Names | Lion & Lamb - Revelation 5 | June 28

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I've been reading in the book of Chronicles lately, and there is a trend that happens.

It's about the kings of Israel and Judah, and some of them are good,

some of them aren't so good.

And what inevitably happens...

Is when they choose to humble themselves, they fall on their knees.

And when Solomon in 2 Chronicles 6, when he dedicated the temple to the Lord,

he knelt before the Lord and prayed over Israel.

And it says that he knelt and he outstretched his arms.

And I realize that might not be physically feasible for everybody.

But I want to invite everybody to kneel down.

If you can or if you need, there's cushions to be able to kneel on.

If it's physically not something that is feasible, I invite you to raise your

hands, spread them out, as it says that Solomon did before the Lord.

I don't know whether or not he sat on his knees with his arms stretched out

to heaven or if he bowed down his face to the ground with his arms stretched out.

It certainly says as other kings came along and they humbled themselves before

the Lord, it says that they fell with their face to the ground.

And as we are preparing this morning to read the passage that we're going to read a little later,

we see a picture of the throne room of God,

and a picture of Jesus in the center and all of the elders, all of the kings,

all of the creatures bowing down and worship to the lion of Judah,

to the lamb who was slain.

And so I just want us to sit in this posture of humility, making ourselves low.

We want God to be so exalted, so lifted high that we will make ourselves lower and lower, if even just,

to elevate him even further beyond the furthest extent which he is deserving.

I just pray, Lord, that you would receive all glory and honor and praise this morning.

We bow before the Lamb who has come and takes away the sin of the world.

We worship the King of kings, the Lord of lords, who alone is holy, who alone is worthy.

You are worthy, God. You are worthy of all praise, all glory, and all honor.

You alone are worthy. You're worthy because you are the King of Kings,

because you are the Lion of Judah, because you are victorious and powerful.

You alone are God and deserve our honor. You alone are worthy.

And you alone are worthy because you are the Lamb that was slain.

That you took our place, that you offer us forgiveness and salvation.

You offer us your presence.

I'm just thinking of a song that I'd love for us to sing right now,

but it's not going to happen.

One, because it's probably none of you have ever heard it so close to the chords

that Jake is playing. But the lyrics are, we bow down low. Keep out.

Keep out.

Lord,

we are not worthy, but you have made us worthy.

What a beautiful thing that is. And it was, is wonderful in your sight. We thank you, Jesus.

Amen, Lord. Receive the honor and praise this morning. Teach us through your word. Speak to us.

May we be found listening.

God, you said to seek your kingdom first. You said that all who seek you,

that you will be found by them.

You are not lost and you are not far off. But we look for so many other things.

So we may we seek you with all of our hearts all of our minds all of our strengths

all of our souls everything that we have may it be poured out before you jesus,

we bow down low and we lift you high,

And all the Lord's people said, amen. Give me a minute.

That's not helpful. It's my ankles.

That's where it's really, really tough for me to rise.

Brianna wasn't able to make it this morning. So kids, you are allowed to go

and get your activities.

Sorry, guys. We are going to be looking at Revelation chapter 5 this morning.

Revelation 5 · chapter mention

And we're going to be looking at the lion and the lamb.

These two names or identities that are given to Jesus, that could probably easily be taken individually.

But there is so much that can be gained from looking at them together.

In fact, they show up together, so why should we separate them?

So they show up in Revelation chapter five. We'll read it in a bit.

But as I was reflecting on these names,

the thing that I realized first was how often.

Satan is given or calls himself, he takes upon himself these sort of counterfeit

versions of Christ's name.

That we can encounter words like lion and maybe even more so words like morning star.

And these are terms that are used in reference to Satan. They're terms that

are used in reference to Christ.

Even in Revelation, we see this picture of the slain lamb.

And we also, in Revelation, see this beast who has a mortal wound on him.

And so Satan provides these counterfeit pictures of Jesus.

And in Isaiah 14, 12, Satan is referred to as the morning star.

