What a view. The high fells of Fairfield and Helvellyn rising to the east, Gasmere sparkling in the south, and our route laid out before us to the west – Gibson Knott, Calf Crag and into Easedale to finish.
But right in that moment, atop Helm Crag on one of God’s golden days, I was bouncing!
Known affectionately as ‘The Lion and The Lamb’ (its summit rocks resemble these creatures) Helm Crag is an interesting peak with steep, rough, craggy sides and a bristly top. It’s an exhilarating climb with a remarkable array of rocks, standing and fallen.
Thankful to be high above the rest of the world on such a glorious day, my mind wondered to Jesus – also known as The Lion and The Lamb.
As we approach Easter I thought I’d share a little about Jesus’ lion and lamb qualities and what they mean for you…
Jesus, the Lion of Judah
A lion is the king of beasts for a reason. Powerful and majestic you can perhaps see why Jesus is compared to this animal.
Genesis 49 contains the first reference to Him as being like a lion – the Lion of Judah – and the imagery shows His coming Kingdom will last forever:
“Judah is a young lion that has finished eating its prey. Like a lion he crouches and lies down; like a lioness – who will dare to rouse him?
The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from his descendants, until the coming of the one to whom it belongs, the one whom all nations will obey.” – Gen 49:9-10 (NLT)
As we enter the throne room of the kingdom in Revelation 5 you see Him waiting to open a scroll. He is the only one worthy to do so because He conquered sin and death on the cross (2 Tim 1:10, 1 Cor 15:25-26). His power is finally revealed in the Lion of Judah, majestic, powerful and fierce in love.
On Helm Crag that day, I certainly felt the King’s majesty as the awesome views of His Creation opened up before me. Cue happy dance on achieving the first summit of the day!
And you can feel His power too whether you’re up a mountain or not. The Holy Spirit is in you if you’ve accepted Christ as your saviour and provides you with all the power you need. For anything.
It’s the same power that raised Him from the dead to ascend to His kingly throne (Rom 8:11). The same power that He used to heal the sick when He walked the earth (Luke 4:40)
So let’s be thankful right now…
If you’re feeling low, are wondering how you’ll get through the next day (let alone life!) or are simply fed up with things, remember… The Lion of Judah is with you, fighting for you, roaring against the enemy. Praise God!
Jesus, the Lamb who was slain
As you know, a lamb is completely different to a lion. Sweet, innocent, and certainly not able to defend itself against a big cat. Wouldn’t the former be gobbled up by the latter?
You’d think so, but in Jesus’ case He’s both. The two exist alongside one another quite happily in Him.
In Revelation 5 a Lamb who’d been killed stepped forth to take the scroll because He was the only one worthy to do so:
“You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it. For you who were killed, and your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.” – Rev 5:9 (NLT)
Yep. This is talking about the same person who was described as the Lion before.
The lion and the lamb simply represent different characters of the same person – Christ.
And Jesus as the Lamb is highly significant for us. At Passover, Jews celebrate the exodus from Egypt with a feast which includes lamb to remember how they were delivered from Pharaoh and to commemorate how God provided for them. The blood of an unblemished lamb smeared across their lintels and doorposts had protected them.
Unblemished lambs were also used as sacrificial offerings to atone for human sin. The innocent lamb took the place of a person who’d sinned so they didn’t have to die themselves.
But Jesus paid this penalty forever (Rom 6:10). Hallelujah!
Through His death and resurrection He became the perfect sacrifice. He became the pure, innocent passover lamb once and for all.
Another thing to be thankful for then…
Jesus Christ is our eternal saviour. Because of his great love for us He paid the ultimate price. Even on those days you find it hard to believe, He really does love you – so much that He died for you.
What the Lion and the Lamb mean for you
As my friend and I continued our hike I pondered some more under the brilliant sun…
It had been tricky walking along the top of Helm Crag because of boulders littering the summit, and clefts, fissures and holes everywhere. And I couldn’t help noticing some summer flowers in the sheltered recesses. In October!
Isn’t it interesting how a craggy place where roaring winds often blow can also harbour something as delicate as a tiny flower? A poignant reminder of Christ’s characteristics:
- His lion-like power
- His lamb-like grace
Jesus as the Lion of Judah conquered sin and death so we could share the glory of His eternal kingdom. He stepped in as the innocent Lamb, sacrificed on the cross for our sin.
He did this for you, for me and for everyone.
Thank you Jesus!
So now I sing… 🎵 (To join me check out this video)
Happy Easter xx
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