John Piper "Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ" Chapter Three

I saw a Lamb standing,

as though it had been slain,

with seven horns

and with seven eyes.

REVELATION 5 : 6

THE LION AND THE LAMB

The Excellence of Jesus Christ

Excerpts from the Chapter:

“A lion is admirable for its ferocious strength and imperial appearance. A lamb is admirable for its meekness and servant-like provision of wool for our clothing. But even more admirable is a lion-like lamb and a lamb-like lion.”

“The glory of Christ is not a simple thing. It is a coming together in one person of extremely diverse qualities… Here is the triumphant lion-like Christ ready to unroll the scroll of history. But what do we see in the next verse? “And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth” (verse 6). So the Lion is a Lamb—an animal that is weak and harmless and lowly and easily preyed upon, and sheared naked for clothes, and killed for our food. So Christ is a lamb-like Lion. The Lion of Judah conquered because he was willing to act the part of a lamb. He came into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday like a king on the way to a throne, and he went out of Jerusalem on Good Friday like a lamb on the way to the slaughter.”

“But what sort of lamb? Revelation 5:6 says, the “Lamb [was] standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns.” Notice two things. First, the Lamb is “standing.” It is not slumped in a bloody heap on the ground as it once was. Yes, it had been slain. But now it is standing—standing in the innermost circle next to the throne. Second, the Lamb has seven horns. A horn is a symbol of strength and power throughout the book of Revelation (12:3; 13:1; 17:3, 12), as well as in the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 33:17; Psalm 18:2; 112:9). And the number seven signifies fullness and completeness. So this is no ordinary lamb. He is alive from the dead, and he is completely mighty in his sevenfold strength. He is, in fact, a lion-like Lamb.”

“So Christ is a lamb-like Lion and a lion-like Lamb. That is his glory... ”

“The gentleness and humility of the lamb-like Lion become brilliant alongside the limitless and everlasting authority of the lion-like Lamb.”

“The lion-like Lamb calls us to take heart from his absolute authority over all reality. And he reminds us that, in all that authority, he will be with us to the end of the age. This is what we long for—a champion, an invincible leader. We mere mortals are not simple either. We are pitiful, yet we have mighty passions. We are weak, yet we dream of doing wonders. We are transient, but eternity is written on our hearts. The glory of Christ shines all the brighter because the conjunction of his diverse excellencies corresponds perfectly to our complexity. Once, this lamb-like Lion was oppressed and afflicted. He was led to the slaughter. Like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, he did not open his mouth (Isaiah 53:7). But at the last day it will not be so. The lamb-like Lion will become a lion-like Lamb, and with imperial aplomb he will take his stand on the shore of the lake of fire, where his impenitent enemies will “be tormented . . . in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb . . . forever and ever” (Revelation 14:10-11).”

A P R A Y E R

Almighty and merciful God, we exult in the reflection of your might and mercy in your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ.

We rejoice in the strength of his lion-like power and in the tenderness of his lamb-like meekness. We take heart from his incomparable combination of excellencies.

It reassures us that there is none like him, and that he is not a mere man like others.

O grant us, in our brash indifference, to tremble before the Lion of Judah and to humble ourselves under his fierce holiness.

And grant us, in our brokenness and fear, to gather courage from the lion-like Lamb. Oh, how we need the whole Christ!

Open our eyes to see the fullness of his excellence.

Remove the lopsided and distorted images of your Son that weaken our worship and lame our obedience.

May the power of the Lion and the love of the Lamb make our faith in Christ unshakable.

So deliver us from small dreams and timid ventures and halting plans.

Embolden us.

Strengthen us.

Make us love with fierce and humble love.

Let us share the confidence of the Lion of Judah that gave him the will to die like a Lamb and rise in everlasting joy.

And in it all, grant that all might see the glory of Christ and that you might be honored through him.

In Jesus’ name we pray,

amen.