Sermon Tone Analysis

*What’s In A Name – 9b*

The Lion…and…The Lamb

 

     Last week we focused our attention on several names of God that are found in the opening chapters of the book of Revelation.

In the opening chapters of this book John describes visions of heavenly worship.

This worship centers on…and draws our attention to the holiness of God…*/the Eternal/*…*/the Creator/*…as choirs sing out: */Holy, holy, holy…Lord God Almighty/*.

Choirs sing…because God’s holiness will always lead those who know him to worship and praise him.

Now…we turn our attention to Revelation 5…the text that speaks of */The Lion/*…and…*/The Lamb/*.

Revelation 5: 1-7

*/The Scroll and the Lamb/*

*5 *Then I saw in the right hand of the one seated on the throne a scroll written on the inside and on the back, sealed* *with seven seals; *2** *and I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?" *3** *And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it.

*4** *And I began to weep bitterly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it.

*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 conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals."

*6** *Then I saw between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders a Lamb standing as if it had been slaughtered, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.

*7** *He went and took the scroll from the right hand of the one who was seated on the throne.

In this text we are given 3 names for Jesus:

 

·        */The/* */Lion of the tribe of Judah/*,

·        */The/* */Root of David/*, and

·        */The Lamb/*.

Each of these names tells us something about who he is.

The first name…*/the Lion of Judah/* refers back to Genesis 49.

This chapter records for us the last words of Jacob spoken to his sons.

Jacob’s sons represent the 12 tribes of Israel…tribes that will get their name from his sons.

So the instructions and blessing that Jacob gives each of his sons take on prophetic meaning for the future tribes of Israel.

Listen to Jacob’s words to his son Judah:

    

Genesis 49: 8-10

 

*8** *Judah, your brothers shall praise you;

your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies;

your father's sons shall bow down before you.

*9** *Judah is a lion's whelp; (A term for young, carnivorous, mammals)

from the prey, my son, you have gone up.

He crouches down, he stretches out like a lion,

like a lioness — who dares rouse him up?

*10** *The scepter shall not depart from Judah,

nor the ruler's staff from between his feet,

until tribute comes to him;

and the obedience of the peoples is his.

In this text Jacob gives to Judah a prophetic scepter…naming him as the tribe of kings.

However, Israel’s first King…King Saul did not come from this tribe…he came from the tribe of Benjamin.

You might remember from your OT studies that Saul’s leadership as a king didn’t work out so well for the nation of Israel.

In fact…the truth is…that God used Saul as a form of discipline for Israel.

God’s didn’t intend for Israel to have king at this time…but the people demanded a king so they could be like other nations.

Later, God would provide the King he wanted them to have…King David…from the tribe of Judah.

A few weeks ago, we as we studied Matthew 1 together, we saw that Jesus is a descendent of David’s family…which makes him a King…the ultimate King…from the tribe of Judah.

This is the tribe that was referred to as a lion in the text we just read and that makes Jesus:

 

*/The Lion from the tribe of Judah/*…or simply…

*/The Lion of Judah/*.

* *

     What is the nickname that we commonly use to describe lions today?

The king of the beasts.

When we think of lions we associate them with things like: dignity…sovereignty…courage…and victory.

These are attributes of the king of the beasts.

When we think of Jesus we associate him with things like: dignity…sovereignty…courage…and victory.

These are attributes of a King.

We call him the */King of kings/*.

And now, we can also think of him as */The Lion of Judah./*

*     *Although we aren’t really focusing on the second name we read in Revelation 5 was “*/The Root of David/*” …we should take a moment to mention it.

This is also a name which connects Christ back to the throne of David.

There is, however, more to this name than meets the eye.

Jesus is not referred to as a “*/branch/*” from the line of David…he is called the “*/Root/*” of David.

This is important.

This is a name that speaks of both the deity and humanity and Christ.

As far as his *humanity* is concerned…Jesus was a *branch* on David’s family tree…he had roots that trace back to David.

But as far as his *deity* is concerned…Jesus *is* the *Root of David*.

Remember what we talked about last week?

Jesus is the */Word/*…the */Source/*…the */eternal Origin/* of all things created.

Jesus was…and is…the */Root of David/*.

Let’s move on.

Jesus was introduced to John in our text as a */Lion/*…but what John saw…was a */Lamb/*.

*6** *Then I saw between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders a Lamb standing as if it had been slaughtered, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.

The name “*/Lamb/*” is used at least 28 times to describe Jesus in the book of Revelation.

And remember what I said about the name */Lamb/* a few minutes ago…it is a name that is used to describe that cute, cuddly, pet-lamb.

That’s a nice image.

But this pet lamb, we are told, looks like it was slaughtered.

If an artist were to draw a picture of this Lamb…it would not be such a pretty picture.

The shock of looking for */Lion/* and seeing a bloody */Lamb/* is intended.

This */Lamb/* still carries the marks of its execution…and when we look at this */Lamb/* symbolically…it conveys great spiritual truth.

Listen to the prophetic description of this */Lamb/* from:

Isaiah 53:1-7

 

*53 *Who has believed what we have heard?

And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

*2** *For he grew up before him like a young plant,

and like a root out of dry ground;

he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,

nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

*3** *He was despised and rejected by others;

a man of suffering* *and acquainted with infirmity;

and as one from whom others hide their faces* *

he was despised, and we held him of no account.

*4** *Surely he has borne our infirmities

and carried our diseases;

yet we accounted him stricken,

struck down by God, and afflicted.

*5** *But he was wounded for our transgressions,

crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the punishment that made us whole,

and by his bruises we are healed.

*6** *All we like sheep have gone astray;

we have all turned to our own way,

and the Lord has laid on him

the iniquity of us all.