Revelation: Jesus, Lion and Lamb

Well, we're picking back up in the book of Revelation.

We broke from the book of Revelation.

We spent about four weeks in it, and then we we stopped, we hit pause, went through the season of Lent and Easter, and so we're picking back up in the book of Revelation in chapter five.

John wrote this poetic letter, sits at the end of the Bible.

Strange, right?

Weird, strange words, imagery.

It's very poetic.

John's very poetic in it.

And he's writing this letter to seven churches.

John calls these churches seven stars within the letter.

And it's just filled with imagery because John is using both literal and figurative language throughout the book.

Now in Revelation 4, just review real quickly so we prep ourselves to head into five.

John begins to have a series of visions and he writes them down for these churches.

So he has this vision of God's throne, and around this throne are 24 elders and four creatures, funky, funky creatures.

So the elders represent God's people.

And the four funky creatures represent the four winds, or all of God's creation.

And so together, what we have, when we get this imagery together, is what we have is we have all of God's people and all of God's creation resounding in worship and praise to the Creator.

And so the starting point coming out of Revelation 4, heading into 5, is this worship is our response.

It's a response to being astonished by God's greatness and lavish love.

It's a response.

Friday night I was lying on the couch.

Finally, everyone was in bed.

The house was quiet.

Turned on the TV, turned on the Hawks game, right?

Are you aware that they're in the playoffs?

I become a Hawks fan.

If they make it to the playoffs, that's when my fandom kicks in.

They're in the playoffs.

We made it, so now I pay attention.

We're down 2-0 to the Heat.

Not sure if you're aware.

As of Friday night, turn the game on.

Third quarter, about like 10 or so, something like that.

Right when I turned it on, if you watch the game, you're aware of what happened at this point in the third quarter.

The Heat went on a 21-0 run right when I turned it on.

And you're always a little bit like, did I cause that?

Like, did I something?

Do I need to turn it back off?

And I'm sitting, I'm laying there, I'm like, oh, they're awful.

I'm just like, ah, they're awful.

Nobody's going to the basket.

I'm like, the amount of complacency, like, I can't stand it.

Like, I can't stand it.

So I flip over to the Bucks game.

Like I switch over to the Bucks game.

I'm done.

Like, I'm done with this.

I'm not a fan anymore.

Done with it.

Go over to the Bucks game.

30 minutes later, I decided I might be a fan again.

And so I flip back over to the Hawks game.

And it's like, we're down one with 10 seconds to go.

Right?

We're down one with 10 seconds to go.

And Trey Young takes the ball.

If you watched it, you know it was sweet.

I mean, it was good.

He went the length of the floor, about eight seconds.

He's weaving.

He's down, floater in the lane with four seconds.

That thing kind of bounces around and drops through.

We go up one, we win the game.

I'm on the couch.

I'm like, yeah, I mean, that was amazing.

I mean, I love a game-winning shot.

I'm going crazy.

Like, I am I'm silently screaming.

Y'all have done that if you have children.

You're silently like, ah, you know, like that's what I'm doing.

It's amazing.

I couldn't even help it.

That was my response, right?

That was my response to seeing something great.

Couldn't help it.

I didn't think about it.

Wasn't trying to just be disciplined to cheer really hard here in this moment.

Just a response.

Just a response.

Worship's a response.

That's what it is.

Worship is not try harder and do more.

Worship is gaze longer and be astonished more.

William Temple, early 1900s British Anglican priest, he said this about worship.

You can Google for this quote later because there's a lot to break down out of this.

It's so good.

Worship is the submission of all of our nature to God.

It is the quickening of the conscience by his holiness, the nourishment of mind with his truth, the purifying of imagination by his beauty, the opening of the heart to his love, the surrender of will to his purpose, all this gathered up in adoration, the most selfless emotion of which our nature is capable.

And I love that.

This idea of the submission, our imagination, the opening of our hearts, surrender of our will, all of that is being in response to God.

So now we're ready for chapter 5.

We're going to read some, dig in a little bit.

Chapter 5, verses 1 through 7.

We're going to read our way through the entire chapter.

So a bit of reading here.

1 through 7 at this point.

