Worthy Lamb, Son of Man

From Easter Sunday, April 20, 2025.

This Easter, we didn’t just visit an empty tomb—we were invited into the throne room of Heaven itself. Revelation 5 opened our eyes to something deeper than a sunrise service or a clean white robe. It gave us a glimpse of the cosmic reality that undergirds everything we believe. And in the middle of that heavenly vision, the question is asked: Who is worthy?

John the Beloved, exiled and aged, finds himself caught up in the Spirit. Not just caught up emotionally, but literally brought into the throne room of Almighty God. There, he sees a throne with flashes of lightning and claps of thunder, surrounded by twenty-four elders, and four heavenly creatures covered in eyes. A sea of glass stretches out in front of the throne. It's vivid. It's terrifying. It's holy. And in the right hand of the one seated on the throne is a scroll, sealed with seven seals. The strong angel calls out, "Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?" And John weeps. Not softly, but greatly. Because no one was found worthy. Not in heaven, not on earth, not under the earth. In all of existence, John finds that no one is deserving. That includes you and me.

Let that sink in: in a world full of people trying to earn their way, trying to be enough, trying to prove they matter—Revelation 5 settles it. You’re not worthy. I’m not worthy. No one is.

But the good news is this: one of the elders taps John on the shoulder and says, "Stop weeping. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome, so as to open the scroll."  That word "overcome" means to conquer. Jesus used that exact same word in John 16:33 when He said, "In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have overcome the world."

And then John sees Him. But He doesn’t look like a Lion. He looks like a Lamb, standing as though it had been slaughtered. Not gently euthanized. Slaughtered. And yet somehow—He stands.

This is no ordinary lamb. Isaiah 53 told us what this Lamb would endure:

• Pierced for our offenses.

• Crushed for our wrongdoings.

• The punishment for our peace was on Him.

• And by His wounds, we are healed.

This is the slaughter of Jesus, the innocent for the guilty. Your guilt. My guilt. Not just the accidental sins. Not just the things you didn’t know were wrong. But the stuff you knew full well you shouldn’t do, and did anyway. The stuff you wanted. That’s what was laid on Him.

And what does this slaughtered-yet-standing Lamb do? He walks up to the throne and takes the scroll from the right hand of the One who sits upon it. That’s a bold move. You can’t just walk up to a king and take something out of his hand. Unless, of course, you are the Worthy One.

At that moment, Heaven erupts. The creatures and elders fall down. Harps begin to play. Bowls of incense—the prayers of the saints—rise up. And a new song is sung:

"Worthy are You to take the scroll and to break its seals; for You were slaughtered, and You purchased people for God with Your blood from every tribe, language, people, and nation."

No one is off-limits to the power of the slaughtered Lamb. No tribe left out. No language ignored. No people group unworthy. No nation too far gone.

Revelation 5 says He made them into a kingdom and priests to God. How? Not by teaching a good lesson or modeling nice behavior. He made them a kingdom by being slaughtered for them and purchasing them with His blood.

Later in the chapter, myriads of angels, thousands upon thousands, cry out, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power, wealth, wisdom, might, honor, glory, and blessing."

But the most powerful moment? John hears every created thing say, "To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing, honor, glory, and dominion forever and ever."

Every. Created. Thing. The rocks, the trees, the oceans, your body, your soul, your enemies, your past—all of it will declare His worthiness. Even Daniel saw it coming. Six hundred years before John, Daniel had a night vision where he saw the same throne room. But he noticed something strange: a man standing before the Ancient of Days. In a sea of divine glory and fire and lightning and heavenly beasts, there’s one who looks like… us. A son of man.

That’s why Jesus referred to Himself as the Son of Man 81 times in the Gospels. He wasn’t just saying, "I'm human." He was saying, "I'm that human—the one from Daniel 7."

In Matthew 16, Jesus asks His disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" They answer with confusion: "John the Baptist. Elijah. Jeremiah." Jesus cuts through the noise: "But who do you say that I am?"

That’s the question. Not just at Easter. Not just when life is good or when things fall apart. But always: Who do you say that He is?

Peter gets it right: "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God."

And Jesus says, "Blessed are you, Simon. Flesh and blood didn’t reveal that to you, but My Father did."

Friend, what has the Father revealed to you about His Son? Has He shown you the Lamb who was slaughtered? The Son of Man who is now exalted? The One who lived a perfect life but died a wrongdoer’s death so that you could live?

To the believer: He still stands. He is still worthy. He still overcomes.

To the non-believer: He stands before the throne for you. He offers you His victory. He offers to take all that has tried to subdue you and subdue it under His feet. He offers healing, restoration, and peace that passes understanding.

The question remains: Who do you say that He is?  Let the answer not just be words from your mouth, but worship from your life.

Worthy is the Lamb. Worthy is the Son of Man.

Forever and ever. Amen.