The Lion and the Lamb: Rethinking a Popular Phrase

Mar 30

Written By Robby Atwood

“Jesus came as a lamb, but will return as a lion.”

If you’ve spent any amount of time in church circles, you’ve likely heard this phrase. I know I have, more times than I can count. And to be honest, I’ve always had a hard time with it.

At first glance, it sounds compelling. It’s often used to communicate that in his first coming, Christ came in mercy (as the Lamb), but in his second coming, he will come in judgment (as the Lion). In other words, gentleness now, severity later.

But the more I’ve sat with that idea, the more it feels like it introduces something deeply problematic: a shift in the very nature of God.

And that’s where I begin to wrestle.

DOES GOD CHANGE?

If God is unchanging, then why do we imagine him pivoting from self-giving love to violent retribution?

If there were ever a moment for God to “switch modes”—to drop the Lamb and reveal the Lion—it would have been the cross where we was betrayed, mocked, beaten, and crucified.

Surely that would have been the moment to unleash power in the way we typically define it. And yet, he doesn’t.

Instead, we hear him say, “Father, forgive them…”

We see no form of retaliation, nor do we witness any kind of domination. We only behold free, unconditional forgiveness. It’s on the cross that we see the eternal Son issuing freedom from sin and death to those who sought to snuff out his life.

If the cross is the clearest revelation of God’s nature—and the New Testament goes to great lengths to tell us that it is—then we have to wrestle honestly with what that means. Because on the cross, God does not reveal a hidden capacity for violence. He reveals the fullness of self-giving, co-suffering, other-centered love.

WHAT DID ACTUALLY SEE?

Many appeal to Revelation to support the “lamb now, lion later” framework. And it’s true, John does speak of both. But as we look more closely, we see something mesmerizing.

In Revelation 5, one of the elders tells John:

“Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah…”

So John turns to look. And what does he see? A Lamb standing, as though it had been slain.

This is not a minor detail, it’s the interpretive key. John hears “Lion,” but sees a “Lamb.” The Lion is not replaced by the Lamb; the Lion is revealed as the Lamb.

This is apocalyptic language doing what it does best: not predicting a future personality shift in Jesus, but unveiling the true nature of his power.

The victory of the Lion comes through the way of the Lamb.

THE CONQUERING LAMB

Throughout Revelation, the central figure is not a roaring, devouring lion, but a slain Lamb:

The Lamb is at the center of the throne (7:17)
The Lamb opens the seals (6:1)
The Lamb shepherds the nations (7:17)
The Lamb overcomes the powers (12:11)

Even judgment is described in a shocking phrase: “the wrath of the Lamb.” And this is a paradox, on purpose. Simply because John is reshaping our understanding of power, judgment, and victory.

The Lamb doesn’t cease to be the Lamb in order to win. The Lamb is how God, in Christ, wins.

POWER REDEFINED

This is exactly what Paul captures in Philippians 2:

“…(Jesus Christ) emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (2:7-11)

Paul is not merely describing a sequence of events; he is unveiling a pattern intrinsic to the very life of God. Christ does not move from humility to exaltation as though they were opposing realities. The “for this reason” tells us something deeper: exaltation is the result, the unveiling, of humility.

Christ humbled is Christ exalted
Christ’s death is Christ’s reign
The laid-down Lamb reveals the reigning Lion

This is not a contradiction to be resolved, but a mystery to be seen. In emptying himself, Jesus does not divest himself of divinity; he reveals it. The self-giving, other-centered love displayed at the cross is not a temporary posture; it is the eternal nature of God made visible.

Thus, Paul is giving us God’s way into the greatness and honor of his Son: not through grasping, but through giving; not through domination, but through self-offering love. And for this reason—because this is who God is—Jesus is exalted to the place of supreme authority.

The exaltation (the “lion”) is not in contrast to the humility (the “lamb”), beloved, it’s the direct result of it.

The Lamb-like nature of God is not a temporary posture; it’s the very means by which his Lion-like authority is revealed.

WHERE WE’VE GONE WRONG

If not understood in this light, the phrase “Jesus came as a lamb but will return as a lion” subtly teaches:

That God has two different modes
That the cross was only a partial revelation
That a more severe, more “real” version of God is still yet to come

But Scripture tells us something different: Jesus is “the exact representation of God’s nature” (Hebrews 1:3). Jesus isn't a softened version, nor is he a temporary expression; he’s not even step one in a two-stage unveiling. Beloved, he is the full and final revelation of who God is.

A BETTER WAY TO SAY IT

We don’t need to discard the language of Lion and Lamb; we just need to understand it rightly.

Jesus is not the Lamb first and the Lion later. He is the Lion as the Lamb. The Lamb is not the opposite of his power; it is the definition of it.

Through willful submission, he entered into sin and death, and defeated them. Through self-giving love, he disarmed the powers.

Through what looked like weakness, he revealed true authority.

GOD REVEALED IN THE LAMB

Beloved, God is not waiting for a future moment to finally act like himself. He already has. In the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, we see the fullness of who God is not divided, not shifting, not dualistic, but perfectly revealed.

