John the Baptist saw his cousin on the banks of the Jordan River and proclaimed, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” (John 1:29, NKJV).
A dirty, dumb, defenseless lamb? No! An Innocent, Unblemished, Humble Lamb.
In perfect fulfilment of the Old Testament prophecy (Zechariah 9:9), Jesus was the portrait of humility. He mounted a donkey and rode into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-40; John 12:12-19). Though one might have expected the King of all kings, the Master and Ruler of the Universe, to arrive in a shiny, black Lincoln Limonene, or
to mount a great white steed draped with royal and regal colors, He chose instead an unassuming beast of burden with a poor man’s coat as a saddle.
He declared, “I am lowly and humble in heart” (Matthew 11:29). To demonstrate this, “He got up from supper, laid aside His outer clothing, took a towel, and tied it around Himself. Next, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel tied around him” (John 13:4–5). Indeed, “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28).
For our “sake he became poor, so that by his poverty (we) might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). Jesus, the Lamb of God, “made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:6-8, NKJV).
At His first appearance, He was humble, like a Lamb. When He comes again, He will come victoriously in power, like a Lion.
When the Apostle John was given a peek into Heaven, those present were discussing a sealed scroll. “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” (Revelation 5:2) they wondered. John “wept and wept because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or even to look in it. Then one of the elders said, ‘Do not weep. Look, the Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered so that he is able to open the scroll and its seven seals’ ” (Revelation 5:4-5).
Was He the humble Lamb? No! He was the Lion of Judah!
Later in the Revelation, John saw Jesus, not on a donkey, but on a powerful charger! “Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse. Its rider is called Faithful and True, and with justice he judges and makes war. His eyes were like a fiery flame, and many crowns were on his head… The armies that were in heaven followed him on white horses, wearing pure white linen…. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will also trample the winepress of the fierce anger of God, the Almighty. And he has a name written on his robe and on his thigh: King of Kings and Lord of Lords” (Revelation 19:11-16) … the Lion of Judah!
Commentaires