I really shouldn’t have to make this claim to Christians, any Christians who know the Bible.  Apparently, there are even many pastors and theology teachers who haven’t been able to discern between old traditions that Jesus blessed and the ones he came to correct.  He tried to correct the Old Testament infatuation with power and glory and the sacrificing of humans and animals…by exercising kindness and gentleness and by showing God’s embrace and deep love for all His children.  Apparently, what he taught lasted only until around 300 A.D., when the Roman Empire embraced The Way and folded it into the Pax Romana.  They basically turned Jesus from a lamb-like figure into a lion-like figure, a Caesar.  They dragged him off the foul of a donkey, and put him on a huge, powerful Roman war horse.  They raised him off the floor and stopped him from washing feet, and placed him on a magnificent throne.  Now we sing “Victory To Jesus” and “Our God Reigns” and we feel good about it.  Jesus, however, is probably embarrassed by adulation that he always tried to deflect toward our Father.  His meekness and humility were not a ploy so that one day he could be ruler and king.  He remains meek and humble and self-effacing, gentle and kind, taking no offense.  He took no offense from the soldiers who nailed him to a cross.  He certainly is taking no offense that we somehow missed his true nature.

It seems to me the church has embraced both figures of Lamb and Lion for Jesus and Father, even though only one is true of both.  Like Father, like Son.

As the composer of the old standard hymn “Our God Reigns,” I have become aware that there is much confusion about how God reigns.  Jesus dealt with the reign of God often.  He made it clear that God does not reign the way kings on earth reign.  He said it would not be that way among us.  Jesus’ kingdom is in the world, yes, but not of the world.  He did pray “Thy kingdom come…on earth as it is in heaven,” but it does not come by might, position, intrigue, power, rebellion, legislation, or war.  His kingdom is not like the ones we see in England, Russia, Iran, or even the USA.  His kingdom comes as love, kindness, joy, gentleness, and understanding increase, and that increase is assured. (“the increase thereof shall never cease.”)

Jesus fled when the crowds tried to make him king of Israel.  He had his followers disarm, not others, but themselves.  He chose not to use the Romans to advance his kingdom.  He did not cozy-up to Herod or Caesar, or even to the Jewish zealots.  (Barabbas was a zealot.  Remember the leaders chose Barabbas over the gentle, kind and loving Rabbi.  Many still do.)  He foresaw the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 70 A.D. by three legions of Roman soldiers led by Caesar’s son.  He tried to pacify his people, but they would not hear of it.  He knew the Romans would eventually withdraw back to Italy.  Jesus rode into Jerusalem that last time, meek and humble, on the back of the foul of a donkey, not on a huge Roman war-horse.  He still would not ride on any war-horse, or even carry a gun, a knife, a sword, or a shield.  He still would have no money or power or fame.  I guess only famous people will understand the downside of fame.

In Rev. 5:5, we see an elder, not an angel, claim that the lion of the tribe of Judah was victorious and worthy to open the seven seals on the scroll.  However, when John turns, he sees “a lamb, standing as if slain.”  The lamb has seven horns and seven eyes, “which are God’s seven spirits, sent out into the whole earth.”  Clearly, the elder was mistaken.  The lamb is not a lion, but a lamb that was slain.  A lion is a symbol used in the Bible on occasion.  For example: “Satan goes about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”  A lion is a predator, living off the lives of others.   Jesus is a lamb and we are the ones who live off his life.  Notice that elder later is worshiping the Lamb, along with the other 23 elders.

God conquers, but not in the ways of earthly kings.  God is gentle, loving, kind, long-suffering, self-effacing, full of grace and truth.  This is not weakness, but awesome power.  The lamb’s weapons are deep prayer, communication, negotiation, large-heartedness, self-giving, adaptation, compromise, love, and forgiveness, and yes, get ready for this one, TAKING NO OFFENSE.  We believe that love takes no offense, but we don’t believe it of God Who is love itself.   God is more like the bishop’s housekeeper, the pope’s driver, the foot-washer at the dinner, the waitress at the wedding feast.  God is the log in the fireplace, not the poker.

We have leverage over events of men and nations.  Prayers actually get heard.  Orders are then given, angels are dispatched, healings fly across the sky, food appears, inventions burst forth, chance meetings occur, the phone rings, and emails arrive and fresh ideas appear.  Jesus said “Ask and you shall receive.”  He meant it!  “Christ in you, the hope of glory” is more than poetry.  It is a fact of life.  Christ is in you!  Speak to him.  He will say “yes.”  Christ in you is more real than you in you.  He is kind and gentle and loving.  Remember, he even submitted to his mother at the wedding feast, even though he felt his time had not come.  I guess he was wrong.

Let’s not miss what is already here.  The Father sustains us, Jesus our shepherd, who said he would never leave us, is with us, the Holy Spirit lives in us, leading us into all truth.  In fact, “in Him we live, and move and have our being.”  “The increase of his government and peace will never cease.”  The New Jerusalem that John saw descending has landed on earth.  It was not hovering, it was descending.  Jesus called it “the kingdom of God.”  We just need to open our eyes to see it.  We can seldom see the kingdom of God with our natural minds, although they are good minds.  However, we do have another mind:  the mind of Christ deep inside us, in our spirits!  We are not human beings, here trying to develop into mature spiritual beings.  We are eternal spirits, here on assignment to express our true selves as humans.  Yes, there is an issue with the ego, but we all know that is not truly who or what we are.  Jesus told us what to do with the ego:  say “no” to it.

“Earth is crammed with heaven and every common bush afire with God.  But only he who sees takes off his shoes” … Elizabeth Barrett Browning  

“We imagine the Divine as distant and inaccessible, whereas, in fact, we live steeped in its burning layers”….Teilhard de Chardin

When we finally see God’s deep humility and meekness, kindness and love, large-hearted embrace of all His children….we will fall down and weep that we appealed to Caesar for help and drifted so far away from our true shepherd, who laid down his life for his sheep.  He is so kind, he will allow us to sing, for a while, “Worthy is the Lamb.”  But then he will go forth to be about our Father’s business….and so will we. Don’t worry about being bored in heaven.  Enjoy it now.  You are already there!  Be here for it!  It’s a blast, isn’t it?  To quote DANIELSON: “I see it now!  I see it now!  You love me!  You love me!”