THE LION AND THE LAMB
ISAIAH 9:6
Introduction: Isaiah 9:6 talks about two aspects of Christ in one verse and appears to blend them into one event while in reality the verse combines elements of both the first advent and the second advent of Jesus Christ. It speaks of His birth and earthly ministry as the Lamb of God and it speaks of His return in the future as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. For a few minutes let us consider the Lion and the Lamb.
I. AS A LAMB CHRIST WAS BORN IN OBSCURITY IN THE LITTLE VILLAGE OF BETHLEHEM
A. Luke 2:4-7 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
B. Jesus Christ was born in a simple lowly place, a corner of a stable in the village of Bethlehem. Bethlehem was a small, obscure village in the province of Judea. It was so small and insignificant a village that Bethlehem is not even mentioned as one of the cities of Judah in the chronicles of Joshua or Nehemiah. It simply wasn’t important enough.
C. Micah 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephrata, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
II. AS A LION HE RETURNS TO THE CAPITOL CITY, JERUSALEM IN POWER AND MIGHT
A. Zechariah 14:4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
B. The Mount of Olives is the central eminence of a line of hills, of rather more than a mile in length, overhanging the city, from which it is separated only by the narrow bed of the valley of the brook Cedron. It rises 187 feet above Mount Zion, 295 feet above Mount Moriah, 443 feet above Gethsemane, and lies between the city and the wilderness toward the dead sea: around its northern side. It here where Christ ascended and it is here where He will return.
C. Acts 1 states that Christ would ’so come in like manner’ as the disciples saw Him go into Heaven. He will return upon the very spot from which He ascended.
III. AS A LAMB CHRIST’S BIRTH WAS NOTICED BY ONLY A HANDFUL OF SHEPHERDS.
A. Luke 2:8-17 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child
B. The birth of Jesus took place in the dark and lonely hours of the night, when no one even knew about it, except for a small number of shepherds. Christ was born unknown to the world.
C. John 1:5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
IV. AS A LION WHEN HE RETURNS EVERY EYE SHALL SEE HIM WHEN HE RETURNS
A. Revelation 1:7 Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen.
B. Matthew 24:30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
D. The whole world will have its eyes fixed upon Jerusalem as nations invade Israel to do battle when Christ will miraculously intervene as His feet stand upon the Mount of Olives
V. AS A LAMB CHRIST WAS BORN IN POVERTY
A. Luke 2:22-24 And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.
B. The law (Lev. 12:6-8) required a lamb for a burnt offering and a pigeon or turtle-dove for a sin offering, but in the case of the poor one of these birds might be substituted for the lamb, "and the priest shall make atonement for her and she shall be clean" . The fact that Joseph and Mary brought a pair of birds instead of a lamb shows that they were very poor. While the lamb would probably cost about one dollar and seventy-five cents, the doves would cost about sixteen cents.
C. 2 Corinthians 8:9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.
VI. AS A LION CHRIST WILL RETURN IN REGAL SPLENDOR.
A. Mark 8:38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.
B. Revelation 19:11-16 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
VII. AS A LAMB CHRIST SILENTLY SUBMITTED TO SUFFER AT THE HANDS OF SINFUL MEN
A. Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opens not his mouth.
B. Contemplate the drops of blood, the blows in the face, the persistence of the whip, the crown of thorns, the derision and spitting and still Christ opens not His mouth but remains silent, submissive to the plan of God.
VIII. AS A LION HE RETURNS WITH VENGEANCE ON THOSE WHO HAVE REJECTED HIM
A. 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.
B. No longer will the world see a passive, meek, mild Lamb but will see the wrath of the Lion.
C. Revelation 6:16 says that man will cry for the rocks and mountains to fall on them and hide them from His wrath.
IX. AS A LAMB CHRIST CAME TO BRING PEACE BETWEEN MAN AND GOD
A. With the birth of Christ the announcement was proclaimed, "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" (Luke 2:14)
B. Ephesians 2:14-17 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
X. AS A LION HE COMES TO JUDGE AND TO SEPARATE THE LOST FOR ETERNITY.
A. Jude 1:14-15 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
B. Matthew 25:32-34, 41 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: …Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
XI. AS A LAMB JESUS CHRIST WAS DESPISED AND REJECTED
A. Isaiah 53:3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
B. Christ is still "despised and rejected of men”. There is still today a hatred for Christ and biblical Christianity. With Mel Gibson’s “the Passion” of the things that came out of the closet is the visceral hatred of Christianity held by many in the world today as they attacked the movie.
C. John 1:11-12 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
XII. AS THE LION EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW BEFORE HIM.
A. Romans 14:11 For it is written, As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
B. Philippians 2:10-11 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
C. Every person you can think of will one day have to bow down before Him and confess that Jesus is Lord - rock stars, movie stars, atheists, Hitler, Mussolini, Hussein, drug pushers, millionaires, old, young. The question is will you bow before Him as the Lamb that brings salvation or will you bow before Him in His wrath and judgment as the Lion?
