Revelation 2012 #5: Jesus Is The Lion And The Lamb Series

REVELATION 2012: #5 – JESUS IS THE LION AND THE LAMB

OPENING TEXT: REVIEW FROM LAST WEEK:

• Over the past couple of weeks, we have been studying the Book of Revelation.

“Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: "You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.” (Rev. 4:9-11).

• In chapter 4, John saw a door open in Heaven and caught a glimpse of worship.

• Everyone is a worshipper – you choose who you will worship.

• Revelation is about seeing Jesus and being inspired by, trusting & responding to Him.

1. THE SCROLL – THE WORD OF GOD:

“And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?" And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it. So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it.” (Rev. 5:1-4).

• What do we see here? God the Father is seated on the throne (one of our themes).

• In His right hand was a scroll – the Bible.

• Before they had books as they are in their current form, they had scrolls.

• Bible was originally scrolls – long unfolding pieces of paper written on front and back.

• Scriptures come from the hand of God on the throne, not just the human authors.

• This is why the Scriptures are so important and why we value them at our church!

• God speaks, leads, guides, directs, comforts and challenges us through the Scriptures.

• We are to open the Bible, see Jesus, and response to Him with lives of worship.

• For worship to happen, the Bible has to be open. Look for Jesus on every page!

• The Father held the scroll – with all God’s Promises – to love, save, heal and transform us, but no one was worthy to take the Scriptures from His hand and give it to the people.

• As a pastor, John knows how much the people need this, and is therefore devastated.

2. JESUS IS THE LION AND THE LAMB:

“But one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.” (Rev. 5:5).

• Jesus is The Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Gen. 49:9).

• Jesus is The Root of David (Isaiah 11:1).

• As the strong Lion who has prevailed, He is the Overcomer who has conquered death.

“And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.” (Rev. 5:6).

• John saw Jesus as a Lamb as though it had been slain. The Lion and the Lamb.

• “And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!” (John 1:36).

• The lamb was seen all throughout the Old Testament as one slaughtered for people’s sins.

• Peter said that we are redeemed “with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” (1 Peter 1:19).

• Jesus is the victorious Lion because He is the Lamb who was slain.

• seven horns (horn in the Bible is a symbol of power) = perfect or complete power

ISAIAH’S PICTURE OF JESUS THE SACRIFICIAL LAMB:

“3 He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. 4 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.” (Isaiah 53:3-7).