View source for This strange, double picture of Jesus!',

'''Back to [[Treasures from J.R. Miller]]'''
----
<p>&quot;Look! The LION of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed!<br />
Then I saw a LAMB, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the centre of the throne!&quot; Revelation 5:5-6<br />
<br />
John was looking for a <strong>Lion</strong> — and he saw a <strong>Lamb</strong>. <strong>This strange, double picture of Jesus</strong> as He appears in heaven, is very suggestive.<br />
<br />
He was a <em>lion </em>in His conflicts and victories, and as such overcame all His enemies and ours also. But He was a <em>lamb </em>in the gentleness of His character and disposition. The lamb is an emblem of meekness and of unresisting obedience and submission. <br />
<br />
As we think about Christ, we soon see how true <em>both </em>of these pictures are. <br />
<br />
Like a <strong>lion</strong>, He has power and majesty, and is dreadful to His enemies! As a lion He met and overcame <em>Satan</em>, and triumphed over <em>death </em>and the <em>grave</em>. As a lion He is able to defend us from all our enemies, and the feeblest believer is safe under His protection. He is the omnipotent God — and has all power in heaven and on earth. <br />
<br />
At the same time, the other picture is just as true.<br />
<br />
He is like a little <strong>lamb </strong>in His gentleness. The whole spirit of His life on earth shows this. Never was a mother so gentle to her children, as was Jesus to the weary, troubled and penitent ones who came to Him. He was lamb-like, too, in the way He endured wrongs and sufferings. Other animals fight in their own defence — but the lamb does not resist. When Christ was reviled, He did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten in return. &quot;Like a lamb led to the slaughter and like a sheep silent before her shearers — He did not open His mouth.&quot; <br />
<br />
He is the same Jesus now in the midst of the throne — and it is<em> this astonishing combination of strength and gentleness</em> which makes Him such a wondrous Saviour! In Him, we have the union of all the truest qualities of love that our hearts so hunger for: tenderness, affection, patience, sympathy. Then, when we have laid ourselves down to rest in all this blessed warmth of love, we look up and see that we are in the bosom of Omnipotence! Mere gentleness may be very weak — but while He is a lamb — He is also a lion!<br />
<br />
&quot;Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the centre of the throne. He had seven horns and seven eyes.&quot; Revelation 5:6. Here we have <em>three other thoughts</em>about Christ. <br />
<br />
1. Not only did He appear as a lamb — but as a lamb that had been <strong>slain</strong>. There were wound marks on Him, telling that once He had been dead. One suggestion of the emblem of the lamb, is sacrifice. Jesus was the Lamb of God who took away sin — by bearing it Himself! Thus even in glory, the fact of salvation by His sacrificial death, is set forth to the eyes of all. Thus we are always to be reminded of the cost of our redemption.<br />
<br />
2. A second suggestion about Christ, is in the representation of the &quot;<strong>seven horns</strong>.&quot; The horn in the Bible is the symbol of strength, and seven is the symbol of completeness. Jesus appears there as the omnipotent One, having all power. <br />
<br />
3. The third symbol in the picture is the &quot;<strong>seven eyes</strong>&quot;. An eye sees, and seven eyes represent the perfection of vision, seeing everywhere. The eyes of Christ are in all parts of the earth, and on all events. This thought of the<em> omniscience of Christ</em> is dreadful to the unrepentant sinner — but to the Christian at peace with God — it has great comfort! Christ is watching over us and is ready to fly to our help and rescue at any moment. His eye is fearsome only to the wicked; to those who are His friends and are saved by Him, it gives no terror to think of <em>the unsleeping divine eye</em> ever looking down upon them with love!
----
'''Back to [[Treasures from J.R. Miller]]'''