By Pastor Greg...
A man is driving down the road and
breaks down near a monastery. He goes to
the monastery, knocks on the door, and says, "My car broke down. Do you think I could stay the
night?" The monks graciously accept
him, feed him dinner, even fix his car.
As the man tries to fall asleep, he hears a strange sound. The next morning, he asks the monks what the
sound was, but they say, "We can't tell you. You're not a monk.” The man is disappointed but thanks them anyway
and goes about his merry way.
Some years later, the same man
breaks down in front of the same monastery.
The monks again accept him, feed him, even fix his car. That night, he hears the same strange noise
that he had heard years earlier. The next
morning, he asks the same question, but the monks
still reply, "We can't tell you. You're not a monk." The man says, "All right, all right. I'm
dying to know. If the only way I can
find out what that sound was is to become a monk, then how do I become a
monk?" The monk's reply, "You must count the stones in the courtyard
garden."
The man sets about his task. Weeks later, he returns and tells them he
counted 953,261 stones in the garden. The monk's
reply, "Congratulations. You are
now a monk. We shall now show you the
way to the sound."
They lead the man to a locked wooden
door, where the head monk says, "The sound is behind that door." The monks give him the key, and he opens it. Behind the wooden door is another locked door. The monks give him the key and, when he opens it, finds another
one. It too is locked. Taking another key from the monks, he opens the third door only to discover a fourth. Behind that door is another, and
another, and another. They pass through 7 doors until the head monk says, “This
is the last key to the last door."
The man is relieved to no end. He
unlocks the door, turns the knob, and behind that door, he is amazed to find the source of that strange sound.
But I can't tell you what it is
because you're not a monk
Sorry to disappoint you. And I know you are disappointed. But if a fictional
story could upset you this much, imagine how you would feel if you never
learned the end of God’s story. Imagine
how you would feel if we were never given
the Book of Revelation. Imagine how you
would feel if you never learned how
things work out. You would weep just
like John.
These are the emotions playing in
John’s heart as he received this vision on Patmos. Sensing he was about to have his questions
answered, John’s heart was filled with anticipation. At last, the Lord was going to reveal what
was to come. How will God deal with all
the injustice in this world? What of the
faithful; what will they receive? Will
Satan finally be defeated? As the Spirit
took John to God’s throne, he knew that at last,
the Lord was going to reveal “What was to come” (Revelation 1:19).
(Revelation 5:1-8) Then I saw a scroll
in the right hand of the one who was sitting on the throne. There was writing
on the inside and the outside of the scroll, and it was sealed with seven
seals. 2 And I saw a
strong angel, who shouted with a loud voice: “Who is worthy to break the seals
on this scroll and open it?” 3 But no one in heaven or on earth
or under the earth was able to open the scroll and read it.
4 Then I began to weep
bitterly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll and read it. 5 But
one of the twenty-four elders said to me, “Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the
tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, has won the victory. He is worthy
to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
6 Then I saw a Lamb that
looked as if it had been slaughtered, but it was now standing between the
throne and the four living beings and among the twenty-four elders. He had
seven horns and seven eyes, which represent the sevenfold Spirit of God that is
sent out into every part of the earth. 7 He stepped forward and
took the scroll from the right hand of the one sitting on the throne. 8 And
when he took the scroll, the four living
beings and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a
harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of
God’s people. [1]
There, in the hand of God, was the
last chapter in His story; His last will and testament. It would answer all our question. What do
the faithful receive? How will justice be distributed? What promise awaits the Church, the Jews, and
the World? But this scroll was sealed,
not with one or two, but with seven seals – meaning that no one could open this
except someone who was found to be perfect; sinless and spotless (seven is
God’s number for completeness and perfection).
As he stood there, John discovered that no one - no one in Heaven, on earth
(meaning, those alive), or under the earth (meaning, those who had died) – was
worthy to open the scroll. No wonder he
wept!
If this scroll was the last
chapter in God’s story of redemption, then why didn’t He open it? Why did God give
it to Jesus? And what gave Jesus the
“right” to take the scroll from the hand of God? The answer to these questions hinges on what this “scroll” represents. This biblion, as it is called in the Greek, is
God’s final message to humanity. And only
someone representing humanity could open this last will and testament. However, not just anyone or anything was worthy. Only someone who earned the right to represent
humanity could open that scroll. And it
had to be someone who was perfect; someone who had not failed like the rest of
us. Of course, there was only one human
who earned the right and who remained flawless His entire life. He is known as the sacrificial Lamb of
God. It is Jesus, and He alone from all
humanity has overcome. Although
Jesus lived like a man, He walked like God.
He was sinless. He alone conquered death. He had perfect power (the seven horns),
perfect wisdom (seven eyes), and perfect presence (seven spirits). All of history and God’s entire story of
redemption centers on Jesus. This is why
all creation sings His praise (Revelation 5:13); they sing His praise because
this “slaughtered Lamb” defeated sin and death for those who could not.
In the next chapter, we discover the contents of this
scroll. And contrary to popular opinion,
this final chapter in God’s story of redemption will not be pleasant for most
of humanity. As Revelation reveals, the last chapter in
God’s story involves judgment and punishment.
And what I find so amazing is that
God opens John’s eyes and shows him how the story will end before it is too
late. We are given the final chapter
ahead of time.
We need not wonder how the story
ends. Jesus didn’t ascend to Heaven and
leave us hanging; waiting for the conclusion to the story. God’s story of redemption does not disappoint. We know the ending. And in Revelation, God is giving humanity one
last warning about the judgment which is about to come upon the whole
world. We can read the end of the story
and decide before it is too
late. We can choose to accept the
sacrifice of Jesus today or wait and
experience this judgment another day. By
commanding John to write these things down (Revelation 1:19), God is
demonstrating significant grace; He is giving us a choice.
This message is significant because today, we celebrate three individuals
who decided to accept the sacrifice of Jesus before it was too late. Knowing the end of the story, they accepted
Jesus as their Savior. And we celebrate
this decision through public baptism.
They will stand before you this morning as someone redeemed; as a person
whose life has been purchased by the only begotten Son of God; the Lamb who
stands before the throne; the Lion of Judah.
[1] Tyndale House Publishers.
(2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Re 5:1–8). Carol Stream,
IL.
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