Lion and the Lamb

Anthony Evans sings “Lion and the Lamb,” a song that sets the two images of Christ side by side. It opens with Christ coming on the clouds, kings and kingdoms bowing down, every chain breaking and broken hearts declaring his praise.

The question who can stop the Lord Almighty leads into the chorus. Our God is the lion, the Lion of Judah, roaring with power and fighting our battles, and every knee will bow before him. Then the image changes: our God is the lamb, the lamb that was slain for the sins of the world, whose blood breaks the chains. The singer says every knee will bow before the lion and the lamb. The bridge uses the language of a royal procession, calling for the gates to open and for a way to be made before the King of Kings. It says that the God who comes to save is here to set the captives free. The song returns to its question of who can stop the Lord. Evans gives it a big gospel arrangement with a choir and a confident vocal, and the verses give a congregation time to build. The two pictures of strength and sacrifice cover both sides of the gospel, which makes the song suitable for Easter, for Advent and for ordinary Sundays alike.

The Lion of Judah and the Lamb are in Revelation 5:5-6. Every knee bowing is Philippians 2:10, and freedom for the captives is Isaiah 61:1.