The Sweet and Bitter Scroll

          Good morning, church! The message that I am bringing today is a perfect example of the New Testament authors' use of the Old Testament. John, in this passage of Revelation, relies on Ezekiel’s words to cast a fresh vision for the New Testament audience. To truly understand, we will need the Holy Spirit’s help. Therefore, let us pray:

Gracious and Almighty God, we come before You in awe of Your majesty and gratitude for the gift of Your Word. As we gather to explore the profound truths found in Revelation and Ezekiel, we ask for Your Spirit to illuminate our hearts and minds. May the sweetness of Your message inspire us to rejoice in Your promises, and may the weight of its demands strengthen our resolve to live for Your glory. Equip us, Lord, to absorb Your call with humility and courage, just as Your servants John and Ezekiel did. Let Your Word shape us, refine us, and embolden us to proclaim Your truth to peoples, nations, languages, and kings. We surrender this time to You, trusting that Your voice will guide us. May this sermon glorify Your name and transform our lives. In Christ’s holy name, we pray. Amen.

Introduction

The Word of God calls His chosen servants to extraordinary and, at times, daunting tasks. Revelation 10:8-11 and Ezekiel 3:1-3 provide us with profound insights into the nature of these calls. In both passages, John and Ezekiel are instructed to eat a scroll, symbolizing their absorption of God’s message and their readiness to proclaim it. Through a verse-by-verse exploration of these texts, this sermon will highlight their similarities and unique contexts, offering lessons for a Bible-centered congregation committed to understanding and living out God’s Word.

We begin with a verse-by-verse look at Revelation 10:8-11

Revelation 10:8 - "Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me once more: ‘Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.’”

Here, John hears a divine voice instructing him to approach the mighty angel and take the open scroll from his hand. This moment underscores John's active involvement in God's plan—obedience is required, not passivity. The open scroll symbolizes God’s revealed will, accessible and ready to be delivered to the world. For us, this verse calls us to step forward in faith whenever God commissions us for His purposes.

I have learned over the course of my life that it is essential to prepare yourself as much as possible and wait for God’s call. As the prophet Habakkuk says, God’s call may take a while, but it always comes at the right time to accomplish God’s purposes. As we face a search for a new pastor, we can rest assured that all things happen in God’s timing. Unfortunately, there is very little we can do to speed up the process. As the old Boy Scout motto says, “Be prepared.” If we are prepared, God will provide the pastor we need.

Revelation 10:9 - "So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, ‘Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth, it will be as sweet as honey.”

John obeys the command to approach the angel, who instructs him to eat the scroll. The act of eating signifies internalizing God’s message fully, consuming it so that it becomes a part of him. The sweetness in the mouth reflects the joy of receiving God's Word, while the sourness in the stomach points to the burden of proclaiming its often-challenging truths. This verse reminds us that while the Gospel brings hope and joy, the weight of its implications—judgment, repentance, and accountability—can be heavy.

Sermon preparation is a lot like eating this scroll. I always receive the word from the Lord with joy, but I often find that applying it to our lives proves to be difficult. Nothing fills me with more dread than when I have to speak a hard word to us as a congregation. All I can do is pray for the grace to preach everything as winsomely as possible, while still remaining faithful to the word that comes from studying the Scriptures.

Revelation 10:10 - "I took the little scroll from the angel's hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour."

John’s experience mirrors the angel’s warning. The sweetness of the scroll affirms the beauty and goodness of God’s Word, yet the bitterness reflects the painful realities of delivering prophetic messages. This duality challenges us to embrace the entirety of Scripture, rejoicing in its promises while recognizing the gravity of its demands.

          When we read scripture, particularly for me, the parables of Jesus. I will usually find a way to make the parable mean that I am the good, righteous, and the hero of the story. Who has ever imagined themselves to be the priest or the scribe who walks by the victim in the parable of the Good Samaritan? In my own life, I often find myself walking past someone in need of time and attention or brushing someone off who is obviously hurting with a quick hello and 'how are you,' and then praying that they won’t tell me how they really feel. Yet, we must follow Jesus and do unto others as we would have them do unto us. Then comes the scariest part in verse 11.

Revelation 10:11 - "Then I was told, ‘You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.’”

               One of the most common fears people have is public speaking. There is something profound about this fear. There is an old song about a new Christian being willing to do whatever the Lord says, except being sent to Africa as a missionary. We might not find it intimidating to speak to people we know well, but strangers present a challenge. This is how we see John in this verse.

With the scroll consumed, John receives his commission: to prophesy to the world. His message will transcend cultural and national boundaries, emphasizing the universal scope of God’s Word. For us, this verse serves as a reminder that our calling as believers is not confined to personal edification but extends to sharing God’s truth with others, no matter the cost.

Let us now consider the account of Ezekiel’s call to become a prophet to the people during the time of the scattering of the Nation of Israel because they disobeyed God’s commands. We find Ezekiel, like John, confronted by an angel with a scroll for him to eat. He eats it with similar effects. Let’s listen in to the conversation between the angel and Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 3:1 - "And he[the angel] said to me, ‘Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the people of Israel.’”

