Lamb of God
Originally scheduled for January 29
In a loud voice they sang: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to
receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory
and praise!"
(Revelation 5:12)
Most Christians today find the concept of the
“Lamb of God” to be rather eerie.
It’s an example of how the Jewish system of sacrifices has
become foreign to us.
First announced by John the Baptist, this concept tells us that
Christ became the atoning sacrifice for our sins – a role played by
lambs in the Old Testament Law. In this passage, John the Apostle
shows us that, being the Lamb of God, Christ is entitled to our
worship. It’s broken down here into seven points. If he receives
these things, it’s only because we display them to him.
·
Power. Are you one of those people
who has the authority to command others? How you do this is a
reflection of the Christ within you.
·
Wealth. We take this to mean both
physical wealth, of the earthly type, and spiritual wealth. Take a
look at your checkbook and see where the money’s going.
·
Wisdom. Related to the fear of God,
it carries with it the idea that you listen to the counsel of the
Scriptures in making your decisions. It may also include seeking out
the advice of one who is older and more experienced. Do you do this?
·
Strength. This could mean something
physical; are you available to help when somebody needs something
moved? It could be something emotional; are you the rock they can
depend on? And it could be something spiritual. We all value the
efforts of a great prayer warrior.
·
Honor. Do you honor Christ in your
conduct and in your speech?
·
Glory. The word has almost gone
missing from the English language. But is Christ the one in your
life to whom you ascribe greatness?
·
Praise. Do you acknowledge his
blessings in all things? This is more than just lifting your voice
and song; it’s living a life that praises God.
At Communion you proclaim Jesus Christ as
Savior. You tell the world that you are relying upon him to come
through at the last trumpet, raise you from the dead in the
forgiveness of sins known as grace. But you also proclaim him as
Lord, the one entitled to give you orders by his very nature.
Looking over these seven different things, it may be fruitful to you
to ask where you fall short. Think on these things; then as you
partake give glory to God because he is merciful to sinners — even
to the point of becoming the Lamb of God.
