Often, when we think of Jesus one of the images that comes to mind is “the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” When we think of Jesus it’s hard to imagine He’s anything else. Tenderness, gentleness and maybe even submissive can come to mind.
While Jesus was all these things, there is another description of Jesus in the Bible that is the complete opposite of Him as a lamb. That description is “the Lion of Judah.” I think we see the importance of knowing Jesus as the lamb. I want to give you a few reasons we should know Jesus as the Lion of Judah.
What Does Lion Of Judah Mean?
In order to get an understanding of this phrase, there are two places in Scripture where the Lion and Judah are tired together.One is Genesis 49:9, and the other is in Revelation 5:5.
“Judah is a lion cub. From the prey, my son you have gone up. He stooped down, He crouched as a lion, as a lioness. Who will rouse Him up” – Genesis 49:9.
“One of the elders said to me, Don’t weep. Behold, the Lion who is of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome; He who opens the book and it’s seven seals” -Revelation 5:5
Consider the significance of the tribe of Judah. Judah was one of the twelve sons of Jacob. 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 Jesus.
Jesus was a descendant of Judah which included David, and Solomon, eventually making it’s all the way down to Joseph, Jesus’s earthly father (actually step-father if you want ti be technical).
In Genesis 49 Jacob calls his sons together and tells them what will happen to each of them in the days to come. When he gets to his son Judah where he proclaims:
“Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s son’s will bow down to you. You are a lion’s cub, Judah; you return from the prey, my son. “Like a lion he couches and lies down, like a lioness -who dares to rouse him? The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the rulers staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his. He will tether his donkey to a vine,his colt to the choicest branch; he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth whiter than milk” – Genesis 48:8-12.
When you consider these verses, then a reference to the Lion of the Tribe of Judah points to the conquering, victorious king that he would descend from Judah’s linage. We know that the lion himself, God in human form, who is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. The truth is important because it fulfills the promise and prophecy of God’s Word. It also gives us hope and confidence in the one who will ultimately be our deliverer.
From Pity to Praise 