“And one of the elders said to me, ‘Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.’ 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 world.” (Rev. 5:5-6)
March. That proverbial time of year when winter is tamed and Spring is sprung. You probably weren’t very old the first time you heard this phrase come the first day of March: “In like a lion, out like a lamb.” The icy blasts are receding, the crocuses and daffodils are popping their heads out of the thawing ground, and hope springs eternal once again.
Of course, living in Florida negates all of this. We simply move from hot to hotter at this time of year. And every March first while living in Maine, I realized that this may be true for much of the country, but it was not true in Maine. March was often a cruel master, with feet of snow still awaiting us.
I have the added benefit of celebrating “St. David’s Day” on March 1st. St. David is the patron saint of Wales. His final words were : “Gwnewch y pethau bychain” – “Do the little things.” To celebrate the day properly, one should enjoy a bowl of cawl (leek broth) or a boughet of daffodils! But I digress.
There really is something to this time of year. In just two weeks, we will dutifully turn our clocks ahead one hour to enjoy the suns rays well into the evening. We will the daylight hours expand each day until we reach the summer solstice.
And all of this got me to thinking: Where do we see the congruence of lion and lamb in all of its glory? But of course, in Christ. He is the great “Lion of the tribe of Judah,” the King of kings and Lord of lords, one who subdues all His and all our enemies. He alone is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals.
In the book of Revelation, John often “hears” one thing, but upon looking, sees something altogether different. That is most certainly the case here. He is told by one of the elders to “behold (LOOK), the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered…” But when he obeys and does look, what does he see? “…a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain…”
But in Jesus, these two beautiful come together. He is the great Lion who has conquered, worthy to open the scroll. And how, you ask, has he conquered? By being the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”
So, as we embark through the next 31 days, let us remember that our great Savior, the matchless Lion of the tribe of Judah who willingly offered himself up as the perfect Lamb of God for our sins. Oh, what a great salvation is our through Jesus Christ!
Let me close with a verse from Emily Dickinson’s poem, “To March.”
Dear March, come in!
How glad I am!
I looked for you before.
Put down your hat —
You must have walked —
How out of breath you are!
Dear March, how are you?
And the rest?
Did you leave Nature well?
Oh, March, come right upstairs with me,
I have so much to tell!
Blessings,
David