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Worthy is the Lamb!

            Mary’s report that the stone had been rolled away from Jesus’ tomb made matters even worse. Peter and John had just started pulling themselves together after helplessly watching their own religious leaders abuse and murder the one they thought to be the Messiah. Mercifully, one of them was kind enough, rich enough, and loved Jesus enough to provide a tomb, but now that tomb had been compromised. Grave robbing was common in that day since corpses were wrapped with expensive spices, not to mention that Jesus had been buried in a rich man’s tomb. Or, the same cruel people who brutally crucified Jesus could have stolen his body to continue their wicked work of desecrating him. Perhaps these thoughts whirled through Peter and John’s heads, their hearts pounding as fast as their feet were racing to the tomb. They could interrupt the robbers or apprehend the desecrators. They could rescue the body and preserve the dignity of Jesus’ death. But they found the tomb empty. No body, and no messy evidence of vandalism or robbery. Just neatly folded grave clothes.

            John took in the scene, and the Bible says, “He saw and believed” (John 20:8). Believed what? Believed that neither robbers nor desecrators were at work, but God was at work. John didn’t have to take care of God, didn’t have to watch over his body, protect him from his enemies, tell him what needs to happen next, rescue him, or help him. The tomb was empty. God had already taken care of himself (Peterson, Eugene H., Five Smooth Stones for Pastoral Work, Eerdmans Publishing: Grand Rapids, MI, 1980, p. 187).

            “Until the crucifixion Jesus, with his authoritative healings and teachings, had been indisputably in control. But the crucifixion was so extreme that the disciples felt that they had to take over. Jesus had got himself into such a fix that those who loved and served him needed to rescue him through acts of embalming, acts of mourning, acts of defense. But when they got to the tomb they found that they were wrong. God had done what needed to be done” (Ibid). That is the meaning of our post-Easter exclamation Worthy is the Lamb! recorded in Scripture by none other than John himself. In the book of Revelation, written by John, 26 verses mention the Lamb compared to 4 verses in the rest of the New Testament combined. The man who ran to the tomb to help Jesus is telling us today that the beaten, bloodied, and buried Jesus didn’t need his help because the Lamb had risen from the dead! Worthy is the Lamb!

            Now, to be fair, the Scriptures John knew – what we call the Old Testament – had spoken of lambs in terms of death and defeat. Their blood and death in the Old Testament system of sacrifices appeased God for the forgiveness of sins. The Passover lamb, whose blood saved firstborn Israelites in Egypt, was sacrificed every year to commemorate that event. John emphasizes such atoning sacrifice when he says that the Lamb in his vision “was slain.” Standing on this side of the resurrection with John, we see and believe that Jesus’ death was not a loss but a gain, a work of God for our redemption. The blood of Jesus paid the penalty for our sins.

            This central focus of the Bible’s final book called Revelation “reveals” to us what sinners can expect from God. Earlier in this particular vision John sees a scroll with information on it about what is to come, but it is sealed. “No one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll (Revelation 5:3). Then John sees the Lamb of God, who takes the scroll. As if with a gasp of anticipation the earth and the Church and all creatures sing, “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain and with your blood you purchased people for God” (5:9). Whatever happens to you tomorrow, Jesus holds it in his hand like he holds the scroll of what is to come. Whoever you think you are tomorrow, Jesus has already purchased you for God and you belong to him. Worthy is the Lamb! He deserves our worship and our witness.

In our worship

            The flowers brighten up the room and his wife’s face when she turns to see him extending them to her. Vibrant colors glow like a bundled, living neon sign and she takes them, her heart melting. “Thank you, honey; you didn’t have to get me flowers”

            “But I’m your husband,” he answers matter-of-factly, “it’s my duty. And besides, they were on sale so they were cheap.” Do you think she still wants those flowers? Because it’s not really about the flowers; she wants his heart. Yesterday in our Nooma Bible study we discussed this scenario and compared it to our worship – how we sometimes worship because we’re supposed to, or because it’s expected, like we’re helping God. Wait a minute. God doesn’t need our worship, our offerings, or our obedience as if it’s oxygen for him to breathe and if he doesn’t get enough of it he’ll suffocate. Treating God like he needs our stained glass, my sermon, or your singing, like we better show up again on Sunday for his sake … is subordinating him beneath us as the beneficiary of our benevolent kindness, of our work and worthiness. We think that way too easily because it’s too attractive to place God in a position beneath us so that we can call the shots and we can be in control. But then we can’t give him our hearts, and that’s what he wants. Our hearts.

            “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” sing millions and millions of angels to Jesus. If any creatures are in a position to help God these superhuman spirit beings could, but no. Not one of them bled a drop of blood and died for the sins of humanity, or slayed death and the devil by rising from the dead. The Lamb is worthy on his own. All power he can claim. All wealth is his possession. All the wisdom and strength of all other authorities combined aren’t a fraction of his wisdom and strength. He deserves all honor and glory and praise. The angels want to – need to – worship the Lamb because he deserves it. So tell me this, if angels want to and need to worship the Lamb, don’t also we whom he has redeemed? “The elders fell down and worshiped.” Representing the Church the elders in John’s vision bow down in a gesture of humility and service to the Lamb, not because he needs it (he has done what needed to be done) but because Worthy is the Lamb!

In our witness

            This past week a volcano in Iceland spewed a cloud of ash over Europe and a meteor lit up the sky in North America, two strange phenomena that made plenty of news. John sees an even more bizarre act of nature, “Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing, ‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, forever and ever!’” The living creatures offering worship earlier are living beings over the whole earth, now they are joined by inanimate objects like mountains testifying, Worthy is the Lamb! The living beings then offer the final refrain of “Amen,” their ultimate yes to God as a witness to the world.

            Do you see how this witness to God includes the whole creation? In heaven. On the earth and under the earth. On the sea and in the water. Everything everywhere gives all glory to God. That’s why he created it all. “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the works of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech … their voice goes out into all the earth” (Psalm 19:1,2,4). The Lamb’s blood was not sacrificed for plankton or squirrels but they witness to his glory. The Lamb didn’t rise from the dead for meteors or volcanoes but they witness to his glory. If creation gives witness to God, then certainly those created and redeemed by God have more reason to witness. Take home some of the powerful truths right here in Revelation and give them to someone this week: Jesus holds the future in his hands, Jesus is pictured in his victory still shedding blood because forgiveness is his first love for sinners, and Jesus can take care of himself. Light up somebody’s life or disrupt their journey without Jesus by telling them the Bible’s spectacular promise: Worthy is the Lamb!

            When he saw Jesus on shore, Peter jumped out of the boat and swam to him, not because Jesus needed him for anything, but because Peter needed to see him, be with him, worship him, and be reassured by him. When John saw Jesus appear in the locked room, look him in the eye, and tell him, “I am sending you” (John 20:21) John witnessed to others by writing, leading, loving, and eventually by being exiled because John needed to tell others about him. Worship and witness to the Lamb because you need to, because he has done what needs to be done. Worthy is the Lamb! Worthy. Amen.

Preached at Grace Lutheran Church, Milwaukee, WI (www.gracedowntown.org) on April 18, 2010

Services

Sundays 7:45, 9:00 & 10:30 am

Mondays 6:30 pm

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church | 1209 North Broadway Milwaukee, WI 53202 | (414) 271-3006

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