Lion or Lamb? Is there a choice?

In like a lion, out like a lamb. The month of March, that is.

Well, this morning it was just a gloriously sunny morning. The snowdrops and crocus look jaunty in the glare, and the daffodils look as if they might burst open within the next week or two.

Lamb.

But then I got out there with Dusty and needed my normal dog-walking garb (2 shirts, a sweater, a fleece and a windbreaker, an earwarming headband and my hood up – oh, and gloves of course!). The breeze was bitter and negated the watery warmth of the sun. 

Lion.

Of course it’s only an old wives’ tale, a saying common to California and to Scotland. Mind you, they were having storms in California yesterday, so if they continued overnight I guess they can count on a reversion to their usual paradise-type weather by the end of the month. 

Bit trickier over here to determine as most of the time it feels like a lion to me.

Funny that the weather would be commonly characterized by two animals associated with Jesus. I just noticed that. 

He is called the Lion of Judah. C S Lewis uses Aslan to represent Jesus in his Narnia stories, giving him both a cuddliness and a ferocity. When he walked on earth, Jesus displayed total self-control of what were definitely awesome powers. He told his friends he could call legions of angels to defend him if he wanted. He commanded the wind and the waves to be at peace, and they obeyed. People noticed that he taught with authority. He healed the sick and raised the dead and cast out demons. 

And he challenged the ruling elite with harsh words intended to make them recognise their ungodliness and turn back to God.

He is also called the Lamb of God. John the Baptist first identified him as that as Jesus approached the Jordan River to be baptised. Look, he said, here is the Lamb of God. The last book of the Bible speaks of a ‘lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the centre of the throne’ in heaven, and states that the ‘Lamb at the centre of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’

Oh, I like the sound of that. Well, I like the sound of springs of living water and no more tears. I am not so keen on the image of Jesus as a slain lamb, the ‘scapegoat’ who carried all of my failures, inadequacies and just plain sins so that I can one day enjoy that living water and a time without tears.

Jesus is both our Redeemer/Advocate/Protector, and our Saviour/Friend. Lion and Lamb. The Bible also prophesies that one day the lion will lie down with the lamb, rather than eat her. Hard to believe in this tough world we inhabit just now, isn't it? But it is true.

 

I’m hoping that March will go out like a lamb. Headed towards Easter, where we see both the divine Lamb on Good Friday, and the Victorious Lion on Resurrection Sunday.