How greatly you have fallen, morning star. And then in Revelation chapter 22,

Revelation 22 · chapter mention

Jesus is called the bright and morning star.

And this is because a tactic of the enemy is to provide some sort of substitute gospel.

Not that there is a substitute gospel, but to provide another version.

Another call. We see this in the wilderness as Satan is tempting Jesus.

Satan is tempting Jesus to abandon God's plan, to circumvent it,

and to rule in authority in that moment.

Rather than going through the process of suffering, rather than going through

the process of dying, He invites Jesus to circumvent God's plan of ultimate

justice and reconciliation.

So even in the garden we see, or in the wilderness, we see Jesus being tempted

in this way, but only Jesus is called the bright and morning star.

And that's because Satan may be a morning star, but he is a poor imitation of Jesus.

So that's true of all of the ways that he kind of takes and adopts these counterfeit

identities, that he is a poor imitation of the one who alone is the bright and

morning star, the light of the world.

And of course, in 1 Peter chapter 5, we see Satan described as a lion that prowls

1 Peter 5 · chapter mention

around looking for someone to devour.

And we encounter the lion and the lamb in Revelation chapter 5.

Revelation 5 · chapter mention

There's a verse in the Old Testament.

It's probably also in Chronicles. I'm not sure where it is. But it talks about

how God searches and roams the earth looking for those who are blameless before

him to give them strong support.

So even in the verbs that are described, there's a similarity of what the character

of God does, looking to give strong support, looking, searching the earth.

And then, of course, Satan has this prowling lion looking for someone to devour him.

So I think it's important for us to be aware that one of the enemy's tactics is to,

confuse and to distract and to provide these counterfeit identities that promise

similar things to what God comes along and promises, but ultimately is unable to deliver.

Because when we talk about the lion and the lamb, we're going to ultimately

be talking about what God provides and what he delivers in this

image of the throne room it's it's not two separate identities you can look

at it in one way as the lion who became the lamb,

or the lion who is also the lamb so this is in fact,

one identity in some ways which the kid loved kids loved this idea we could

probably just sit here and watch the lion the witch in the wardrobe and that

would be like the equally as successful Thank you.

But then we'd be here for probably two hours versus one hour or so.

But we get that picture of Jesus in that character of Aslan as the Christ figure.

If we pay special attention to him, the lion who becomes the sacrificial lamb,

who willingly lays himself down for the sake of others, the lion that embodies,

this dual nature of Christ, the dual nature of Christ sacrificing then rising to defeat evil.

Illustrating this picture of strength through humility, strength through sacrifice.

In Revelation chapter five is a study in contrast.

We don't think about lion and lamb as holding similar characteristics.

We see them as contrasting ideas. And it's the same thing. This is the picture

that we're given of Jesus, tough and yet tender.

We're given a picture of him as great, as well as taking a low position.

Philippians chapter two, we see this picture of him as victorious and yet humble.

And we see that picture in the triumphal entry or the not so triumphal entry

or whatever you want to call it.

We see the picture of Jesus riding in as a king on a donkey versus a king on a war horse of victory.

He comes in as a king on a donkey, as if in times of peace. So we see a victorious,

king who takes this position of peace.

We see this picture of the Lion and the Lamb victory that is taken through his,

identity as the slain lamb.

And more specifically in this passage, the contrast that we're actually giving

the picture to see, rather than these other contrasts that are being viewed,

is we see the contrast of the picture of Jesus's justice, as well as his love.

We see judgment and we see redemption.

So let me go ahead and read this chapter if you want to follow along.

And we'll talk a little bit about what God has for us in these words,

the picture he's painting in this sometimes very confusing book of Revelation

that is full of so much symbolism,

yet is so powerful for us. Revelation 5.

Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne, a scroll with writing

on both sides and sealed with seven seals.

And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, who is worthy to break

the seals and open the scroll?

But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scrolls or even look inside.

John said, I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside.

Then one of the elders said to me, do not weep. See the lion of the tribe of

Judah, the root of David has triumphed.

He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.

