Revelation 5:1–14

3 Sunday of Easter

¹Then 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. ²And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?" ³But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. ⁴I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. ⁵Then 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." ⁶Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. ⁷He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. ⁸And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four 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 the saints. ⁹And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. ¹⁰You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth." ¹¹Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. ¹²In a loud voice they sang: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" ¹³Then 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, for ever and ever!" ¹⁴The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped.

It all started with a book; a scroll. There in the right hand of the one sitting on the throne was a scroll with seven seals. On this scroll was written the destiny of the church of Christ and of the whole world. As the scroll was opened, the things written would transpire for this is the book God had written; God’s Word makes things happen. This book was the history of the world yet to happen. The seven seals were opened one by one. As the first seal was opened, the book would unroll until it came to the next seal. Then it would have to be broken so you could continue unrolling the scroll, and so forth until the entire book had been opened.

This scroll contained the future of the world and the destiny of the church. This scroll would determine all that would take place to God’s redeemed people. As the scroll was opened the future would be unleashed. It was a precious scroll because our lives, our future and our destiny are written on that scroll. Today this scroll is being unfurled in the heavens and the things written in it are taking place. Everything that is happens is written there, including all the disasters, the mass murders, the wars, the seemingly random violence, the unexplainable suffering and sorrows. Your life and my life are written on it.

That scroll contains the destiny of the church; your destiny and my destiny. And that scroll was in the right hand of the one seated on the throne. Notice, it’s in his “right” hand. The right hand of God in scripture is always associated with God’s mercy, his love, and his salvation as opposed to his “left” hand of judgment. It is with his right hand that God reaches out to rescue his people from disaster and calamity; from sin, Satan, and death. God, therefore, is holding our destiny in his powerful hand of salvation. God’s hand of salvation is the hand that holds our lives; our present and our future. The day of our birth and our death are in God’s hand of salvation. All our sufferings and afflictions are in God’s hand of salvation. Our hopes, our disappointments, our dreams, our sorrows, and our tears are all in God’s right hand: his hand of love, goodness, rescue, and salvation.

But there was one small problem which caused John to weep. There was no one worthy to open the scroll; no one in heaven or earth or under earth.

That is revealing. It tells us that neither you nor I are worthy. It tells us that we have no merit or worthiness in us because we are born sinful. We are not worthy to be in the presence of God. We are not worthy of the price Jesus willingly paid for our redemption. We are unworthy creatures. We are unworthy of God. In short, we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned in thought, word and deed. We have not loved God with all our heart, mind and strength, and we have not loved our neighbor as ourselves. We are poor, miserable sinners, worthy of only suffering, sorrow, death, and eternal punishment.

For that reason even the Apostle John when he first beheld Christ in heaven fell to the ground like a dead man. No mortal man can stand in the presence of a holy God. No man can see God and live. There is none righteous, not even one. There is none that seeks God. We have all turned away and together become worthless. Like sheep we have gone astray. There is no one who does good; no not one. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God; and the wages of sin is death.

Just then an Elder said to John: Do not weep. “See the Lion of the Tribe of Judah; he is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.” And John looked and saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne. It was “The Lamb who had been slain and who was now alive.” He was worthy to open the scroll because he had been slain and by his blood he “purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. He made them priests to serve God and they will reign on the earth.” Christ is worthy to open the scroll because He is the Lamb who was slain and his shed blood has cleansed us from our sins.

We are not worthy because of our sin, but Christ changed all that. By shedding his blood He has taken away our sin and covered us with his very own righteousness. Christ is the worthy one and by joining us to himself in baptism, just as Lucas was joined to him moments ago, he shares his worthiness with us and he makes us priests of his Father, totally cleansed of sin; to worship him in the liturgy that lasts forever. In our baptism we join with the angels and the elders and the four winged creatures in heaven to sing the great Te Deum to God. It began in Chapter 4 of Revelation and continues here in chapter 5 and throughout the entire book of Revelation and into all eternity.

