Who are we looking to?

My advent reading for today was on Rev 5:5 where Jesus is called the Lion of Judah. As I have studied lions with our children and learnt more about the difference between the male and female lions I have pondered and felt disconcerted by this image a number of times. The reading also brought me to Gen 49:8-10 where the word ‘lion’ and ‘lioness’ are both used and with holding both images of a male and female lion I get more of an depth of understanding of Jesus as the Lion of Judah. It reminded me that nothing on its own comes close to helping us understand Jesus.

He is beyond compare but not beyond us. Again Phil 2:5-11 speaks to me on this.

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature of a servant,
    being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—
        even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.”

He steps down into our lives and dwells among us. He is beyond compare but not beyond reach. I was then struck reading Mark’s scripture reflection on Isaiah 40 which he had just written https://joshuastreerooted.com/2021/12/13/advent-strong-creator/ where he shares of how the imagery given is not to give us a greater intellectual understanding of God but to help us behold our God, the Lion of Judah.

So today I find myself praying for those of you seeking to lead others to the manger this Christmas to not water down, to not reduce the imagery, but to create space for all to simply have time to stop and behold our God, the Lion of Judah, the One who was, is and is to come. The one who does not begin at the manger but was from the very beginning and is without end. Then step aside and let God’s Holy Spirit work in His glorious ways.