And I saw a lamb looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of

the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders.

The lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God,

sent out into all the earth.

He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne.

And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the lamb.

Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense,

which are the prayers of God's people.

And they sang a new song saying, you are worthy to take the scroll and to open

its seals because you were slain.

And with your blood, you purchased before God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.

You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,

and they will reign on the earth.

Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels numbering thousands upon thousands

and 10,000 times 10,000.

They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders in a loud

voice, they were saying, worthy is the lamb who was slain to receive power and

wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise.

Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on

the sea and all that is in them saying to him who sits on the throne and to

the lamb be praise and honor and glory and power forever and ever. Amen.

God, we thank you that we get to gather here today and we get to be together

as your family in your presence, that we get to live,

a bit of what it will look like to be with you in eternity, for you to be our

God and for us to be your people and to live in your presence in such a way

that we have no need for the sun to shine because you will provide light for your people.

We thank you for being the victorious lion and for being the slain lamb,

that you alone are worthy of all glory and praise and honor. Amen.

I want to go back to the beginning here. When John sees this picture in heaven,

and this scroll is brought with his seven seals.

The question is asked, who is worthy to break the seals and open the scrolls?

And no one is found worthy.

And so John weeps and he weeps because no one is found worthy to open the scroll.

And there's many, many ideas of what this scroll could be.

And I'm not going to talk about all those possibilities, but one of the main

ideas here is the idea that John is weeping because of two things, that God's justice.

Will go unsatisfied and that his redemption will go unfulfilled as it's locked

up in this scroll, which is kind of a picture of a last will and testament in their cultures.

That the person who wrote the will is obviously the person who is going to die.

And in fact, no will is read and executed until there is a death.

And in this picture we see of Jesus and of God in the throne room,

Jesus is both the executor and the one who is alone able to open the scroll.

So wrapped up in the scroll is the idea of God's plan in the end,

his justice to be satisfied, poured out against all humanity.

And in that, the redemption that was purchased through the blood of the slain lamb.

And so John sees this scroll, understanding what it means,

and weeps because there is none found worthy to open up so that God's people

are unable to realize the promises, the full promise that he has made to them.

If this scroll is forever In this scroll is judgment, in this scroll is redemption,

and in this scroll is our inheritance.

And so John weeps.

If the scroll is not open.

Then things are not brought to their full conclusion. They can't be brought

to their full conclusion as God intends.

And the truth of this judgment seat is that we will all face the judgment of

God. We will all face God's justice, that we will all sit before the judgment seat.

And without that judgment, there is no ultimate justice.

And then there's no ultimate redemption for God's people. David talks about

in the Psalms, as he reflects on those around him who are his enemies,

and those who do evil things and prosper.

And he confesses his jealousy of them, right?

That these people who go about treating people unkindly, going about in their

pride, going about with their backs turned to God.

And he laments how they prosper and how he suffers, As if all of the time that

he is dedicated to the Lord has gone in a meaningless way.

And as he often does, he comes to the end of it and reflects on the fact that

we all will sit in this judgment seat.

And the terrible trade that it is for us to trade momentary pleasures on this earth.

If we pour our hearts after those things to the ultimate pleasure of being with our God.

And then also the ultimate wrath that we face.

If we choose to pour our lives in the temporality of pleasures that never satisfy eternally.

They may be fun for the time, But ultimately, when he looks at his life and

he looks at his future, David worships God and comes back to the conclusion

that it is not, that is in fact worth it.

It is not a waste for him to dedicate his life to the Lord.

And this is the truth of the scroll that we will all face judgment.

And when the scroll is open, God's justice will be poured out.

It will be satisfied in all of the,

all of the ways that everyone in this world knows the earth to be broken for

us to, for, for God's justice to be unsatisfied.

In, in all of the terrible ways we know this world to be broken would be such

an anticlimactic conclusion to all of this earth.

So God's justice must be satisfied, but the beauty of it,

and the truth of what we see in this chapter is that wrapped up in God's justice,

is the beautiful gospel that he has satisfied it and he has fulfilled it in the slain lamb.