Christ was worthy to open the scroll containing the destiny of the church. So Christ, The Lamb, received the scroll from the right hand of the one seated on the throne. The scroll held everything that was to take place in all the world. So by taking the scroll the kingdom was handed over to him. All power, and authority and dominion in the heavens and the earth was vested in Jesus Christ. The Lamb who was slain for us now reigns in heaven, and holds the destiny of the church in his hand; the destiny of each and every one of us who believe in his name. All power was transferred to him. That was the moment of Jesus’ coronation. The scroll is his crown. He rules over all things on behalf of his Father and for the benefit of the church; for the good of you and me; for our salvation and our preservation.

When Jesus ascended in heaven, he told his disciples: “All authority on heaven and on earth has been given unto me.” On earth the disciples saw Jesus disappear in the clouds. At that very moment in heaven he was receiving his crown and taking his place on the throne.

Today the risen Christ reigns! And that changes everything. He holds the scroll in his right hand. Often our world seems out of control. Often our own individual lives seem out of control. The events that take place in our world cause fear and doubt and insecurity. The news of this past week of the horrific deaths at Virginia Tech was terrifying. It ignites fear in our hearts. It makes us realize that life is uncertain and fragile. There are no guarantees and no assurance that tomorrow we will still be alive. The things taking place in our world today terrify us; the wars, terrorist attacks, economic uncertainty, and natural disasters all frighten us.

Those without faith in Christ have every reason to fear. But there is no need for the redeemed people of God to fear, because the Lamb has was slain for our sin and has now begun his reign, and that changes everything. He holds that scroll in his right hand of deliverance. Our sin is atoned for and death is overcome. The world is not out of control. Disasters and violence are not random acts. All these things are written in the scroll; the scroll that the Lamb of God himself holds in his right hand of deliverance.

Therefore our courage is not shaken. When disaster strikes, he will deliver us. Nothing can separate us from Christ and his love. He is with us and he is in control of the world we live in. When sorrow pierces our soul; he comforts us. When poverty, illness, accident or affliction strike; the risen Lamb who rules in heaven is with us and sustains us. When temptation is at our door; the Second Adam who was tempted and overcame temptation strengthens us. When Satan seeks to devour us as a roaring lion; the Shepherd who laid down his life for his sheep defends us. When death stalks and we walk through its shadow; we have no fear because he is with us and his rod and staff comfort us.

The victorious Lamb who was slain has begun his reign! When he took the scroll, the coronation ceremony ensued. Joy and praise filled the temple of heaven. In chapter 4 of Revelation the four living creatures and the 24 elders sang the great Te Deum. Now, as Jesus is crowned King of kings, they added another verse to the Te Deum; a “new song” which had never been sung before: “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals for you were slain and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation and you made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God and they will reign on earth.” They worshipped Jesus because he had died to redeem us. All the worship of the Lamb was centered in that event: his death and resurrection for cleanse us from sin. The central event of all history, both in heaven and on earth, was the salvation of mankind.

Next the heavens were filled with the sound of ten thousand times ten thousand angels. They joined in the Te Deum, adding yet another verse, praising Jesus for dying for us. Finally they were joined by every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea and all together they sang: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise.” And they all fell down and worshipped our Lord for pouring out his blood for us.

At our baptism we too join in this most holy worship singing the new song “to him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power for ever and ever.” This morning by baptism, Lucas joined in the chorus of the great Te Deum. When we sing the liturgy we join the heavenly chorus singing: “This is the Feast of victory for our God.” In the Lord’s Supper we join the “angels and archangels and all the company of heaven” in the eternal Te Deum as we feast on the body and blood of the Lamb at his banquet table. In our daily life in the world we continue this worship by loving our neighbor and serving him through our vocations during the week.

We are made the priests of God by the Lamb who reigns in heaven; The very Lamb who was slain for us; the same Lamb who holds the scroll of our destiny in his hand. Together with the angels and heavenly hosts and all creatures, through Word and Sacrament we join in the eternal worship which fills the heavens and the earth. We worship the Lamb who was slain and now reigns forever, casting off all fear and doubt and worry.

Let us stand and join together with the heavenly hosts in that new song of praise by singing “This is the Feast” found in your bulletin inserts:

(Hymn 155)

Amen.

May the peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen