December 22: The Lion of Judah
“Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”
Jesus is the Lion of Judah. A lion is a wonderful image to capture the qualities of Jesus. He is fierce. He is king. He is full of strength, power, beauty and honour. He is lionhearted. Every admirable quality you have ever noticed in another person are possessed in full by the Lion of Judah. But what’s amazing about Jesus is he’s not just a collection of extremes, but of perfections. We admire him for his glory, but all the more because his glory is so coloured by his humility. We admire him for his strength, but all the more because his strength shines brightest through his “weakness” on the cross. We admire him for his unwavering commitment to truth, but all the more because of his grace. We admire him for his justice, and yet so much more because of his mercy. We admire him for being the conquering lion, but all the more so for being sacrificial lamb. What a saviour and king!
Today’s verse from Revelation 5:5 begins with a consolation: there is no need to weep anymore! Why? Because the Lion of Judah has victory! He has conquered your enemies of Satan, sin and death. Our lionhearted saviour has crushed and will crush every sad thing and make it untrue. In your life, you need to know this is true. Your circumstances cannot thwart him. He will overcome. He alone is the Lion of Judah.