And so we see one of the elders tell John to not weep because the lion of the

tribe of Judah, the branch of Jesse,

is worthy to open the scroll that God's plan is going to be fulfilled.

And we see perhaps probably what John expects to turn around to,

as the is described as a lion of Judah is a mighty being, powerful,

perhaps clothed in blinding light, too wonderful to look at.

And yet when he turns around, he sees a lamb looking as if it had been slain,

standing in the center of the throne.

And we see this lamb and the result of this picture in every way,

this lion who has become the Lamb, the Lion who is the Lamb.

And the resounding chorus is that He is worthy.

He is worthy to take the scroll and open the seals.

He is worthy to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and

glory and praise because He is the Lamb who was slain. He is worthy to sit on

the throne and to be praised and honored and glorified forever.

And we, I think there are some ways in which as we get older,

all of us have had experiences probably with our earthly parents,

where they have provided discipline in a time.

We probably got in trouble for breaking something.

And perhaps at the time we thought our parents overreacted.

And then as we become adults, a lot of times our earthly relationships are complex. I understand that.

But at least sometimes, and a lot of times, we can reflect back on those stories

and realize that our parents were kind of being consistent in their love and discipline for us.

While it's uncomfortable at the time to receive discipline, there are many times

when we can appreciate that they cared,

but sometimes it's harder to appreciate that experience from our Heavenly Father.

It's harder to appreciate and truly admire and worship Him and consider Him

worthy when we are experiencing those same kind of things.

Probably because the reason we reflect on it with our parents is because we

become older. And when it comes to God.

We're always going to be young. We're always going to be infants.

We're always going to be children in some ways.

So until we reach into maturity in heaven, perhaps we'll have that experience

and we'll reflect back on all the difficulties and times that God perhaps was providing discipline.

And we can truly circle him as it says in the end of this chapter as nation

upon nation, as multitude upon multitude and worship and praise him in truth.

But in this world, it's kind of hard to truly see him and admire him and worship

in our mind's eye as worthy as we're experiencing the difficulty and the discipline.

But this chapter's message for us, as it talks about his justice and judgment,

that's the difficult part, right?

The resounding message for us this morning is that he is worthy.

He is worthy of it. Even when it's difficult, he is worthy of our praise.

Even when it's hard, he's worthy of our worship. Even when we don't understand,

he is worthy. He's worthy because he is the lion.

He's worthy because he is the king of kings, because he is the one that has

been waited for to satisfy forever for all time to sit on the throne.

He is worthy because he is this mighty creature. He's worthy because he is powerful.

So he's worthy in this picture of the lion, but he's also the more attention

is drawn onto the fact that he is worthy because he is the lamb who was slain.

He is worthy because he is the one who not just pronounces judgment,

but satisfies the penalty for it.

And if Christ, if all he did, if all Christ did was open up the seal and pronounce

God's judgment on every soul and on every man and pour it out on God's wrath

upon us because we would deserve it.

If that's all he did, then God would be justified as righteous in that moment.

As he would be satisfying his righteousness as he conquers us sinful men.

If that's all Christ did was open up the seals and pour out God's judgment on

all of us, he would be proving his righteousness and still be worthy of honor and praise as the lion.

But that's not all that he does. And this is why the focus of his worthiness,

is placed more on the fact that he is the slain lamb, because what he does is

he pronounces judgment.

And then he, as the slain lamb lays down his own life, as he stands between

the judgment seat of God and sinful man.

And this picture, Jesus takes the scroll from God.

And then he takes his place in the center, standing as the mediator of a better

covenant between us and the wrath of God that we deserve.

And this is why he is worthy as the slain lamb to open the seal.

And he is worthy of our honor and praised and praise his blood makes those who are chosen and the.

Worthy to worship the one who alone is worthy of worship.

He puts himself in the middle and as the lamb, he pronounces the victory.

And so he is worthy as the slain lamb to be worshiped and to be honored and to be praised.

