The Lamb Who Became A Lion

Mary had a little lamb Who became a Lion.

1.) Illus. Little girl misquoting Jn. 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Forgotten Son.”

2.) The world which once had “no room” for Jesus will SOON make room.

3.) Have we forgotten Who the real Jesus is????? [Our understanding of Who Jesus is needs a real upgrade!]

The true Jesus can be characterized by two Biblical metaphors. [figures of speech]

1- Jesus Is Spoken Of As A Lamb. (Lk. 2:1-14)

1. Jesus was like a lamb… “Lamb” 18 times in the book of Revelation.

(1) In His birth.

(a) Why was He born in a place that apparently housed animals? (Lamb)

(b) Nothing man could have done to prepare for Him would have been sufficient!!!

(2) In His Life. (Harmless, peaceful)

(3) In His Suffering.

Ps 69:20 Scorn has broken my heart and has left me helpless; I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found none. 21 They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst.

Isa. 50:6 I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting.

Isa 53:7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. 9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.

4) In His Death. (Acts 8:32)

2. Why did He do all of this? For us!!! (Isa. 53, 2 Cor. 5:21)

John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming towards him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

John 1:36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"

1 Pet 1:18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

3. He came to be the sacrificial Lamb of God!!!

4. Away with Christmas preaching which forgets the blood! (The real Jesus)

2- Jesus Is Also Characterized As A Lion. (Rev. 1:12-18; 5:1-14)

1. He will be the Lamb Who has more than a roar!!! (19:11-16)

Rev 5:5 Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals." 6 Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the centre of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.

Rev 6:16 They called to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?"

2. Every eye will see Him when He returns as a Lion!

Rev 1:7 Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen. 8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."

3. His return will be to judge not save!!!

2 Thess 1:7 and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. 8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power 10 on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marvelled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.

Jude 1:14 Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: "See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones 15 to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him."