Jesus: The Lion Who Must Be Feared
He is good - but He isn't safe.
A section from C.S. Lewis’ book The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe provides an interesting illustration of Jesus.
The children (Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy) have been told they will meet Aslan the Lion - and they have some questions for Mr. and Mrs. Beaver.
Susan asked, “Is he - quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.”
“That you will, dearie, and no mistake,” said Mrs. Beaver; “if there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they’re either braver than most or else just silly.”
“Then he isn’t safe?” said Lucy.
“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver; “don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”
Jesus is the “Lion of Judah” (Genesis 49:9-10; Revelation 5:5).
If a lion walked in the room with you right now, you would react immediately in great fear. Even if you knew that lion was “good,” you wouldn’t quickly dismiss the fact that a lion was beside you.
Many people want Jesus to be “safe” - they don’t like the idea of a God that they ought to fear. Because if we ought to fear God, then we also must listen to Him and obey Him.
A God to be feared is a God who is greater than us - outside of our control.
Jesus is both the “Lion of Judah” and the Lamb of God (Revelation 5:5-6). He is powerful, and yet He is good. He has laid down His life for us (2 Corinthians 5:21).
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Proverbs 1:7)
We must think of Jesus in all the ways He is described in Scripture - otherwise, we become guilty of making a god in our own image.