Preschool
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth (Genesis 1:1).
Worthy Is the Lamb
Memory Verses
Primary
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth (Genesis 1:1).
Junior
All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was
Background Scripture: Revelation 4
Lesson Scripture: Revelation 5:1-14
Introduction
Just suppose God searched through heaven
He couldn’t find one willing to be;
The supreme sacrifice that was needed,
That would buy eternal life for you and me.
Had it not been for a Man called Jesus . . .
Then forever my soul would be lost.1
Let us once again behold the merit of Jesus’s sacrifice for us and the preeminence of his station. He intercedes now in heaven, exalted with glory and honor far above any earthly title or position. We owe Him our life, and He alone deserves our devotion.
Key Verse
John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire (Luke 3:16).
Lesson Scripture
Revelation 5:1 And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.
2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?
3 And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.
4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.
8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;
12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.
14 And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.
Studying the Lesson
The book of Revelation is full of imagery. As we study and interpret it through the lens of the rest of the Bible, we can begin to understand some of the deeper meanings behind the symbols.
The number seven figures prominently in this chapter: seven seals, seven horns, seven eyes, and seven spirits. Seven signifies a complete number in Scripture and can also be the mark, or signature, of God’s creation and handiwork. There are seven days in a week. Noah was commanded to take of the clean beasts by sevens. The Israelites marched around Jericho once for seven days and seven times on the seventh day. Naaman was commanded to wash in Jordan seven times, and many more examples could be cited. Further observing God’s creation, we find there are seven colors in the rainbow and seven notes in music.
Throughout Israel’s history, Judah was a dominant tribe, the tribe through which the Messiah would come: “Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise” and “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be” (Gen. 49:8,10). It was the tribe of David, Daniel, and other kings and prophets. So, to be described as the “Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David” plainly references Jesus as the kingly and messianic Savior.
The twenty-four elders can be representative of the called, chosen, and faithful from the old and new covenants. They are crowned as a symbol of victory and worship at the throne of God.
Horns are often used in the Scripture to denote power or ability (see Ps. 92:10 and 75:4) and figure prominently in the book of Revelation.
Lambs were one of the animals most commonly used as sacrifices for sin. A lamb was slain for the Passover, and its blood was to be brushed onto the doorposts. A slain lamb clearly represents a sacrifice for sin.
It is no wonder that John wept much as he comprehended the true meaning of what he was seeing. The whole state of man, the message of prophecy, and the integrity of God’s promises depended on the contents of the book that was completely and irrevocably sealed with seven seals. No one was able to open it until a slain Lamb appears, a sacrifice with seven horns (complete power) and seven eyes (complete knowledge and awareness). It is Jesus, the King, Messiah, and Savior. He alone is worthy to open the book and unlock the mystery of salvation!
Practical Truths for Today
To better understand the depth of our depravity and the great dimension of Jesus’s sacrifice, we must get a vision of God’s sovereign holiness. The Scriptures describe God as unchanging and perfect. It is his constant, changeless perfection that makes Him completely just, and there is no higher law or standard to which God answers to or can be measured by. His own law, his own will, and his own holiness are the highest and final standards by which all things will be judged. From this judgment seat there is no appeal.
This Holy God has decreed, “The soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ezek. 18:4). No one is able to escape this sentence. The first sin in the garden of Eden was a direct disobedience to God’s simple command. Since that time, all mankind has experienced the guilt brought on by actions that violate God’s holy will.
Where shall we go with our guilt? We may determine to do better, and perhaps we can for a time by making some diligent effort. Doing good deeds may salve the conscience, but can they reconcile us to God? (Job 22:2-3). Self-effort does not cancel the sin debt, nor does it make us righteous. We cannot forgive our own sin, nor can we petition a higher power than God to intervene on our behalf. Only God can forgive the sins that were committed against Him; all sin is ultimately against Him.
Can God justly forgive, or does this violate his perfect, holy nature? Is eternal death the only way to settle the debt of our offenses against his holiness? Without the work of salvation effected by Jesus, God could never set us free.
God the Father, in his great love, planned for our redemption. The plan was conceived in eternity without any human interference or bargaining and was based only on God’s love for fallen man. Though the plan is the Father’s, the glory for fulfilling the plan goes to Jesus. Without Him there would be no salvation, however great the Father’s love. Because Jesus willingly carried out the plan, the Father is able to “shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:7). God the Father is well pleased with Him. He has given all things into his hand, has highly exalted Him, and has given Him a name which is above every name.
In Revelation 6 we see that Jesus initiates the events of human history, controlling them and working through them. He is worthy to do this because “all things were created by him, and for him” (Col. 1:16), and “without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:3). After sin ruined the perfect world He created, Jesus bought us back, paying the debt of our sins, and He ever lives to make intercession for us.
Jesus Christ is the central figure of the human story and the message of the Bible. He alone is worthy of all!
Questions
- How does Jesus mediate for us before the Father?
- Should our feeling of unworthiness deepen as we understand the worthiness of Jesus?
- What could the seals represent that were on the book?
- 1 Rusty Goodman, “Had It Not Been,” Glory Gates, M. Linwood Smith Publications
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Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).