Worthy is the Lamb
Revelation 5: 8-14
Third Sunday of Easter
Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ amen. The sermon text for the third Sunday of Easter is Revelation 5. As I sat down to prepare for this sermon, I found it hard to find the words to say. It is a time of celebration because three of our students will be Confirmed. In just a little while they will publicly confess their faith in the Lord. It is reason to celebrate. But many of us also come here to church with heavy hearts because of the recent tragedy that happened in our community. Four children passed away and others were injured both physically and emotionally because of an accident that happened on Monday. We pray for those families who were affected by this tragedy, and we pray for our whole community that is grieving. So I wondered, what can be said in a time of celebration and a time of grief? The answer is to go to the Word of God and what we will find in the Word is comfort for us all and a reason for hope.
In our reading from Revelation, John describes the throne room of God in heaven. In order to fully understand what is happening it might be helpful to go over the verses before our reading. In the beginning of chapter five, John tells us that God the Father is sitting on His throne with a sealed scroll in His hand. A voice of strong angel calls out and asks if there is anyone worthy to take the scroll from the hand of God and to open up its seals. What the angel found was that no one in heaven and on earth was able to take the scroll and look into it. There was no person or angel anywhere that could open the scroll. John began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy of taking the scroll. But one of the elders in heaven told John to weep no more because there was One coming who was worthy to take the scroll. John then sees a Lamb standing as though He was slain. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes upon Him. It was the Lamb who took the scroll from the hand of the Father and opened it. The Lamb was the only one who could do it.
The Lamb is of course our Lord Jesus Christ. What we see is that Jesus is the only one who is worthy to take the scroll. He is worthy because He is the Son of the living God and He is the Messiah foretold in the Old Testament. He is the Savior of the world. John tells us that the Lamb was slain and indeed He was. John is referring to the death and resurrection of Jesus. Our Lord Jesus is worthy to take the scroll because of His great victory over sin and death at the cross. Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who was slain, won the greatest victory in His death and resurrection and that victory over sin and death is given to all those who have faith in Him. It is a victory that guarantees life forever with God.
Jesus Christ lives, and he reigns in heaven and on earth. That is what the seven horns coming out of the Lamb symbolizes. Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth and so He reigns over us all. He uses His supreme authority to guard us and defend us on earth and to bring us into His eternal kingdom. He is with us, and He sustains us in times when we suffer and in times when we rejoice. John also describes the Lamb having seven eyes. This means that Jesus sees all things and knows all things. The Lord Jesus has oversight over us all and uses that oversight on our behalf for our comfort and faith.
But we now have to ask this question. What is the significance of Jesus taking the scroll from the hand of God the Father and opening it? The contents of the scroll is the message in Revelation. This message in Revelation is that Christ has won our salvation through His death and resurrection, that He now reigns over us right now, and that He will visibly return on the last day to bring us to be with God for all eternity. The message of Revelation is that Jesus has won the final victory and that is true even when things look bleak on earth. It is the message the Lord is in the midst of us all as we suffer and grieve. He is in the midst of us all when we have joy. Jesus has given to us the gift of life and salvation and has placed us in His Kingdom.
Remember the words that were sung in our text. “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, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God and they shall reign on the earth.”
Jesus is our King, and we are part of His kingdom and so we turn to Him especially in times of tragedy. The Lord will guide us through the valley of the shadow of death and comfort us. Jesus who suffered greatly at the cross is always there with us as we suffer. The Lord knows our grief and He is with us. He comes to us in the Gospel to strengthen our faith and to give to us a sure and certain hope in Him. We look to Jesus our Lord and see the light of His grace. The Lord is the source of our comfort, peace, and hope. Let us all indeed call upon the name of the Lord.
It is in times like this that the Lord also works through His people. You probably have noticed how many people in our community have come together to help each other, to pray for each other and to serve those who are in need. The Lord will continue to work through us in the days to come. We will be able to listen to those who are hurting, to help those in need, and share the good news of Christ’s love with others.
Today is also the Rite of Confirmation. It is a time of celebration because in a little while three of our young people will publicly confess their faith in the Lord. It is on happy occasions that we also look to Jesus. We look to the Lord and give thanks. We thank Him for coming to us at our Baptism. For it was at our Baptism that the Lord came to us in a very special way to wipe away our sins and to bring us into His eternal family. Our confirmands have been baptized and belong to Christ. We give thanks that the Lord has sustained our faith through His Word and through His body and blood that He gives to us in holy Communion. In a few minutes our confirmands will confess their faith in Jesus and then later receive His body and blood for the first time. We come this day, and we look to the Lord and give Him thanks. We look to the One who forgives us, restores us, who is with us, and who gives to us eternal life.
At the very end of our reading when Jesus takes the scroll from the hand of God the Father and opens it, those in heaven sing a song of praise to God and those in heaven and on earth worship God. The elders referred to in the reading are the believers in Jesus. Remember what was said. Then, I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbered myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying 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!” And I heard every creature in heaven and on 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!” And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.”
In times of grief and tragedy we look to Christ and trust in Him. In times of joy we look to Christ and give thanks. Let us all look to the Jesus, the Lamb of God. Let us look to the Lamb who was worthy of taking the scroll and opening it, who was slain, who lives, who reigns, and who will come again. Amen.