The academy Awards are coming up... next week, as a matter of fact. How many of you enjoy watching them? Who do you think deserves Best Actress? Best Actor? Best Director? What will be the best picture? I’m hoping for The Two Towers, but most people seem to think it will be Chicago or Gangs of New York. The most fun though, is watching the glitter and the glitz, watching the celebrities
strutting their stuff and weeping through the obligatory “thank you” speeches when they come up to get the award - and the applause.
Now - imagine this. There we are, at the end of the evening, after a year of speculation and a couple of months of non-stop publicity and suspense, the five Best Picture nominees are read, and the host holds out his or her hand and says, “And now... The envelope, please.” It is brought forward, and she - or he - tries to open it. But it won’t open. It seems to be completely sealed - you know, like those child-proof, fool-proof, post-office proof stay-fresh packages? He gets a good grip on it, and tries it again. The whole audience starts to murmur and
mutter, “What can be wrong?” But it won’t open. Several people come up and take a shot, but nothing happens.
Or to use a slightly more important analogy - how many of you remember legend of King Arthur, that Disney made into the film The Sword in the Stone? The whole kingdom has been suffering under civil war and anarchy ever since Uther Pendragon was murdered, and the only way to stop it and restore peace and justice to Britain was for the rightful king to step forward and pull the King’s enchanted sword Excalibur out of the stone where it has been embedded. All the
greatest knights come forward to try their luck, but they can’t move it an inch. The crowd of watchers despairs. Is the kingdom doomed to another generation of chaos and bloodshed? Will it never end?
That is something like the scene we see in the 5th chapter of Revelation. There is the enormous, glittering heavenly throne room, filled with earthly and unearthly worshipers, and a hush of expectation descends upon the whole crowd as John and the other watchers “saw in the right hand of the one seated on the throne a scroll written on the inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals.” {Rev 5:1]
What’s going on here?
Well, it begins in Genesis. Remember last week we began our study by looking at how the whole story is going to end, with every created being on heaven and earth worshiping the Living One? Well, in order to understand how we got here, it’s necessary to go back to the beginning.
The first thing to understand is that a sealed scroll like this one is a legal document. And it is sealed in the presence of witnesses to make sure that no unauthorized person can tamper with it. The more seals, the more important the document is. You could think of this as the “title deed to creation”. It contains the final terms of the earth’s redemption.
When God created mankind, he gave us rule over of the earth. “God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth." God said, "See, I have
given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food." And it was so. [Gen 1:2-30]
When Adam and Eve fell for the serpent’s promise that they could be like God if they ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they lost their jobs. What’s more, the earth was cursed. Paradise gave way to jungles and deserts. Thorns and weeds took over the fields. Insects carried diseases and animals began to bite the hands that fed them. Earthquakes and tornados tried to shake them off the earth. Because, you see, our first ancestors had, in effect, transferred their mortgage from the original owner, God, to God’s enemy, whose name Satan is Hebrew for “the adversary.”
How many of you own their own house? How many of you are still paying off the mortgage? You know, don’t you, that until all the payments have been made., your house really doesn't belong to you. Your name may be on the deed, but it has a lien against it. The bank is its real owner. How long do you have left on your mortgage?
Well, the earth is still waiting for the day when it will be redeemed. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now.” [Rom :19-22]
The scroll John saw contained the terms by which the earth would be redeemed. But it was sealed. Only the rightful heir, the true king, could open it. And until it is opened, and witnesses attest to the completion of the terms of the title transfer, God cannot begin to set right all of the damage and destruction the temporary owners have done to his property. And this is the appointed time. Everybody is
holding their breath in expectation. But where is the true king? Where is the rightful heir?
John :”saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "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 [John} began to weep bitterly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. “ {Rev 5:2-4]
No one, not one of the patriarchs and kings, not Abraham the friend of God or Moses the servant of God, or David, the man after God’s own heart, could open the scroll. Not even the great archangels who had remained loyal to God from the beginning of time, not Gabriel of the trumpet or Michael of the sword were qualified to break the seals and transfer the title back to its rightful owner.