There's an interesting thing. We won't stay on it, but in this scene,

Jesus receives worship.

And it does happen quite a bit, but not as often as you might think that it

should, that Jesus receives worship.

He never stops people from worshiping. But in this moment, we see Jesus taking such honor.

He receives what is only due God, proving to us, not just that he is the lion

and the lamb, but he's also God, the son, God himself, satisfying the wrath of God.

And in this moment of worthiness to be the one who is both the one who died

and the one who satisfies and opens the scroll,

we also see him as the victorious lion, who is a lamb coming,

and strengthening God's people in such a way that he makes them worthy to bring

him worship that he alone is worthy of.

He, in his worthiness, makes us worthy to worship.

The strength of God is not in physical strength. It's not in human strength.

It is in a broken spirit. It is in humility, in a humble life.

I think it was D.L. Moody who talked about this.

He talked about how when he was younger and as a Christian, he used to think

that God kept his best gifts on a shelf that we must reach out for to attain them,

that we must stretch out our arms on the high to the highest shelf to attain

a worthiness to receive them.

But as he matured in his life, he later learned that the best gifts that God

has are kept on the lowest shelf.

And he says that I had to stoop down to see it. I had to stoop down to receive it.

So the things that seem foolish to the natural mind and the things that seem

weak are the things in which God invests his wisdom and strength into.

And we see this picture of the elders of every creature of the multitude upon

multitude stooping down low to receive the greatest gift that he who alone is worthy provides.

God tells us in Romans chapter 16 that he who is the God of peace will soon

Romans 16 · chapter mention

crush Satan underneath your feet.

And we know that God has already crushed Satan underneath the foot of Jesus,

through his act on the cross.

We see in Genesis that God promises a serpent crusher that is fulfilled in Jesus.

So Jesus has already crushed Satan.

And yet in Romans 16, it says, the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.

So what we're seeing here is the application of the victory that the lion and

the lamb has already won.

He's reminding us that Jesus has already crushed Satan on the cross.

And now we get to walk in victory. From the moment of Genesis to this final

defeat in Revelation, the story is that God prevails.

We can trace his promises. We can watch how the narrative unfolds.

But the message is the same, that God will prevail as he continues to exercise

that victory through us as we crush Satan's head,

and ultimately as he's already fulfilled that victory of Jesus.

This passage in Revelation, this picture of Jesus as the lion and the lamb.

This is a model for us to trust in the finished work of the cross,

to trust in the final victory, to trust in God's justice and his redemption,

to trust in Christ's sacrifice as the means through which the accuser and even our flesh is defeated,

and it looks forward to the promise that the God who has started it will finish what he began,

and that he alone is worthy of all glory and honor and praise forever and ever,

This is the picture of the lion and the lamb.

And as we respond in song to continue to remind ourselves of that truth,

I want to read one more passage.

This is in 1 Corinthians chapter 29.

And this is a prayer of David praising the Lord in the presence of the whole

assembly. So I invite you to stand.

And instead of kneeling and raising our hands I invite you to stand and raise

your hand And even as I do this My shoulders hurt And grow weak And I pray that

God would strengthen our Weak joints.

A few more minutes. Praise be to you, Lord, the God of our Father Israel,

from everlasting to everlasting.

Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and

the splendor, for everything in heaven and on earth is yours.

Yours, Lord, is the kingdom. You are exalted as head over all.

Wealth and honor come from you. You are the ruler of all things.

In your hand are strength and power to exalt and to give strength to all.

Now, our God, we give you thanks and praise. We praise your glorious name forever

and ever, for you are worthy alone, the lion who has become the lamb.

You alone are worthy to open the scroll, to satisfy justice and redemption,

and to walk us into a beautiful inheritance.

You alone are worthy to receive honor. You alone are worthy to sit on the throne

of our hearts and to be the thing that our lives revolve around.

You alone are worthy of it all.

Praise you. We worship you.

We become low and bow down before the Lion of Judah and the Lamb who was slain.

For you alone are worthy, God.