Daily Devotional with Pastor John
Saturday, February 26

The Scroll and the Slain Lamb

Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll? But no one in heaven or on earth  or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. Then  one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals. Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the centre of the throne.

Revelation 5:1-6

As John gazed at the throne, the camera lens zoomed in suddenly to the right hand of the One seated there. John saw a scroll held firmly by that hand. It is clearly a scroll of crucial, unparalleled significance. John  says,  the scroll had writing on the inside and the outside. The scroll was overflowing with information. Robert Mounce says, “It contains the full account of what God in his sovereign will has determined as the destiny of the world.”

The scroll contains God’s plan for history. The scroll contains the meaning of history. The scroll contains the things of our recent history. Somewhere in the scroll is the COVID pandemic. Somewhere in the scroll is our country’s turmoil of the past few weeks. Somewhere in the scroll is the present situation in the Ukraine.  The image of the scroll in God’s hand underscores the message of the throne that God is in control. It also underscores that the God who is in control has a plan. History is not a random succession of events without meaning. The fact there is a scroll says that there is order behind the seeming chaos.

John was  devastated to the point of weeping that no one was found in all the universe who could open the scroll and implement God’s plan for history.  The call went out for someone worthy to do this. The call was not for a person of superhuman strength, but for one who has the moral and spiritual excellence to fulfill God’s decrees and bring history to its appointed end. Then one of the elders who stand before the throne pointed John  to the Lion of Judah and shouted “LOOK!”

John turns expecting to see a lion but instead he sees a lamb, literally a little lamb. But the distinguishing mark of this lamb is not its size. What grips John is that the lamb has been slaughtered and yet stands in the centre of the throne. This tells us that at the heart of the throne of God is One who suffers. He bears the scars of the worse suffering anyone has endured. The throne feels human suffering. This also means that the followers of the Lamb cannot avoid suffering. For the closer we get to the heart of the Lamb at the centre of the throne the closer we get to the heart that bleeds for a suffering world.

Prayer Points

• Thank God for his plan for history and for his Christ who is at the centre of his plan to redeem a lost humanity.
• Pray God will grant strength, grace and endurance for those who are suffering – that they will be comforted by the man of sorrows who is acquainted with grief.
• Pray that God will bring an end to COVID, heal our broken country and restore his church according to his plan.