Walk of Life – Day 30 – December 2020 – Thoughts from the Book of Proverbs
JESUS CHRIST – THE LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH
“There are three things that are stately in their stride, four that move with stately bearing: a lion, mighty among beasts, who retreats before nothing; Proverbs 30: 29, 30
As a young child, have loved reading the Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. In this story, Aslan is the creator and sovereign of the parallel world of Narnia. Even though Aslan is a lion, Lewis uses fantasy to give him personality and powers unmistakably characteristic of the New Testament portrait of Jesus Christ. Lewis found that as a very suitable way to attract young children to the truth of the Gospel. The parallels that Lewis drew with the Lord Jesus are as listed:
Firstly, He is the creator of the universe as in John 1:3 “All things were made through [Christ], and without Him nothing was made that was made.” He is the creator of heaven and earth, the ruler of the universe as is also mentioned in Proverbs 30:3,4.
Second, He is a compassionate king. “Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals” (Rev. 5:5). The Lord Jesus is of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, the genealogy of kings, the king of kings and the Lord of Lords. Throughout history there have been good kings and bad kings. Just as a lion is known for its power and might, the Lord Jesus is all-powerful. But He is a righteous and compassionate king, a loving king, who cares for His children.
Third He is the risen Savior. In Lewis’ allegory, Aslan the lion is killed instead of Edmund by a white witch, however the lion rises up again the next morning.
Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name (Lk. 24:46-47).
Finally, He is the faithful friend. The Lord Jesus, though being the creator of heaven and earth, is our true and faithful friend. He is the One who loves us and cares for us.
No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you (Jn. 15:15).
The Lord Jesus manifested the lion character in that he came to do the will of His Father.
Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come— In the volume of the book it is written of Me— To do Your will, O God. Hebrews 10:7
Secondly the Lord Jesus faced his own death boldly.
Now while they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up.” And they were exceedingly sorrowful. Matthew 26:38–39 NKJV
The Lord Jesus as the Lion of Judah exemplifies His might, power, yet His being a kind and compassionate king. In his life on earth, the Lord Jesus was never afraid of anything, of standing for the right or of boldly proclaiming His Father’s Name. He was bold as a lion. He could directly question the Pharisees on their hypocrisy, turn the tables in the temple, walk through a furious crowd unharmed, yet at the same time, He was the compassionate father and friend for Mary and Martha, the widow at Nain and numerous others who tasted His love.
Dear Lord, you are the Lion of Judah, the powerful and mighty God, yet a loving father who carried us through these twelve months. Help us also to be bold and strong, to be courageous and stand for what is right always, and also to be loving and compassionate for the millions of perishing souls. In Jesus’ Name Amen.
