Is He Worthy?
Notes
Transcript
IS HE WORTHY?
IS HE WORTHY?
ANCHOR MOVEMENT
ANCHOR MOVEMENT
The Search for the Worthy One
The Revelation of the Worthy One
The Song of the Worthy One
BIG IDEA
BIG IDEA
If He is not worthy, nothing is made right, but because He is, everything will be.
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
We live in a world that doesn’t just feel broken.
It feels unfinished.
Evil still stands
Death still takes
Sin still grips
Justice still feels delayed
And if you sit in that long enough, the question stops being abstract; it becomes personal:
Is anything ever going to be made right?
Because it feels like:
the same struggles keep returning
the same darkness keeps pressing
the same brokenness keeps lingering
And underneath all of it is a deeper question:
Who can actually fix this?
Revelation 5 doesn’t ignore that question.
It answers it.
John is taken into heaven. He sees the throne of God. He sees glory. He sees power.
And then he sees something in God’s hand:
A scroll.
God has a plan.
But the question is not:
“Is there a plan?”
The question is:
Is there anyone worthy to bring it to pass?
And for one terrifying moment, the answer is no.
Heaven is silent.
Creation has no answer.
John begins to weep.
Because if no one is worthy, nothing is ever made right.
But Revelation 5 does not leave us in silence.
It moves us from silence…
to sight…
to song.
The Search for the Worthy One
The Revelation of the Worthy One
The Song of the Worthy One
1. THE SEARCH FOR THE WORTHY ONE Revelation 5:1–4
1. THE SEARCH FOR THE WORTHY ONE Revelation 5:1–4
Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside.
Verse 1:
Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals.
“Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll…”
God is still on the throne.
He is not panicking.
He is not reacting.
He is not unsure.
But now we see something new:
A scroll.
This scroll is not decoration.
It is destiny.
It contains:
judgment on evil
redemption of God’s people
restoration of creation
It is God’s plan for what is about to come.
It is a title deed; God reclaiming what belongs to Him.
Everything hinges on this scroll.
The Sealed Scroll (v. 1b)
The Sealed Scroll (v. 1b)
Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals.
“sealed with seven seals”
Seven, complete.
Fully closed.
Fully secured.
Fully inaccessible.
Nothing moves forward until it is opened.
The Question (v.2)
The Question (v.2)
And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?”
“Who is worthy…?”
Not who is strong.
Not who is willing.
Who is worthy?
Who has:
the right
the authority
the holiness
the power
To:
judge sin
defeat Satan
end evil
restore the world
The Silence (v.3)
The Silence (v.3)
But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it.
“No one… in heaven or on earth or under the earth…”
Heaven is searched.
Earth is searched.
Under the earth is searched.
And the result is the same everywhere:
No one.
No angel rises.
No saint steps forward.
No human qualifies.
This is the declaration that no created being can fix what sin has broken.
The universe is full of beings.
But it is empty of a Savior.
The Tears (v.4)
The Tears (v.4)
I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside.
“I began to weep loudly…”
Why?
Because John understands what this means.
If no one opens the scroll:
evil remains
injustice stands
suffering continues
the kingdom never comes
Faithlife says:
“things will not be set right”
So John weeps.
Because this cannot stay unresolved.
And that is where some of you are living.
Not with visible tears, but with quiet despair.
“Will this ever change?”
“Will I ever be free?”
“Will this world ever be made right?”
John’s tears are your question.
Illustration: Courtroom
Illustration: Courtroom
Imagine a courtroom where the case is closed, the evidence is clear, the verdict is ready, but there is no judge to carry it out.
Everything is prepared.
Nothing is resolved.
That is Revelation 5.
The problem is not just that the world is broken; it’s that no one in creation can fix it.
The problem is not just that the world is broken; it’s that no one in creation can fix it.
Stop placing ultimate hope in what cannot save.
not culture
not leaders
not systems
not yourself
The silence of heaven is telling you something:
Nothing created is worthy to redeem what sin has ruined.
But heaven is not out of options.
Because what cannot be found in creation… is revealed from the throne.
2. THE REVELATION OF THE WORTHY ONE Revelation 5:5–7
2. THE REVELATION OF THE WORTHY ONE Revelation 5:5–7
Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne.
Verse 5:
Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
“Do not weep…”
Stop crying.
Not because the problem is small, but because the answer is real.
The Lion of Judah (v. 5b)
The Lion of Judah (v. 5b)
See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah
“The Lion of the tribe of Judah…”
Genesis 49: King.
“The Root of David…”
Isaiah 11: Ruler.
“He has conquered…”
nikaō: He has already won.
Not future victory.
Finished victory.
Sin defeated.
Satan judged.
Death broken.
The Root of David (v. 5c)
The Root of David (v. 5c)
Jesus is also seen here as the Root or descendant of David (cf. 22:16; Jer. 23:5–6; 33:15–17).
That messianic title derives from Isaiah 11:1, 10:
“Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit.… Then it will come about in that day that the nations will resort to the root of Jesse, who will stand as a signal for the peoples; and His resting place will be glorious.”
As the genealogies of Matthew 1 and Luke 3 reveal, Jesus was a descendant of David both on His father’s and on His mother’s side.