Then I saw in the right hand of him, remember John's having this vision, then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals.

We're going to get to that in the coming weeks.

Verse 2.

And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who's worthy?

Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?

And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it.

And I began to weep loudly, because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it.

And one of the elders said to me, Weep no more.

Behold, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.

And between the throne and the four living creatures, and among the elders I saw a lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.

And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne.

Now, there's a lot in there.

Right?

He didn't have four legs.

He's not covered in wool.

A lamb, as far as I know, I Googled this week, the feet are called trotters, long nails.

I don't think they're able to literally open a scroll.

I think we need thumbs to open, okay?

It's not literal.

It's not literal.

It's figurative, it's meaningful.

Jesus here is portrayed with seven horns and seven eyes.

That is that number seven in the Bible is a number of wholeness.

So John's saying, here I see Jesus, capable, who is like the Passover lamb, capable to open up the scroll, the redemption of God to us.

Jesus is capable to do that.

And John's seeing him like seven horns and seven eyes.

So like he's whole, he is whole completion of power with those horns.

He is completion of knowledge and seeing those eyes.

See, it doesn't have to be literal for it to be true and for it to be meaningful.

John's having this vision and he's portraying it to us.

Jesus is all of this, even while he's not having four legs covered in wool.

Point number two is this Jesus reigns with lion-like greatness and lamb-like humiliation.

Now, those are theologian Michael Wilcox's terms, not mine, but when I ran into them this week, I love them.

I think it's something for us to break down.

Lionelike greatness, lamb-like humiliation.

I think that's what's in the Narnia books, right?

You remember the Narnia books?

The movie?

Aslan, the mighty and caring lion.

He gives up his life so Edmund can live.

Sorry to ruin the story.

It's been 72 years since the book came out.

You've had time.

We've all had time with this story.

And C.S.

Lewis does this to show us how much this mighty lion lavishly loves.

There's this beautiful image in the movie.

Here's the image.

I love this image.

Where Aslan has been killed, and Lucy's there just sorrowful.

And what I love about it is she's just so completely comfortable and safe.

Next to this powerful lion.

I think Aslan shows us what Martin Luther taught 500 years ago in the 1500s.

Luther said that God appears sub contrario.

Meaning God reveals himself under his opposite.

Where we least expect it.

Lion and lamb.

Here's how we see it lion-like greatness.

Communicating Christ's kingly status, his authority to set captives free.

Genesis 49, 9 and 10.

Judah is a lion's cub from the prey.

My son, you have gone up.

He stooped down, he crouched as a lion and as a lioness.

Who dares rouse him?

The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him, and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.

It almost reads like a riddle.

But when we're putting together the meta-narrative of the gospel of the Bible, this passage is saying, from the lineage of Judah in the Old Testament will come a powerful lion.

For out of Judah's line is King David, and out of King David's line is eventually Jesus, who is worthy to open the scroll.

Meaning, when we talk about opening the scroll, what we're saying when we say that is we're saying, worthy to forgive me, worthy to redeem me, worthy to declare me righteous.

That's what we're saying.

Poetic language, beautiful language to say, worthy to forgive me, redeem me, and make me righteous by his work for me, not my work for him.

Now, lamb-like humiliation, communicating Christ's humility to sacrifice, love, and redeem us on the cross.

The idea of Jesus as a lamb is rooted in the Old Testament.

As Jesus becomes the Passover lamb, we no longer have to generate our own sacrifices.

God provides the lamb.

Out of God's grace, God comes to us.

Jesus is God incarnate, becoming the Passover lamb for us.

We no longer have to make our own sacrifices to be right with God.

We don't have to sacrifice ourselves over and over again.

John knew this.

In his gospel in John 1.29, John wrote, The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and said, Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

Now, what are the implications for my heart?

Like, what does that mean, right?

Like, what does that mean?

There's a lot of like almost like religious language within that.

But what does it mean?

I think it means this.

Christ is mighty as a lion, astonishingly supreme, and holds all authority over my life.

And that may challenge you, but it is incredibly relieving because it is exhausting to be your own authority.

And second, Christ is gentle as a lamb.