Like John, Ezekiel is called to eat a scroll. The instruction signifies his need to internalize God’s Word before delivering it to Israel. Unlike John’s global mission, Ezekiel’s task is specific: to confront a rebellious nation with God’s truth. This verse emphasizes the importance of spiritual preparation before engaging in ministry.

Ezekiel is well aware of what he will be tasked with doing. Eating this scroll, like the one in Revelation we just discussed, will not convey a positive or encouraging message for his hearers. The people have sinned, been warned to stop sinning, and have persisted by sinning even more. There is little hope that the message he is sent to proclaim will be received with cheers and celebration.

Ezekiel 3:2 - "So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat."

Ezekiel’s obedience mirrors John’s. He opens his mouth and receives the scroll, a posture of submission to God’s will. This act reminds us of the necessity of humility and readiness when responding to God’s call. God equips His servants with the message they need to fulfill their mission.

While we understand the mission and the message, getting the courage to speak it is another matter. This obedience, as seen in Ezekiel, is similar to that of John in Revelation, giving us hope that we can share our testimonies effectively if we are prepared.

Ezekiel 3:3 - "Then he said to me, ‘Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.’ So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth."

The sweetness reflects Ezekiel’s delight in receiving God’s Word, even though it contains lamentations and woes. This verse highlights the paradox of Scripture: its truth is inherently good and sweet, yet its content may be sobering and challenging. For Ezekiel, the sweetness sustains him through the bitterness of his prophetic task.

Let’s take a moment to reflect on the similarities and differences between these two scriptures that relate to us.

We will begin by examining the similarities between the scriptures. Both John and Ezekiel are called to internalize God’s Word through the symbolic act of eating a scroll. The sweetness they experience underscores the goodness and delight of knowing God’s truth, while the bitterness signifies the weight of proclaiming difficult messages. Both are commissioned to speak boldly, regardless of the challenges they face.

The central difference between the two scriptures is their contexts. The context of their calls differs. Ezekiel’s ministry is focused on Israel during a time of rebellion and exile, whereas John’s commission is global, addressing God's eschatological plans for all nations. These distinctions remind us that God’s calling is both personal and unique, tailored to the servant and the mission.

          Having briefly examined the similarities and differences between the two passages, we must now determine how to apply these scriptures to the life of the church in the 21st century.

Internalizing God’s Word

Both accounts emphasize the importance of internalizing Scripture. As a Jesus-loving, Bible-centered congregation, we are called to engage deeply with God’s Word, allowing it to shape our lives and prepare us for ministry. Like John and Ezekiel, we must receive God’s truth before we can share it effectively.

          Eating the scrolls for us means being in God’s word frequently. We must not rush through a daily Bible reading plan as if it were a race. Going deep into the word takes time. We realize that the “scrolls” John and Ezekiel ate were not actual scrolls but were teachings that were handed to them by their angelic visitor. We have what John and Ezekiel did not have. That is, there were no readily available scriptures to be studied. In our day and age, we have tons and tons (literally) of Bibles available relatively inexpensively and in any translation you would like, from the stately King James Version to the Message paraphrase.

          A good commentary on the entire scripture or a reliable study Bible can complement these translations. If you have questions about my recommendations, please don't hesitate to reach out to me or send a message my way.

The bittersweet nature of the scrolls reminds us that studying the entirety of God’s Word requires courage and faithfulness. The Gospel is both a message of hope and a call to repentance, and we must not shy away from learning its whole counsel, trusting in the Holy Spirit to work in our hearts.

Studying the Bible in this way will open up a whole world of possibilities. John and Ezekiel’s commissions challenge us to consider both the global and local dimensions of our mission. Whether addressing our community or engaging in global outreach, we are called to be faithful ambassadors of God’s truth, bearing its sweetness and its burdens with humility and perseverance.

          Ultimately, we can relate to God’s heart through His scriptures. The calls of John and Ezekiel illustrate the profound privilege and responsibility of being Jesus’ disciples. Their experiences remind us that Scripture is both sweet and challenging, offering joy and confronting sin. As a Bible-centered congregation, may we follow their example, internalizing God’s Word and faithfully proclaiming it to a world in need of His truth.

Let us embrace the sweetness of God’s promises and the courage to face the bitterness of His truths, trusting in His grace to sustain us in our mission. Let us close in  prayer:

Gracious and Almighty God, we come before You with humble hearts, grateful for the gift of Your Word that nourishes, guides, and challenges us. Teach us to internalize Your truth, allowing it to transform us deeply so that we become vessels of Your light in a world longing for hope. Equip us with courage to faithfully proclaim the fullness of Your Gospel—its sweetness of promise and the bitterness of conviction—knowing that Your Holy Spirit is at work in every heart.

Lord, as Your ambassadors, help us embrace our mission with humility and perseverance, both in our local community and across the globe. May we bear Your Word with joy and faith, trusting in Your grace to sustain us through trials and triumphs alike. Strengthen us to walk in obedience, reflecting Your love and truth to all we encounter. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.