Preaching Series on Revelation (2 of 4)

[This is Week 2 of a 4-week preaching series on Revelation.]

Moses
Moses by John August Swanson. Image from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, Tenn. Original source © 1983 by John August Swanson.

August 20, 2017

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Commentary on Revelation 5:1-13



[This is Week 2 of a 4-week preaching series on Revelation.]

Week 2 (Aug. 20, 2017)

Preaching text: Revelation 5:1-13; accompanying text: John 1:29-31

Christ the Lamb

Revelation’s throne room scene continues with a vision of God holding a scroll in his hand. The scroll presumably expresses the will of God, and the question of who is worthy to make God’s will known. John hears that the Lion is worthy, but when he turns he sees a slaughtered and yet living Lamb. The idea is that the promise of the lion-like ruler from Judah is fulfilled in the promise of the slaughtered Lamb.

The death of Christ is the way that the power of God is unleashed. It is the power of self-sacrifice that builds God’s kingdom by redeeming people of every tribe and nation. The Lamb is the primary way in which Christ is identified in Revelation. Again songs break out in waves. To sing “worthy is Christ the Lamb who was slain” or other songs about the Lamb is to join with the heavenly chorus in worship.