And this is why having a lion-like authority over you, God is authority, you're going like, I want more of that.

Because Christ is gentle as a lamb, astonishingly able to welcome me, hold me, and care for me.

And here's the response to all that.

Here's the response we see.

Revelation 5, 8 through 10.

And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the 24 elders, right?

All of God's creation, all of God's people, fell down before the Lamb, holding each holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

And 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, and you have made them a kingdom and priest to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.

Point number three is this Jesus is worthy to redeem all of our hearts and receive all of our worship.

So this all includes you.

Like it includes you, no matter how beat up or broken or weary or exhausted or ashamed or guilty you feel.

It includes you.

And it also includes not just people who sip sweet tea and talk about azalea bushes, like we do, a lot of us at least.

I do.

Let's walk around my yard, I'm gonna tell you about my azalea bushes, and let's talk about the you know the ferns coming up, and let's sweet tea, and maybe I'll pour you a glass of red wine, right?

Like that's my culture, that's my little niche in the culture.

But this is people from all neighborhoods, and all colors and cultures and socioeconomic status, all nations and tribes and tongues, and there's gonna be a day where we get to get over our differences.

All of us, and we're all gonna have the same song.

Worthy are you to take the scroll.

Right?

Worthy are you to redeem.

The word worthy is the Greek word axios, meaning having weight or befitting.

It's a word about what has rightful and enough significance for your life.

At the time of year we're in, we're surrounded by response, aren't we?

Those zealubushes, those sperms, they're I mean, they're popping up, they're they're blooming.

Here's a picture of Kennesaw National Forest in the wintertime.

That's winter in Kinesaw, right?

Wintertime.

Now here's a picture of it the spring, springtime.

Isn't that beautiful?

Don't we love when this happens?

All because of our earth is tilted at 23.5 degrees, right?

Hello, science.

Remember?

Do you remember this?

I learned it in college.

I remember when I learned it, I'm like, oh, this is why seasons exist.

I never knew it.

I never knew it.

23.5 degrees, we are tilted.

And during the wintertime, we are tilted away.

And then with the Earth's orbit comes springtime, we are leaning toward that powerful significance of the sun.

And everything warms and everything responds.

See, just like oak trees and dogwoods and ferns and pastas and azaleas, your worship is a response to significance, to the significance of the creation, the creator himself.

It's a response.

It's not do more and try harder.

It's gaze longer, be astonished more.

And then we sing, worthy are you.

Worthy are you?

That's us saying, Jesus, you have rightful and enough significance for my life.

Jesus, you are befitting.

You are befitting for me.

Listen to verse 9 again.

Just listen to it.

It won't be on the screen.

Just listen.

And they sang a new song, because this is their response to all of it.

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 rampsom people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.

Maybe you're still trying to dig out of a hole of guilt.

But he is befitting for all the forgiveness you will ever need.

Maybe you're weary from trying to be enough in performance-oriented faith.

But he is befitting for all the righteousness you will ever need.

Maybe your heart breaks for the brokenness of the world, for wars, for famine, for division, for illness.

And he is befitting.

In time, he is befitting to redeem and restore all the sadness.

Maybe you're hounded by questions of self-worth.

And he is befitting for all the belovedness that you ever need.

Maybe you even feel anxious about your standing with God.

You kind of wake up and just feel like you're trying to earn a smile on God's face.

But he's befitting for all the acceptance and security that you ever need.

Let me close.

Let me close by reading the final verses.

The verses read read for us.

Just let him wash over you.

Revelation 5, 11 through 14.

Then 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, saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb who is 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 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.

And the four living creatures said, Amen.

And the elders fell down and worshiped.

Let's pray together.

God, thank you that our worship of you is not do more, try harder, but it's gaze longer and be astonished more because you are worthy.

You are befitting for our lives.

You are significant, ultimate significance.

And you are worthy to open that scroll of redemption and restoration.

Would you help us to gaze more on you, to gaze longer, to be astonished more by how significant you are for the fullness of the sufficiency of the forgiveness and the righteousness we have in Christ.

And that you hold all authority like a lion and all the care and gentleness like a lamb.

And in the cross that we see both proclaimed over this world and for our hearts.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.