Worthy is the Lamb
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered—to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing.” Revelation 5:11
Life is full of mysteries. The evil of our world is agonising, and the innocent suffer in ways that continually horrify and distress us. In this chapter, John shares his vision of a scroll which holds the answers to the mysteries of the world, but there’s a problem. There are seven seals on this scroll and nobody can be found to open it. John wept bitterly at this, but the 24 elders pointed out that somebody had been found who was worthy to break open the seal. He was the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, none other than Jesus Christ himself.
Jesus was both the victorious lion but also the lamb. He had only won his great victory because he had been willing to offer himself as a sacrificial offering. And so in response, millions of angels burst out in song praising him. Jesus was worthy to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing! This takes us to the heart of this amazing book, which recognises the terrible evil of the world but directs us to the one who both understands what is going on and has won the greatest victory over darkness.
I love the fact that this momentous moment is celebrated by singing. And, indeed, the singing only grows in intensity. The following verse talks about every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea singing in celebration of the greatness of the Lamb. When we sing in our churches, we need to remind ourselves of the way in which we are taking part in an eternal chorus of praise to God. As we sing, we enjoy a unique form of unity, not only with those around us but with the whole of God’s people in every place and in every age.
There are many aspects to the book of Revelation that are strange and unfamiliar to us. But amid the strangeness, we need to cling tightly to those things which are incredibly clear – and the greatest of those is the fact that Jesus is Lord. To a society which believed that Caesar was lord, and in which the church faced continual persecution
and rejection, this brought great encouragement. And to us today, as we gaze at the brokenness and sadness of an ungodly and destructive world, we need to draw new encouragement and strength from the fact that Jesus is Lord.
QUESTION
What encouragement do you draw from this passage?
PRAYER
Lord Jesus Christ, I worship you for blessing, honour, glory and power belong to you. Amen
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