The Lion and the Lamb are not two different sides of God, they are one reality, fully expressed in Christ. And whatever his return looks like, we can be confident of this: It will not contradict what was revealed at the cross; it will reveal it more fully.

-RA

Scripture References: Galatians 6:14; Revelation 4–5; Luke 22:44; 1 John 4:7–8

Robby Atwood

The Lion and the Lamb: Rethinking a Popular Phrase

“Jesus came as a lamb, but will return as a lion.”

If you’ve spent any amount of time in church circles, you’ve likely heard this phrase. I know I have, more times than I can count. And to be honest, I’ve always had a hard time with it.

At first glance, it sounds compelling. It’s often used to communicate that in his first coming, Christ came in mercy (as the Lamb), but in his second coming, he will come in judgment (as the Lion). In other words, gentleness now, severity later.

But the more I’ve sat with that idea, the more it feels like it introduces something deeply problematic: a shift in the very nature of God.

And that’s where I begin to wrestle.

DOES GOD CHANGE?

If God is unchanging, then why do we imagine him pivoting from self-giving love to violent retribution?

If there were ever a moment for God to “switch modes”—to drop the Lamb and reveal the Lion—it would have been the cross where we was betrayed, mocked, beaten, and crucified.

Surely that would have been the moment to unleash power in the way we typically define it. And yet, he doesn’t.

Instead, we hear him say, “Father, forgive them…”

We see no form of retaliation, nor do we witness any kind of domination. We only behold free, unconditional forgiveness. It’s on the cross that we see the eternal Son issuing freedom from sin and death to those who sought to snuff out his life.

WHAT DID ACTUALLY SEE?

Many appeal to Revelation to support the “lamb now, lion later” framework. And it’s true, John does speak of both. But as we look more closely, we see something mesmerizing.

In Revelation 5, one of the elders tells John:

“Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah…”

So John turns to look. And what does he see? A Lamb standing, as though it had been slain.

This is not a minor detail, it’s the interpretive key. John hears “Lion,” but sees a “Lamb.” The Lion is not replaced by the Lamb; the Lion is revealed as the Lamb.

This is apocalyptic language doing what it does best: not predicting a future personality shift in Jesus, but unveiling the true nature of his power.

The victory of the Lion comes through the way of the Lamb.

THE CONQUERING LAMB

Throughout Revelation, the central figure is not a roaring, devouring lion, but a slain Lamb:

The Lamb is at the center of the throne (7:17)

The Lamb opens the seals (6:1)

The Lamb shepherds the nations (7:17)

The Lamb overcomes the powers (12:11)

Even judgment is described in a shocking phrase: “the wrath of the Lamb.” And this is a paradox, on purpose. Simply because John is reshaping our understanding of power, judgment, and victory.

The Lamb doesn’t cease to be the Lamb in order to win. The Lamb is how God, in Christ, wins.

POWER REDEFINED

This is exactly what Paul captures in Philippians 2:

“…(Jesus Christ) emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Christ humbled is Christ exalted

Christ’s death is Christ’s reign

The laid-down Lamb reveals the reigning Lion

This is not a contradiction to be resolved, but a mystery to be seen. In emptying himself, Jesus does not divest himself of divinity; he reveals it. The self-giving, other-centered love displayed at the cross is not a temporary posture; it is the eternal nature of God made visible.

Thus, Paul is giving us God’s way into the greatness and honor of his Son: not through grasping, but through giving; not through domination, but through self-offering love. And for this reason—because this is who God is—Jesus is exalted to the place of supreme authority.

The exaltation (the “lion”) is not in contrast to the humility (the “lamb”), beloved, it’s the direct result of it.

The Lamb-like nature of God is not a temporary posture; it’s the very means by which his Lion-like authority is revealed.

WHERE WE’VE GONE WRONG

If not understood in this light, the phrase “Jesus came as a lamb but will return as a lion” subtly teaches:

That God has two different modes

That the cross was only a partial revelation

That a more severe, more “real” version of God is still yet to come

But Scripture tells us something different: Jesus is “the exact representation of God’s nature” (Hebrews 1:3). Jesus isn't a softened version, nor is he a temporary expression; he’s not even step one in a two-stage unveiling. Beloved, he is the full and final revelation of who God is.

A BETTER WAY TO SAY IT

We don’t need to discard the language of Lion and Lamb; we just need to understand it rightly.

Jesus is not the Lamb first and the Lion later. He is the Lion as the Lamb. The Lamb is not the opposite of his power; it is the definition of it.

Through willful submission, he entered into sin and death, and defeated them. Through self-giving love, he disarmed the powers.

Through what looked like weakness, he revealed true authority.

GOD REVEALED IN THE LAMB

Beloved, God is not waiting for a future moment to finally act like himself. He already has. In the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, we see the fullness of who God is not divided, not shifting, not dualistic, but perfectly revealed.

The Lion and the Lamb are not two different sides of God, they are one reality, fully expressed in Christ. And whatever his return looks like, we can be confident of this: It will not contradict what was revealed at the cross; it will reveal it more fully.

-RA

Scripture References: Galatians 6:14; Revelation 4–5; Luke 22:44; 1 John 4:7–8

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