Easter 3 C
The Revelation of the Lamb
Revelation 5:1-14
10 April 2016 – Redeemer
Saint John the Evangelist is weeping. He has been swept into a Divine Revelation by the Holy Spirit on the Lord’s day and now what he sees causes him to weep. God sits on His throne and in His right hand He holds a scroll.
What is this scroll? It is the revelation of God. It is everything you need to know about life and death, now and the future, you and God. Do you want to know what God thinks of you? What will happen when you die? What will give you life? What is your purpose? What can you expect in this world? Is there any hope? It’s all in there.
All John needs to know for his seven congregations, all the world needs to hear is found in that scroll. It just needs to be opened and there’s the rub. An angel cries out across all creation, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” There are seven seals on the scroll to guard and protect it from falling into the wrong hands, from being twisted to evil purposes, from being torn apart instead of opened and revealed.
The angels’ cry goes unanswered – no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it. This is why John weeps. If God was silent wouldn’t you weep? If you had no word from Him when you were suffering? No idea if He loved you? If your whole life was guessing as to whether He cared for you or could care less about you? Who wouldn’t weep?
But take heart you who weep with Saint John, “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.”
You know who this Lion of Judah, this Root of David is. He is the one born in the little town of Bethlehem, in the land of Judah. He was born of Mary, engaged to Joseph, who was of the house and lineage of David. Jesus is the Lion of Judah, the Root of David, and on this Third Sunday of Easter we continue to believe and confess, “Christ is Risen!” He has conquered.
If you are to understand God’s Word, know what He thinks of you, have your tears wiped away, there is one and only One who can open God’s Word to you and reveal what it says, Christ alone, Jesus only.
When some Christian preacher or teacher comes along and says, “I have discovered something new in God’s Word, I will tell you something God has never told anyone before – some prayer, some success, some purpose, some vision,” stop and run it by Jesus. Run it by the prophet Isaiah and see if it proclaims Jesus, born of a Virgin, born without sin, to be the Savior who works peace between us sinners and God. Run it by John the Baptist and the Gospel writers and see if it declares Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Run it by the Roman Centurion who gambled for Jesus’ clothes and saw the spear pierce his side and listen to see if it says, “This man truly was the Son of God.” Test it out against the witness of Mary Magdalene, John, Peter, Thomas, and Paul to see if it teaches that Christ is risen from the dead, that the Lamb who was slain now lives and rules. We need nothing newer than this – for there is nothing newer or better for life. We need no other revelation than this – Christ Jesus died for our sins and was raised for our justification. Hearing that, believing that, we have life and we have it abundantly, eternally, completely.
When some new and unheard of teaching comes onto the best seller list or sells out a stadium or packs a church or sings a new song, listen for Jesus, look for His manger, His cross, His tomb, His throne. If Jesus isn’t there, if the Lamb who was slain isn’t at the center, if there is no cross, no death, no forgiveness, then there is nothing new for you, there is only something false for you. That message is the Devil masquerading as an angel of light, pretending to preach a new Gospel, hoping to lure you in and bring you down.
The Lamb who was slain lives. Those are sin forgiving words. That’s the death destroying Savior. That’s the Satan silencer who was born of Mary and born again from the Tomb. Christ and Christ alone shows you what your Father in heaven thinks of you – God loved the world in this way, He gave His only Son to die for your sins. “He (and He alone) will wipe away every tear from [your] eyes.” (Revelation 21:4, ESV)
As the Lamb gets ready to open the scroll Saint John gets a glimpse of the heavenly worship in the Revelation. He listens in to their singing and there is no doubt who is the center of their song,
“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.”
It’s Jesus. He is worthy, without sin, perfectly obedient, and perfectly trusting His Father. He was slain and by His blood He ransomed us. By our own sin we are captive – captive to serving sin (try to escape it on your own – you cannot do it), captive to death (diet and exercise and good genes might hold death off for a moment – but you will die), captive to hell. But Christ’s blood on the cross ransoms us. His blood is the payment for sin. He dies as the substitute Sinner for you. By His blood you are not condemned to hell but welcome into God’s presence.
The heavenly song John hears describes both our life now and life after the resurrection. Have you ever wondered what your purpose is? The heavenly choir tells you – The Lamb has made you a Kingdom and priests to our God. Your purpose, better said, your reality is a Kingdom and priests. You have been welcomed into God’s Kingdom – right now in Christ you rule over sin, death, hell, and Satan. The power of the Kingdom has been given to you, but it is not for you alone. God wants everyone to enjoy Christ’s rule, therefore you are also priests – priests who stand between God and the world – priests who pray for their neighbor, priests who speak God’s Word, priests who sacrifice for the sake of others. That is what Christians do – you forgive those who sin against you, you love those who aren’t that lovely to you, show mercy to those who suffer. Your life here and now is to live between God and the world – receiving God’s gifts in Christ and living in love toward your neighbor. Your life is not about you – it is about Jesus for you and Jesus through you to those around you – you are a Kingdom and Priests.
Finally, just a brief word about our life after the resurrection. Let me you ask a simple question, “Where will you live after Christ returns and raises you bodily?” I’m guessing the great majority of you said “heaven,” but without explanation that answer is misleading. Heaven is for angels and the spirits and you aren’t one. God created earth for humans and in the new creation earth will be made anew. That’s why the heavenly choir says, “they (that’s all you who believe in the Lamb who was slain) shall reign on earth.” We don’t become angels when we die. We don’t get our wings. And we don’t watch over those we leave behind. That’s Hollywood nonsense. You were created to live on earth and in the resurrection you will reign on earth – in a risen body, toes in the mud, smelling the flowers, rejoicing in the sunshine. As one Lutheran pastor (Jeff Gibbs) likes to say, “Heaven’s OK, but it’s not the end of the world.”
So there’s no more reason for tears, John’s or yours. The Lamb who was slain has opened the scroll and now you know – you’re ransomed from your sins, you’ve gone from captive to Kingdom, you’ve received the treasure of forgiveness and as a priest you give and offer that to the world, and your future is to reign on earth – that’s quite a revelation and its given to you and for you only in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Pr. Bruce Timm
9 April 2016 anno Domini