The Bible in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Part II: The Lion & the Lamb
This is a short, but poignant installment. (Aren’t you happy? lol) This time, we’re exploring the Lion and the Lamb we view on the edge of Aslan’s country at the end of this voyaging tale. Enjoy!
Between them and the foot of the sky there was a something so white on the green grass that even with their eagle’s eyes they could hardly look at it. They came on and saw that it was a Lamb.
“Come and have breakfast,” said the Lamb in its sweet milky voice.
Then they noticed for the first time that there was a fire lit on the grass and fish roasting on it. They sat down and at the fish, hungry now for the first time for many days. And it was the most delicious food they had ever tasted.
“Please, Lamb,” said Lucy, “is this the way to Aslan’s country?”
“Not for you,” said the Lamb. “For you the door into Aslan’s country is from your own world.”
“What!” said Edmund. “Is there a way into Aslan’s country from our world too?”
“There is a way into my country from all the worlds,” said the Lamb; but as he spoke, his snowy white flushed into tawny gold and his size changed and he was Aslan himself, towering above them and scattering light from his mane.
“Oh, Aslan,” said Lucy. “Will you tell us how to get into your country from our world?”
“I shall be telling you all the time…” (The Voyage of the Dawn Treader)
Ah, the Lion and the Lamb, the great paradox that is Jesus the Christ! He is the meek Lamb who allowed Himself to be slain for our sins and the Great Lion of Judah.
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)
But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.” (Revelation 5:5)
Yes, the Lion and the Lamb. We’ve seen the Lamb-Aslan once before in “Lion” when the Great Lion allowed the Witch Jadis and her fallen followers to slay Him on the Stone Table. He could have killed the Witch in a moment (which He, in fact, did do the next day), but He chose to submit to the slaying for the sake of Edmund and all Narnia. Now that’s one mighty Lamb!
And yet this same Lamb is the Lion!
“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.” (The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe)
Aslan is not tame Lion and neither is Jesus. He’s the conquering King isn’t He? (That was a statement, not a question.) The Great Lion, whether you call Him “Aslan” or “Jesus,” the effect is the same: overwhelming love from those who know Him and overwhelming fear from those who don’t. To know Him is to love Him. If you love the Lamb, you won’t have to fear the Lion.
