Have you known someone with a nickname that had a great story behind it? As a preschooler, I was known as "Little Mitch." My grandfather went by his last name, Mitchel, and anywhere he went, I was sure to be with him. If you saw Mitchel, you would likely find his shadow, Little Mitch, nearby.

Jesus had many titles given to him; most were related to his power and deity (Mighty God, Prince of Peace, Eternal Father, Christ, Messiah, the Lion of Judah) But, when John the Baptist sees Jesus, he declares, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (Jn 1:29) Lions are fierce hunters, powerful, feared, and often a symbol of kings. The Lion became the symbol of the tribe of Judah because when Jacob blessed his children, he called Judah “a lion’s cub” (Ge 49:9) and declared that Judah’s tribe would rule with power. God promises David, a descendant of Judah, that his dynasty would be established forever (2 Sam 7.) The Jewish people were waiting for the Lion of Judah who would sit on the throne of David.

Lambs, in contrast, are gentle and need protection. They could be family pets, slaughtered for food, or source of wool, but in the Scriptures, we see another meaning: God provided a male lamb, or ram, as a sacrifice to substitute for Abraham’s son, Isaac (Ge 22.) Lambs were sacrificed to save the Hebrew slaves from the Angel of Death when God sent the tenth plague on Egypt (Ex 12.) And, God’s Law commanded lambs to be central to the sacrificial ritual.

John the Baptist was aware of Jesus’ mission as the Lion - and the Lamb. Many of the people and Jewish leaders missed the long-awaited King of the Jews because they were expecting the Lion but failed to recognize the Lamb of God.

Are you missing God because you’re expecting how God will appear instead of seeking his face?

In Christ,

Jonathon “Chappy” Swearingen