The Book of Revelation: Laodicea the Wealthy Church Truth for Today Part Seven. Worthy is the Lamb. Revelation 5. At the end of Handel’s great Oratorio, Messiah, so often performed at Christmas or Easter, is a piece set to music from this very chapter of revelation. It’s title is “Worthy is the Lamb”. Here the Lord Jesus Christ is portrayed as the universal conqueror, who is worthy of all the honours bestowed on him. This morning we will consider why He is worthy, although our thoughts will probably do no more than scratch the surface of his infinite worthiness. The Lord Jesus is Worthy for He has secured: 1 The Realization of Our Future V1 The chapter begins with reference to a scroll which is in the hand of Him who sits on the throne. We could think of this scroll as God’s blueprint of his plan for humanity - it is the title deed not only of the universe now but of the ages to come. It unveils God’s eternal purpose for salvation of man, a purpose which of course must include the pouring of his wrath on unbelievers. V2 the plans have been long drawn, but who is able to carry them out to completion? A cry goes out to find the one who is worthy. V3 Surely to us the question is a rhetorical one. For there is no one worthy in heaven or earth or under the earth - with one exception. This one is greater than all in heaven, earth or under earth - our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, (Philippians 2:9-10) V4 Notice how in v4 John gets personally involved, for the eternal purposes of God contained in the scroll include God’s plan of salvation for man. So if no one was found to open the scroll, there would be no salvation for John - or you and me either. How grateful we are that the Lord Jesus is worthy to open the scroll, that he might realize our eternal future in God. 2 The Redemption of Our Souls V5 The picture in v5 presents first of all the Lord Jesus Christ not as a lamb, but as a lion. As a lion he devours and conquers his prey. The conquest in view here is that over sin, death and hell. Judah is a lion's whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. (Genesis 49:9) The great victor, the Lord Jesus Christ, was born into Judah’s family. Isaiah said: There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots. Isa 11:1 V6 But in order to achieve his victory, the lion also had to be a lamb, speaking of his sacrificial death on the cross, through which His victory was won. The seven “horns” speak of His strength, for He alone was able to overcome the great enemy. The seven eyes indicate the perfect attributes of the Holy Spirit who is within Him. All the attributes of wisdom and knowledge which are found in Christ alone. Paul says of him in Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (Col 2:3) Christ not only knew what came into the world to do, he had the wisdom which purposed to carry that plan out. Even so, no human power took Jesus through the experience of the cross. Nor was any angelic aid was given to the Son of God beyond Gethsemane.
how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? Heb 9:14 Through the victory which he won by himself - for us, he has obtained eternal salvation for us. who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, (Heb 5:7-9) who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, (Heb 1:3) And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, (Heb 10:11-12) Three times in this chapter the Lord Jesus is described as the Lamb that was slain. He was indeed slain, but now He is glorified in his role as redeemer. The song of the saved is “you have redeemed us by your blood”. The Christ of the Cross is the glorified Saviour in heaven. He gave himself for his people that we might be redeemed. We are there by virtue of his victory, it is his achievement not ours. People from every tribe and nation are there, because of Him. Without Christ, the story of mankind is that of universal condemnation - for all have sinned - but with Christ, universal salvation has been made available to all who believe. For Christ has secured the redemption of our souls. 3 The Reward of our God In v7 Christ receives, or is presented, with the scroll. Christ has been entrusted with the task of carrying into effect the eternal plans of God by the One who sits on the throne, for he first humbled himself to do the will of the Father. God has exalted the Lord Jesus to the Highest place in the universe, since he first humbled himself as a man, and became obedient to God - even to death on the cross. God’s reward for Jesus is: The highest place. which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, (Ephesians 1:20-22) God has exalted Christ to the highest place in the universe. Having completed the work of salvation for us, he has sat down at the right hand of God. He now shares with His father the throne which was his before the world began. But he has not returned there without gain, for in the time between leaving his throne and returning to it again, he has won the victory to bring many sons to glory. The highest name. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
(Philippians 2:9-11) Men recognize names as denoting someone important. If I spoke of Elizabeth Windsor, you would know that she is Queen of England. George Bush is president of USA. A name conveys a sense of someone’s importance. So if I mention Jesus God wants you to know that he is Lord. Whoever you are, he is Lord. The highest honour. Not only did God confer honour on Christ when he spoke from the Excellent Glory: "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." (2 Peter 1:17), he later crowned him with glory and honour as the only Saviour of men. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. (Hebrews 2:9) That is why the Lord Jesus is the only Saviour of men, for: Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12) 4 The Right of Our Praise Genesis 49 says “To Him shall the gathering of the people be”. Daily He shall be praised. (Psalms 72:15) The inhabitants of heaven are completely united in their view that the Lamb who was slain has won the right to our praise. The twenty four elders, representing the church, fall down to worship him, the prayers of the saints are offered to him. The angels join in to sing “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain.” Then in v13 we see every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, saying: "Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!" Conclusion Surely the One who has secured the realization of our future, the redemption of our souls and the reward of our God has a right to all our praise this morning. Let us join the angels around the throne singing, “Worthy is the Lamb.”