“And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb…”​(Revelation 5:6a)

From your school days, you may remember what an oxymoron is. It causes us to ask how two opposites could be true at the same time.  "Jumbo shrimp” and “Icy Hot” are oxymorons.  How could anything be both "big" and "little" or "icy" and "hot" at the same time?  "Mighty lamb" sounds like an oxymoron. Ordinarily, something could be "mighty" or a "lamb," but not both. Read Revelation 5, however, and you will see that Jesus is both "mighty" and a "lamb." The images in this chapter help us know and love the Lord Jesus more fully. They fixate on both his might and his meekness and lead us to marvel at this Mighty Lamb of God. 

The awesome scene as Revelation 5 begins is of a heavenly throne and a book sealed with seven seals. No one in heaven, in earth, nor under the earth could open the book (5:3). One of the elders (4:10, 5:5) proclaims that only Jesus, “the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David”, could open the book and loose the seven seals. The powerful Christ prevails where others fail. He shows himself to be a Lion and from David’s line. That is might.

In contrast, Revelation 5:6 declares that Christ is a Lamb. What could be more harmless? Lambs cannot defend themselves, cannot defeat an attacker, and cannot escape. Lambs are meek and dependent upon someone or something else for protection. Isaiah 53:7 perfectly captures this aspect of the Lord Jesus. “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.” That is meekness.

As the Lord Jesus trusted in God the Father, so ought we to trust. Are Christians at risk for being mistreated? Yes. Do we depend upon our own strength or cunning for protection? No. Christ meekly offered himself for sacrifice and is at the same time Master of the universe. In a thousand lifetimes, we could never fully understand that.

The response of the twenty-four elders in Revelation 5:14 is our best response. They “fell down and worshipped” the Lamb.

Though “mighty lamb” may ordinarily be an oxymoron, let all praise and glory be to this Mighty Lamb forever and ever.  Amen.