I have been mulling over this post all morning, partly because there is too much to write, and partly because I do not even have the words to begin...
This is not an exegesis, rather it is my devotional response to this mornings New Testament reading from Revelation 5.
Revelation 5 offers us a vision of the lamb, who alone is worthy to open the scroll, but first the writer offers us a glimpse of his own heart. Caught up in a vision of heaven he hears the angels calling for one who is worthy to open the scroll and none is found, not in heaven, nor in the entire created universe. His response challenges me to my core;
"I wept and wept because no-one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside." (vs.4)
The writer knew that he was not worthy, and knew that if none was found that the scroll would never give up its secrets, and so he wept. He wept for his own inadequacies and for the salvation of the world. This was not self pity or sorrow. it came from somewhere much deeper than that, and it continued to flow as an intercession of tears until he was called to look up and to see the Lamb of God approaching. The Lamb had been slain, and yet he was standing, and this was no meek Lamb, the symbolism of Revelation shows him as one who has been perfected in strength ( seven horns), and whose spirit has been sent to all and for all ( seven eyes).
I am not attempting to unravel the mystery of the symbolic and apocalyptic language of Revelation, but I am struck here by the picture of the Lamb- Jesus who gave all has been raised in power, and it is to this Jesus that we look for strength. Not that this Jesus is different from the Jesus of the Gospels, he still calls us to follow, his teaching is the same teaching, and his challenges are the same challenges...
..but too often I think we leave Jesus at the cross, too often we bemoan our inadequacies, and we forget that not only does he call us to follow but he also promises to equip us for the task.
Throughout the gospels we hear Jesus telling the disciples over and over again of the type of death he will die, we read of the struggle they had to come to terms with what they were hearing, of their denial of it, and of Jesus further insistence that this must happen. The disciples are still confused as Jesus explains what will happen:
"15 If you love me, you will obey what I command.
16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor to be with you for ever—
17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
19 Before long, the world will not see me any more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.
20On that day you will realise that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you." (John 14)
Like those first disciples I think that we are often confused, and we feel inadequate, even orphaned. BUT he has not left us, he has overcome death, and he will equip us by the power of the Holy Spirit so that we can continue to follow and so that we can continue to share the wonder, the mystery and the astonishing truth that God loved the world so much that he came amongst us and gave himself for us....
He was slain, but he has overcome, and as the heavenly hosts burst forth in a song of praise they remind us that we have been put right with God to step into his calling for us:
‘You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slaughtered and by your blood you ransomed for God
saints from every tribe and language and people and nation;
10you have made them to be a kingdom and priests serving our God,
and they will reign on earth.’
We have been made worthy! In and through him we have and will overcome all that stands against us; this is not pie in the sky visionary stuff. This is God reminding us that he is for us and not against us, that he considered and considers us worthy of his attention and his love, and of the sacrifice he paid for us in Christ!
I need to be continually reminded of this as I work out my salvation and walk with others as the work out their salvation. God is for us, and he has overcome sin and death, and because he has overcome sin and death we will overcome sin and death...
As I read and pondered the Scripture this morning my first response was to sing a hymn of praise, and to allow myself to be caught up again in the wonder and the mystery of the truth that the Creator of heaven and earth loves us so deeply.
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