph over his enemies. However, we would still be lost. What makes Jesus all the more impressive is that his road to conquering – his road to being the lion – came through suffering. He didn’t redeem us by keeping his status as a lion. He redeemed us by becoming humble as a lamb. That precious blood he spilled purchased our salvation, forgave our sins, and allowed us to triumph. I am thankful that he is the lion who fights for us and will come to our rescue. I am also thankful that he became like a lamb to win back our salvation. In fact, it was his suffering as a lamb that paved the way for him to be the true Lion of the tribe of Judah.I guess when you consider all the reasons to know God as the Lion of Judah, there is one connection that cannot be dismissed. You will never truly understand his position as the lion of Judah, until you understand him as the lamb who had to be slain. If you misunderstand his purpose in being the lamb, then you will misunderstand his position in being the lion. It’s the suffering Jesus that paves the way for the conquering Jesus. It was his lamb-like surrender, which goes against the norms, that positioned him to become the true Lion of the tribe of Judah.
© Clarencë mc
