“Worship the Lamb Who Was Slain” Rev. 5.1-14 Easter 3C, April ‘13

1. Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Heavenly Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  The message from God’s Word for us today comes from Rev. 5:1-14, but will look specifically at verses 8-14, and is entitled, “Worship the Lamb Who Was Slain,” dear brothers and sisters in Christ.

2. One of the great tragedies in English literature was published in 1623, William Shakespeare’s, “Macbeth.” Near the end the queen, Macbeth’s wife, dies. By this time he has so lost his conscience that Macbeth is unable to feel anything at all. He expresses his weariness in the following famous lines:  “Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day To the last syllable of recorded time; And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. Out, out brief candle! Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing” [Macbeth, act 5, scene 5].   400 years later, many would still agree. History has no pattern. There’s no goal, either for overall world history or for an individual’s life. Even at Disneyland, the revised “Tomorrowland” is now retro, all about visions for the future that people of earlier times have experienced.  But, the Christian view is that God has a script for the future of the universe. Here in Revelation 5, the scroll written on both sides emphasizes this. Jesus knows all about events between the first century and the end-time judgments. He’s in charge of making the end-time judgments unfold according to God’s plan. And this plan includes Jesus the Lamb of God who was slain receiving all worship.

3. Because of Jesus’ death, He is worthy of our devotion.  Revelation 5:8-10, & 12 says, “⁸And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. ⁹And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, ¹⁰and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.  ¹²saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” ” In his state of exaltation Jesus the Lamb of God who was slain is worthy to receive these seven accolades.  “Power” and “strength” are similar in meaning. In the state of exaltation, Jesus again took up the power that was evident at the creation of the world, and which he had shown at the overthrow of Satan.  “Riches” is a reference to all things in heaven and earth which he set aside when he became poor, but which things were again put under his control in his exaltation. This includes all material wealth, all creatures, and also God’s people by virtue of his work of redemption. He is “worthy … to receive … wisdom,” the angels say. Now in the state of exaltation, the full use of God’s own omniscience becomes his right.  The last three words speak of the honor, glory, and praise that now belong to Jesus in exchange for the shame, disgrace, and ridicule that were heaped on him in his passion and death on the cross for our sins.

4. Jesus the Lamb who was slain makes us worthy to reign with him. And yet, when we look within ourselves we know that we are not worthy.  You are not worthy because of your sinful condition.  For you were conceived in sin from your mother’s womb.  You have not loved God with your whole heart and you have failed to worship and serve Him only.  You have mistreated your family members and your friends.  You have failed to speak well of them and defend them when others were speaking wrongly about them.  You have not honored your father and your mother and respected those God has placed in authority over you for your good.  You have not been content or happy with the possessions and people God has placed in your life and you have hated your neighbor in your heart, which Jesus reminds us in Matthew chapter 6 is equal to murder.  Because of all of our sins we are not worthy to be in the presence of Christ.  We are not worthy of the price Christ paid for our redemption.  But, thanks be to God that Jesus has changed all that.  Christ has freed us from our sins by his blood.  He clothes us in the white garments of Baptism and makes us holy priests ready to serve our neighbor and live in His peace and forgiveness. 

5. Because of Jesus’ limitless mercy and grace, we can’t keep silent (vv. 11, 13–14).  Revelation 5:11, &13-14 says, ^“11Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands… ¹³And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” ¹⁴And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.”  As the vision unfolds, John the Apostle has been witness to the fact that the divine purpose of God’s creation has been achieved. There’s a great multitude of saved people who, with the angels and all creation, shall praise God forever and serve him in everlasting righteousness and blessedness. He will achieve this purpose. God wanted the persecuted church to know that. For that reason he granted this vision.

6. When the last “Amen” was sung and the elders were bowing before the throne, one of the most powerful songs ever heard had come to an end. Even as we read John’s account of what took place, it brings to mind George Frederick Handel’s “Messiah”, which is based on these words. A listener doesn’t need to possess a great amount of musical knowledge to be moved by the performance of that masterpiece either. Maybe the reason we find that oratorio to be so inspiring is that it serves as a reminder of the great and eternal hymn of praise which is sung by all creation and supported by the very harps of heaven.

7. I believe that when God gave the musical inspiration to Handel to write such music, he was giving us a sample, clouded though it may be by the static of sin, and certainly inferior to the music of the heavenly hosts, of the beatific song heard by the Apostle John. How blessed are we that God has revealed that one day we will be part of the heavenly choir, privileged to bow down in the presence of the Lamb who sits upon the throne!

8.   These words in our text stand as an encouragement for us as Christians, not only for those who are persecuted for their faith in Christ, but also for any who suffer in any way. With Revelation chapter 5’s vision of the Church Triumphant, this text offers a lot of comfort to those who grieve and mourn over the death of loved ones.  These words would also bring welcome help and comfort to a hospital patient suffering from a serious illness. They give a visual picture of what Paul meant when he said, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Ro 8:18).  Through all the difficulties and trials that touch our lives, because of this fallen and sinful world in which we live, these words stand as a powerful encouragement. We don’t need to feel that we’re all alone. We don’t need to despair because we suffer chronic pain. Even if we suffer persecution for the sake of Christ, no matter how desperate our life may seem, we have something that far overshadows our problems. We have a place reserved for us around the throne of God to worship the Lamb who was slain.

9. But, also we join in God’s eternal plan by worshiping our Lord Jesus the Lamb who was slain while here on earth in our present day-to-day lives. Less than a quarter century after Macbeth was published, a great gathering of Englishmen meeting as the Westminster Assembly published the famous Westminster Shorter Catechism of 1647. They had the right answer to Macbeth’s lament and to the question: Is history going anywhere at all? Yes, they said, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.”  Will we side with Macbeth or with the Westminster Assembly? Will we Christians show our belief that history is actually going somewhere? The most important way we can do so is to be part of a Christian community, a church, committed to worshiping Jesus Christ as a primary goal. Fellowship. Evangelism. Bible study. Works of service. Reaching out to the needy. These are all good and necessary for the church to function. But, primarily we’re called to be a worshiping people.  To worship the Lamb who was slain on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins.

10.                     The hymn writer Matthew Bridges drew from the imagery of Revelation 5 with his invitation for God’s people on earth to carry out their responsibility to worship in his hymn, “Crown Him with Many Crowns.” Our calling as Christians is to join with the millions who have sung these worthy lines:  Crown him with many crowns, the Lamb upon his throne; Hark! how the heavenly anthem drowns all music but its own; Awake, my soul, and sing of him who died for thee, And hail him as thy matchless King through all eternity. Crown him the Lord of love; behold his hands and side, Those wounds, yet visible above, in beauty glorified: All hail, Redeemer, hail! For thou hast died for me: Thy praise and glory shall not fail throughout eternity.  Amen.