Victory’s Song

Worthy Is The Lamb Who Was Slain

5.4.25 [Revelation 5:11-14] River of Life (21st Sunday after Pentecost)

Rev. 1:4-5  Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. Amen. 

Do you have a favorite song? Of course you do. In fact, if you had any hesitation, it’s because you have too many songs that you like and you couldn’t pick just one. 

Songs can be silly. Songs can be serious. Songs can be spirited. Songs and music have the phenomenal power to capture our hearts, captivate our minds, and stir our souls. Songs and music can fill you with fear or joy. Songs and music can pump you up, help you pass the time at work or on a long road trip, or even just help you unwind. Songs and music can soothe broken hearts or lift your spirits. It can make you homesick or make you want to get out of Dodge. 

But music and singing isn’t just something we do to break the silence or pass the time. Music and singing are gifts that God has fashioned and made so that we can express our praises to him. And not just us, but everything that God has created. Listen to these words from Psalm 98. 

1 Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things..4 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; 5 make music to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, 6 with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn— shout for joy before the Lord, the King. 7 Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. 8 Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy; 9 let them sing before the Lord…

Everything that God has created—men, women, and children, and all their musical instruments, all the oceans, rivers, and mountains—sing the praises of the Lord who has done marvelous things. 

But music and singing are a part of life in heaven, too. When the prophet Isaiah is given a glimpse of the glory of God, he hears seraphim angels calling to one another: Is. 6:3 Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty. The whole earth is full of his glory.  

When a great company of the heavenly host of angels descended upon Bethlehem, they burst forth in praise, saying Lk 2:14 Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests. Now, technically speaking, neither of those passages explicitly says these words of praise were sung by the angels. But it’s hard to imagine that their fervor and excitement wasn’t rhythmic or melodious. How can you proclaim such sweet good news without being sweet-sounding? It’s almost impossible, right? 

Today, in our reading from the Revelation to John the Apostle, we get a chance to eavesdrop on heaven’s song of praise. John has passed through an open door and seen the throne of the Lord God Almighty. Around that throne were four living creatures—cherubim angels—24 elders, and myriads of angels encircling the throne. And they’re all saying the same thing in a loud voice. Rev. 5:12 Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise.   

It’s a majestic picture and a piling up of words of praise. But it’s in heaven. And there’s a part of each of us that thinks, it’s got to be easy to praise God in heaven where everything is exactly the way it is supposed to be. Who wouldn’t praise God under perfect circumstances? We praise God when we get those little slices of heaven on earth. When everything is going great. When the blessings are piling up. When the Lord is doing marvelous things. 

But that’s not where we live, is it? Nothing about this life is perfect. Nothing about this world seems like it’s working the way it’s supposed to. How can we praise God under lousy circumstances? 

Because that is where we live, isn’t it? Who wants to praise God when your loved ones get sick? Who bursts forth in praise to God when you’re laying the love of your life to rest? Who wants to praise God when you’re financially hemorrhaging? Who bursts forth in praise to God when you’re an emotional wreck? Who wants to praise God when so much is going wrong and there’s no way to stop the bleeding? Who bursts forth in praise when you’re mocked for your faith? Who wants to praise God when your prayers seem to have gone unanswered? Who wants to praise God when your family is falling apart? Who wants to praise God when you’re feeling stuck or alone? Who wants to praise God when you’re being asked to forgive the unforgivable? 

Whenever we are feeling powerless, needy, foolish, weak, humiliated, ashamed, or condemned, we don’t feel like praising God. Instead of praising him, we protest—sometimes politely and patiently. 

God, why don’t you do something? Why don’t you help me? Why don’t you restore me? Why don’t you empower me? Why don’t you lift me up? Why don’t you make sure I get the honor I deserve? Why don’t you silence my enemies? Why don’t you give me what I need to accomplish my dreams? 

If and when God meets our conditions, then we will praise him. When God heals, we praise him. When God restores, we praise him. When God lifts us up and puts our enemies in their place, we praise him. When God empowers us, we praise him. When God makes our plans come together, we praise him. 

And we should praise him then. But not only if and when God meets our conditions. We shouldn’t wait for those things to happen to praise him. We should praise him when we are powerless, needy, foolish, weak, humbled, put to shame, and even condemned. Because God experienced all these things to save us. 

Look again at what the myriads of angels were saying in a loud voice. Rev. 5:12 Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise. 

These are all the things that Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, relinquished in some form or other when he came to earth to redeem us. 

Jesus was born into fragility and poverty. The Son of God needed to be placed in a manger. He needed his earthly father to whisk him away in the middle of the night to outrun Herod’s bloodthirsty soldiers. His parents were unimportant people who consecrated the life of their firstborn son with a pair of doves. During his ministry, he relied on others to provide for his daily bread. Foxes have dens, but the Son of Man had no place to call his own. 

During his ministry, he was roundly mocked by the teachers of the law. They thought he was a fool. He has a demon, they accused. Mk. 3:21 Even his family thought he had lost his mind. 

Yes, Jesus had miraculous power while here on earth, but he never used that miraculous power for his own benefit. When the Devil implored him to turn the stones of the wilderness into bread to fill his empty belly, he refused. Even when he did miraculously provide food and drink, it wasn’t for himself. While there would have been nothing wrong with Jesus enjoying a glass of wine at the wedding at Cana or a piece of fish or barley bread on the mountainside, Scripture tells us how others enjoyed the fruits of his miraculous labor.

Jesus had power over all the powers of his world, but he submitted to their authority. He followed the orders of the Temple guards when they came to arrest him. He abided by the high priest Annas and complied with Pontius Pilate. None of them were righteous. None of their decisions were right. He allowed himself to be wronged for our sake—for all wrongdoers.   

On Good Friday, we see Jesus robbed of strength and honor and glory and praise. After being scourged, he was physically incapable of carrying his cross all the way to Calvary. As he hung on that wretched tree, strangers mocked him. Elders dishonored him as a fraud. He trusts in God, let God save him, they said. As he was lifted up on the cross, his fellow sufferers heaped abused upon him. This was the Lamb of God who came to take away the sin of the world and the world not only did not recognize him, but they rejected him outright. They reveled in his suffering and death. 

But he is still worthy.   Not in spite of his suffering and death. But because he was slain for us. Because when nothing was going the way it should, God was doing what he promised. When nothing seemed right, God was making all things new. When he was slain, this was the Lord’s will. And after he suffered, he saw the light of life. He bore our iniquities and justified us in God’s sight. 

As that Lamb sits at the right hand of the Father, we respond with words and songs of praise. Not because everything in this life is perfect. But because the Author and Perfector of our faith reigns supreme. Sickness and weakness drive us to the only One who can heal us fully. We do not grieve death like those who have no hope, because the Lamb was slain but he is still worthy. We can praise God when we are wronged, because he has forgiven us when we wronged him and equipped us to forgive those who have wronged us. We can praise God when our prayers seem to be unanswered, because we know the Lord works out all things for our good and he assures us our prayers are powerful & effective. We can praise the Lord when we’re falling apart, because Christ has been there, done that for us. Worthy is the Lamb who was familiar with our sorrows and slain because he lives. Amen.