John stood waiting for one to step forward and take the book. Can you even begin to imagine the magnitude of his disappointment? Think - there you are, after 30 years of making payments, and the title deed is going to be yours - and the key to the safe-deposit box is lost. Or there you are, about ready to receive your diploma after spending 4 years working night and day for that magical degree that will give you a future - and they tell you that you haven’t met one of the crucial requirements, you have to go back for another year.
Only it’s even worse than that. If this is the appointed day, and it seems to be, and there is no one who is authorized to open the seals, then it means that the curse is eternal. There’s no way out. There’s no end to the injustice and cruelty and sorrow that is the lot of Adams and Eve’s hapless children.
Not even the most radical environmentalist can provide the rescue and healing that our earth needs. Not even the most optimistic utopian can bring about the cessation of greed and anger that corrupt our societies. None of the resources at our disposal can fix what ails us. Because the fact of the matter is that all of creation is under the control of a corrupt and heartless landlord who is using us - and all of creation - as weapons in his war against the creator. And until the
mortgage has been paid off there is no recourse.
But wait - the delay was for dramatic effect only. One of the 24 elders reassures John that all is not lost. The delay was intended to underline the fact that there is only one person who could open the scroll. This wasn’t the sort of function that just anyone could perform, there wasn’t a large pool of applicants among which to choose. There was only one. But he WAS THERE. "Do not weep,” said the elder to John, “See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals." John's tears stop, and he looks up - perhaps in expectation for a heroic figure, a champion, a great warrior. Remember, that is the kind of Messiah the Jews had wanted, one who would march into battle like a lion and bring the world into submission. A fierce, tawny lion is a symbol of royalty, striking fear and awe into the heart of the
onlooker. But instead of a lion, John sees a lamb.
It’s sort of the way the crowd must have felt when the greatest knights of the kingdom failed to pull the sword of kingship from the stone, and a rustic teenager with no arms or armor at all pulls it out as if it were a butter-knife on a hot day.
John had overlooked him, even though he had been there all along. He “saw between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders a Lamb standing as if it had been slaughtered...” [Rev 5:6a]
Isn’t that just like us humans, though? We go through life’s struggles and decisions looking everywhere for answers, but for some reason - we keep overlooking the real answer. Maybe it’s because the answer is not what we expect, maybe it’s not what we wanted, maybe there’s just too much noise and clutter for us to notice such a quiet, humble presence. But Jesus is always there.
But wait - it’s not just an ordinary soft cuddly little lamb, there’s something - different. Something disturbing. It looks - as if it had been slain. There’s blood on this lamb. And there’s more. It has “seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.” [Rev 5:6b] What on earth? Or rather, what in heaven? Well, the seven horns signify complete power and
authority. Seven is the number of completion, and horns are the symbol of power. And seven eyes, of course, mean complete knowledge, But this isn’t earthly power, or earthly knowledge - this is spiritual power and knowledge, power over all the earth and knowledge that spans all the earth.
As then as John watched, Jesus stepped forward and took the scroll. This tells us that everything in this world belongs to Him. He has a triple right to the title deed, to the scroll:
It is rightfully his because of creation. Jesus made the property in the first place. "All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being." [John 1:3]
It is rightfully his because of calvary. Jesus paid for the right. “The Son of Man came... to give his life as a ransom for many." [Mt 20:28] “...You were ransomed ... not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. [1 Pe 1:18-19]
It is rightfully his because of conquest. “Death has been swallowed up in victory.... thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” [1 Cor 15:54,57] “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in it.” [Col 2:15]
So Jesus takes the scroll, and then what do we see? “The four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell before the Lamb, each holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.”
Elders and archangels alike offer themselves in homage, their songs in worship, and the prayers of all the saints, in hope and confidence. Note that they don’t just offer their own prayers. They have the prayers of all the saints, which includes you and me. Not one of our prayers has been lost or overlooked.
And then the whole room explodes in a new outpouring of worship, the like of which has never before been heard. They take the words of praise which had previously gone to the Father, remember the last chapter? "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power” [Rev 4:11] and they sing them now, a new song, to the Son. "Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!" [Rev 5:12]
What was it that made Jesus worthy? It was his perfect obedience, and his sacrifice, and his rescuing and bringing home of God’s people. "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slaughtered and by your blood you ransomed for God saints from every tribe and language and people and nation.”
