Revelation Day 12 - Who is Worthy?

DAY 12
Who is Worthy?
Revelation 5:1-14

Revelation 5 is a crisis. John notices a scroll in God's right hand, sealed with seven wax seals. The scroll symbolizes what God knows about the future, but apparently, there's nobody worthy to open the scroll. Now you might be thinking, "What do you mean nobody worthy? God's sitting right there! They just said he's worthy! And what about these elders, creatures, and angels lurking around?"

If you don't understand this, you really won't understand much of the Bible. Here's the thing: God's committed to tag-team ministry. In Genesis, God chooses to govern creation through his image-bearers, through us! God the Son becomes incarnate in Jesus Christ because only God CAN do what only a human being SHOULD do, so we get someone who's both. 

In his commentary on Revelation, Wilfrid Harrington says God has so much respect for humanity's partnership, God won't get to work without us. But heaven looks everywhere and can't find a single human worthy enough for this job. John’s grief underlines BOTH our destiny in God’s purpose AND our distress because we can’t live up to God’s purpose.

Then heaven sees a Lion! But the Lion turns into a Lamb, a slaughtered Lamb. Spoiler alert: it’s Jesus! Again, he doesn’t have seven horns. Horns equal strength and authority, seven equals completeness. Add it up: Jesus has total authority. Heaven sings to the lamb in the third praise song, “You are worthy!” 

What makes him worthy? “Because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from” all over the earth (Rev 5:9). Jesus doesn’t prove his worth by dominating but by surrendering. His voluntary death redeems all kinds of people as they voluntarily trust him with their lives. Soon the angels join the worship-fest with another praise song, singing, “Worthy is the Lamb!” Then all creation sings one more song, worshiping God and the lamb together! They’re lost in ecstasy, yelling, “YES! AMEN! YES!” celebrating creation and redemption.

Have you ever been caught in something like that? Something that grabs your guts, your heart, your soul, your whole body? There’s not a single half-asleep soul in that worship service. Glory grips everything and everyone. 

REFLECT
When have you been caught up in something like the Revelation 5 worship service?

PRAY
O lamb of God, slain for us, you are worthy! Take the power, the wealth, the wisdom, the strength! Take the honor, the glory, the blessing! Make me worthy of your sacrifice. Amen.