In Romans 1:3 the apostle Paul said that Jesus was “born of a descendant of David according to the flesh.” The term “Son of David” is a messianic title used frequently in the Gospels (e.g., Matt. 9:27; 12:23; 15:22; 20:30–31; 21:9, 15; 22:42; Mark 12:35).
The Shock (v. 6a)
The Shock (v. 6a)
John turns…
Then I saw a Lamb
“and I saw a Lamb…”
Not a Lion in appearance, a Lamb.
This is the turning point.
He hears Lion.
He sees Lamb.
Not contradiction.
Revelation.
The Lamb (v. 6b)
The Lamb (v. 6b)
looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders.
“standing as though slain”
The Greek idea (ἐσφαγμένον) carries ongoing reality.
Slain, yet still bearing the marks.
Standing, fully alive.
The cross is not past.
It is central.
The Authority (v. 5c & 6c)
The Authority (v. 5c & 6c)
He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals
The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
Only He Is able to open the scroll and its seven seals
Seven horns → perfect power (omnipotence)
Seven eyes → perfect knowledge (omniscience)
This imagery portrays Jesus as both the sacrificial Lamb and the sovereign ruler, fully equipped with the perfect power to conquer and the perfect knowledge to judge and redeem.
This Lamb is not weak.
He is:
sovereign
all-knowing
fully qualified
The Moment (v.7)
The Moment (v.7)
He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne.
“He took the scroll…”
Everything shifts here.
History moves forward here.
The wait is over here.
MacArthur calls this the moment God begins to take back His universe. (MacArthur)
The Reality
The Reality
The Lion conquers by becoming the Lamb.
Not despite the cross. Through the cross.
Illustration: A King
Illustration: A King
A king does not win by avoiding the battle.
He wins by entering it, taking the wound, defeating the enemy, and rising in victory.
That is Jesus.
The only One worthy to rule the world is the One who died to redeem it.
The only One worthy to rule the world is the One who died to redeem it.
Do not settle for a distorted Jesus.
Do not settle for a distorted Jesus.
If you want:
grace without holiness
love without justice
You don’t understand Him (Jesus)
And if you are not saved:
Run to the Lamb now
because one day you will face the Lion.
And when the Lamb takes the scroll
heaven cannot stay quiet.
3. THE SONG OF THE WORTHY ONE Revelation 5:8–14
3. THE SONG OF THE WORTHY ONE Revelation 5:8–14
And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. And they sang a new song, saying:
“You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased for God
persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.
You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign on the earth.”
Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they were saying:
“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!”
Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!”
The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
Verse 8:
And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.
“They fell down…”
Immediate.
No hesitation.
Heaven sees and responds.
The Prayers (v. 8b)
The Prayers (v. 8b)
Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.
“bowls full of incense…”
Your prayers are not forgotten.
Every:
“How long?”
“Help me”
“Lord, come”
They are before God.
Nothing is wasted.
The Song (v.9–10)
The Song (v.9–10)
And they sang a new song, saying:
“You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased for God
persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.
You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign on the earth.”
“Worthy are you…”
Why?
Because:
You were slain
You ransomed
You transformed
This is the answer to the entire chapter.
The Expansion (v.11–13)
The Expansion (v.11–13)
Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they were saying:
“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!”
Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!”
Angels join.
“myriads of myriads…”
Then creation joins.
“every creature…”
Heaven → angels → creation
This is a crescendo.
Everything responds.
The Deity of Christ (v. 13)
The Deity of Christ (v. 13)
Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!”
“To Him… and to the Lamb…”
Same worship.
Same glory.
Jesus is not just Savior.
He is God.
The Final Response (v.14)
The Final Response (v.14)
The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
“Amen… and they worshiped”
Lost in wonder, love, and praise, the four living creatures could only keep saying, “Amen.”
That solemn affirmation means “let it be,” “make it happen” (cf. 1:6–7).
And the elders fell down once again and worshiped. Soon, this mighty host would march out of heaven to execute judgment, gather the elect, and return with Christ when He sets up His earthly kingdom. The stage is set.
Heaven sees clearly.
So heaven responds correctly.
Simply put, the stage is set.
For...
When Jesus is seen for who He truly is; worship is not forced, it is unavoidable.
When Jesus is seen for who He truly is; worship is not forced, it is unavoidable.
If your worship is weak
your vision of Christ is small.
CONCLUSION: Is He Worthy?
CONCLUSION: Is He Worthy?
We started with a question:
Is He worthy?
Is there anyone who can:
judge evil
redeem sinners
restore creation
Revelation 5 answers:
Yes.
No one in creation was found.
But One was revealed from heaven.
The Lion.
The Root of David.
The Lamb.
The Worthy One.
Final Call
Final Call
If you don’t know Him:
The Lamb was slain for you.
Come now.
Because the Lion will judge.
If you do know Him:
Stop living like the world is out of control.
The scroll is not in weak hands.
History is not uncertain.
The worthy Lamb has taken the scroll.
Final Line
Final Line
So don’t just admire Him.
Don’t just talk about Him.
Bow before Him.
Because Jesus Christ is worthy.