The recovery of Elizabeth Smart this last week gives a preview, a foretaste of the rejoicing when the kidnapped, abused and brainwashed children of God come home at last. "Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost." [Lk 15.6]
Jesus is the hero, not just of the hour, but of the whole story of eternity. He is worthy of our praise, of our honor, of our allegiance.
How often do we give praise and homage and adulation to people and causes who aren’t worthy? Think about it. We honor celebrities - millionaires and actors and athletes and performers of all kinds. We honor people who have power and fame, no matter what their character. But Jesus challenges our value system, doesn’t he. He turns it all upside down.
Jesus is worthy because he let himself be killed in the most agonizing way possible in order that God’s creation might be restored. I read a story about a Special Olympics event - you know, the athletic competition for people with a variety of mental and physical disabilities - where nine contestants were running the hundred-yard dash when one boy stumbled and began to cry. All of the contestants turned back to help him; a girl with Down’s syndrome gave him a hug. All of them proceeded to the finish line arm in arm. The crowd gave them a 10-minute standing ovation. They gave up power to achieve something better - and the whole crowd saw it, and cheered.
What was that better thing that Jesus gave up his life for? To restore God’s creation to its intended purpose. We are intended to be “a kingdom and priests serving our God.” [Rev 5:10] And because of what Jesus Christ did, God’s purposes will - at the appointed time - be fulfilled.
And the lesson for us is that God’s power is, as Paul said in his second letter to the Corinthians, “made perfect in weakness.” [2 Cor 12:9] We keep wanting displays of power, to have people see that we are on the winning side, but God is content with the appearance of weakness. His purpose in this is profound. What if God always won? What if good always triumphed and doing the right always paid tremendous dividends. Everyone would flock to God and follow him. We do what benefits us personally, don’t we? It’s the sensible thing to do! Of course we want to be on the winning side. Who would deliberately set out to lose? So you see, God could win the world over through a consistent display of power. But what about our hearts?
Our hearts that love power and possessions and position - they wouldn’t have changed at all. It would still be all about us, about our own advantage, our own ambition. Only when we follow Jesus’ example and relinquish power, position, prestige, and possessions are we free to love, free to love God and one another as we are meant to do.
So what do we say about this God who appears to be weak? Who will enlist if it looks like evil is winning and the majority have signed up with the winning team? What happens to the church if it becomes a disadvantage to be a Christian? What then? Then only the people who truly love God will follow Jesus and live for him. Only those who love God for who he is, rather than what they can get out
of him, will want to be called by his name. Only those who love truth, regardless of how it is mocked or denied by the world, will follow. It doesn’t take courage to echo what everyone else believes; it takes courage to follow God’s truth when others misunderstand or ridicule you. It takes courage to stand up for what is right when everyone else thinks you are wrong. And it takes even more courage to do so with the kind of humility and gentleness that Jesus displayed. But these
are the kind of people God wants.
Jesus often asks us to do the very opposite what the world approves. Jesus said, ”The greatest among you will be your servant. All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted. [Mt 23:11-12]. Peter tells us. “To this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you,
leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps. "He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth." When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. [1 Pet 2:21-23].
Looking weak is not something God worries about. God is not interested in appearances, because he is interested in reality. And the reality is that he rules the universe no matter what anyone thinks, and he will bring the world to its appointed end. The apostle Paul says, “For God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.” [1 Cor 1:25, 27-29].
The Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, is worthy of opening the scroll, worthy of receiving “power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing” - but not for any of the usual reasons we admire people for, Jesus was worthy because he was slain.
Mind you, he won in the end, didn’t he. But not through the usual methods. And that’s a lesson for us, isn’t it. We are only victorious as we follow the example of Christ, in humility and service, giving up our own agendas, our own pride, our own self-absorption. And then, at the moment we’ve all been waiting for, when Jesus opens the envelope, when Jesus opens the book of life, it will be our names that
we hear.
