The Bible calls Jesus a lion and a lamb. But it’s also obvious that Jesus was a man — a human being in space-time history.

JESUS THE MAN

The Jesus of the Bible lived in a relative backwater of the Middle East — Galilee in Israel — around the turn of the first millennium AD.  His birth, life, teaching, death, burial and resurrection are attested by evidence from historians of the time — both those who would go on to become Christians and those who had no interest in seeing people become followers of Jesus (click here for some meaty scholarship).

Most of us will have picked up some of his story at school: born in Bethlehem to a young woman who had never had sex; growing up in Egypt and Nazareth as apprentice to a carpenter, his adoptive dad; and at the age of about 30 beginning a preaching and teaching career that would end in his death.  He proved that he was God by working astonishing miracles — silencing storms, raising the dead and curing diseases by his own power — and by his own claims (e.g. John 10:30).  He taught that the only way to God was to come to him (John 14:6).

JESUS THE LION

In case we fall in to the trap of thinking of Jesus as the man in a dress with slicked-back hair, a carefully-groomed beard, Hertfordshire accent and a few pithy sayings, the Bible reminds us that Jesus is like a lion: he is dangerous and powerful.  He has the power to destroy you.  He rules this universe and deserves to be treated like the perfect king of the universe should be.  And he will return again in splendour to judge everyone who has ever lived.  God, in the Bible, paints a terrifying picture of what that day — which is truly coming — will be like (in Revelation 19).  We should tremble in fear at this.

JESUS THE LAMB

But Jesus is also like a lamb.  What happens to lambs?  They are slaughtered.  Dead meat.  Jesus’ death on a cross was not an accident.  It was planned before the creation of the world (Rev 13:8) and prophesied hundreds of years before Jesus the man set foot on this earth (Isaiah 53:1-6).

Jesus was slaughtered 2000 years ago so you don’t have to be.  As he hung on the cross, he suffered God’s justified anger that we all deserve, and that he didn’t deserve.  We have all committed treason against God’s kingship.  On the cross, Jesus took the punishment for those who believe in him.

Turn back to Jesus as king and trust in his death on the cross in your place, and in so doing avoid the judgement that is one day coming, and exchange it for eternal joy — starting today — in knowing the God of the universe is on your side and in control of your life.

Come along on Sunday to find out more, or drop us an email if you want to meet up with someone for coffee to find out more.