Submitted by Andy McIlvain.
“Aslan stood in the center of a crowd of creatures who had grouped themselves round him in the shape of a half-moon… But as for Aslan himself, the Beavers and the children didn’t know what to do or say when they saw him. People who have not been in Narnia sometimes think that a thing cannot be good and terrible at the same time. Mr. Beaver tells Susan that Aslan (the ruler of Narnia) is a great lion. She then tells Mr. Beaver, ‘I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.’ She asks Mr. Beaver if Aslan is safe, to which Mr. Beaver replies, ‘Safe? Who said anything about safe? Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King.’” This is a scene in C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
The babe in the manger was and is The Lion of Judah. Jesus was not safe while he was incarnate, and he is not safe now.
We do not know what power the baby Jesus wielded, even in the womb. We know from scripture that Angels were constantly watching over him and at his beckoned call all of his earthly life.
The Lion of the Tribe of Judah is a symbol found in Genesis and Revelation. In Genesis, Jacob blesses his son Judah, referring to him and his future tribe as a lion’s cub and a lion. In Revelation, this symbol is seen again when the Lion of the tribe of Judah is declared to have triumphed and is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals. Jesus is the One who is worthy to open the scroll, therefore Jesus is the Lion of the tribe of Judah.
If we look at our Lord, at his time on earth as a man, we see that he also was good and terrible at the same time. He was at times angry and, for example, threw the money changers and others out of the temple who sought to take advantage of those coming to worship. God is to be feared. We should not fear to come close to him, but we should fear him when we run from him due to sin. Fearing the Lord becomes part of our relationship of obedience, realizing our fellowship with God will make us happier in the future than anything else could.
Our confidence and boldness in life comes from our relationship with Christ. He is our Great High Priest, and through His intercession (speaking about us to the Father), we can “approach the throne of grace with confidence [in prayer], so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).
The righteous (obedient to God) find courage in all of life. So, the Gospel is a message about how wicked people (you and I) can get right with God through Jesus Christ, so that they have a righteousness that makes them as bold as a lion.