The Lamb is Sufficient

Revelation 5:6–14

Prospect Community Church, hear the Word of the Lord this morning—not just as information but as a holy invitation. An invitation to see Jesus for who He truly is. An invitation to worship the Lamb who was slain.

We find ourselves standing beside John the Revelator in Revelation 5. Heaven is holding its breath. There is a scroll in the hand of God—sealed, mysterious, containing the plan of redemption and judgment. And no one in heaven or earth is found worthy to open it.

John begins to weep. History seems stalled. But then an elder says, “Do not weep! Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered!”

John turns expecting to see a Lion, a strong fierce king.

But what does he see? A Lamb.

Not just any lamb—but a Lamb standing as though it had been slain.

This is the very heart of our faith. The Lion is the Lamb. The King is the Sacrifice. And He alone is worthy, sufficient, to open the scroll—not because of strength in arms or status among men, but because He was slain and yet lives.

Just as John the Baptist once said, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,” now heaven itself cries out in worship to this same Lamb—Jesus Christ, crucified and risen.

And don’t miss this detail: the Lamb is not beside the throne. He is at the center of it.

The worship once directed to God the Creator in chapter 4 is now poured out to Christ the Redeemer in chapter 5—because the Lamb is God. His blood has ransomed people from every tribe, language, and nation. That includes you and me.

I. The Scars That Speak (v.6)

John says, “I saw a Lamb, standing as though it had been slain.” The Lamb is bearing the marks of death, but He is alive.

His scars remain, not as reminders of defeat, but as proof of His love and victory. The only scars in heaven will be on Jesus, our savior.

Charles Spurgeon once said, “The wounds of Christ are His glory… the jewels of His crown.” Why do the scars remain even after the resurrection? Because they are the sermon. They declare: “This is what love looks like.” “This is what makes one worthy.” “This is the kind of King I am.”

Because they show us what love looks like. They declare to all creation: This is what it took to save you. This is the price of grace.

In our world, scars are usually hidden—something to be ashamed of. But Jesus wears His openly, even in glory. And through them, He shows us what kind of King He is: not a tyrant who rules by force, but a Savior who leads with mercy.

II. The Lamb Is God—Worthy of the Throne (vv.6–8)

John doesn’t see the Lamb off in the distance, outside the circle of glory. He says the Lamb is standing at the center of the throne. The imagery here is intentional. It’s there for us to helps us see: “The Lamb is worthy of the same adoration as the former occupant of the throne. Therefore, the Lamb is God.”

Revelation doesn’t just show us what God does—it shows us who God is.

This is the heart of our confession as Christians: Jesus is not just a messenger or a model—He is the very presence of God among us.

And when we truly behold Him—when we see His glory wrapped in scars—there is only one proper response: worship.

This is why the elders fall down. This is why the angels erupt.

This is why all creation joins in. Because the Lamb is worthy. Worship isn’t a warm-up before the sermon—it’s the response of heaven to the beauty and worthiness of Christ.

III. The Worship of Heaven Is Rooted in History (vv.9–14)

Verse 9 tells us that a new song breaks out in heaven. And it’s not just a melody—it’s theology:

“You were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation…”

“The church’s first theology was sung.” Before we had creeds and councils, we had worship. Before we organized beliefs into categories, the Church fell on its face in doxology. they simply saw Jesus and fell down in awe.

This means that Revelation offers us the right order of faith: Worship → Doctrine And this is the pattern we are invited to follow. Worship isn’t just about preferences or styles—it’s about Jesus. The worship of heaven doesn’t depend on guitars or organs, projectors or hymnbooks. It flows from the truth that Jesus died, Jesus rose, and Jesus reigns. We don’t figure God out and then praise Him. We meet Him, and we fall to our knees.

And here’s the beauty: Heaven’s worship begins in response to Christ’s death—but it does not end there. The song declares that the Lamb now reigns. His sacrifice was not the end—it was the beginning of the kingdom.

IV. The Lamb Is Sufficient

Revelation 5 answers the aching question of all creation: Who is worthy?

And only one answer is given. Not Caesar. Not the angelic host. Not you. Not me.

Only the Lamb is worthy to open the scroll—to hold the destiny of the world. His death was costly, His resurrection is glorious, and His Spirit is complete—symbolized by the seven horns and seven eyes.

He alone is worthy to take the scroll, to carry the purpose of history, and to bring redemption to the world. His death is enough. His blood is enough. His power is enough.

He lacks nothing. He needs no assistance. Christ alone is sufficient for salvation, truth, justice, power, and hope.

Let me ask you: Do you believe this Lamb is enough? Or are you still waiting for a lion of your own making?

Jesus doesn’t need our help to complete salvation. He invites our worship, but He alone secures our future.

V. The Church with Scars (Pastoral Call)

Revelation doesn’t just reveal Jesus—it reveals the Church. We are a people shaped by the Lamb. We are not a lion church that conquers by claw, but a lamb church that conquers by cross.

And that means this: our wounds matter. Not because they define us, but because God can use them.

Henri Nouwen said, “Our wounds are often the openings into the best and most beautiful part of us.”

Church, what would happen if we stopped hiding our scars? What would happen if we, like Jesus, allowed the world to see our pain, redeemed by love?

What would it mean to say to a broken world, “Touch my side. See my hands. Here’s where Jesus met me”?

We are a scarred Church, telling a scarred story, following a scarred Savior. And our scars—like His—can become signs of grace. What would it look like if the church stopped pretending to be perfect and instead pointed to the Lamb and said, “Look what Jesus has done in me”? We follow a Savior with scars—and that means we don’t need to be afraid of our own.

And so, we return to the center: worship. Worship is not a programmatic issue. It is a response to our experience of Christ in history. That means worship is not something that begins when the music starts or ends when the sermon stops. Worship happens in the middle of real life. It happens in your car. It happens when you're holding your grandchild or reading a painful news story. It happens when you remember that Christ is still on the throne, even when the world is on fire.

So let me challenge you this week: Don’t wait until Sunday to worship. Let your praise rise on Tuesday, or Friday, or in the middle of a sleepless night. Let your worship be a daily reminder that the Lamb still reigns—and that He is enough.

If you live your week in worship, your Sunday worship won’t feel like a reset. It will feel like a celebration.

When John saw the Lamb, the weeping stopped. When we see Jesus clearly, our fears lose their grip and our hearts respond with joy. The scars of Jesus are not signs of weakness—they are proof of His love and power. He is the Lion who conquered by becoming the Lamb.

“To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and power, forever and ever. Amen.”

VI. The Response: Worship in the World

And so we return to the beginning: worship.

As Richard Eckley reminds us, “Worship is not a programmatic issue. It is a response to our experience of Christ in history.” True worship is not confined to mountaintops or stained-glass buildings. It happens in the mundane. It erupts in the kitchen, in traffic, during the evening news.

What would it look like for you, this week, to be so taken by the Lamb that you begin to praise Him while reading the headlines or folding laundry?

If you live your week in worship, I promise you—your Sunday worship won’t be manufactured. It will be an overflow.

Conclusion

When John saw the Lamb, the weeping stopped.

When wesee Jesus rightly, our fears are silenced and our worship begins.

The scars of Jesus are not signs of defeat—they are declarations of authority.

The Lion has conquered—because He is the Lamb.

“To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and power, forever and ever. Amen.”