Then I saw in the right hand of Him who was seated on the throne a scroll …. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that He can open the scroll and its seven seals.” And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain …. And He went and took the scroll from the right hand of Him who was seated on the throne. And … the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders … sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the scroll and to open its seals, for You were slain, and by Your blood You ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation ….” I heard … the voice of many angels, … thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”
(Revelation 5:1a, 2, 5-6a, 7, 8b, 9b, 11-13 ESV)
This is an odd passage to pick out and read all by itself, because it’s so full of symbols it’s hard to figure out what’s going on! Maybe this will help: This is John’s vision of heaven. God is sitting on the throne, and the four living creatures, the elders, and the angels all stand for different parts of His creation. The Lamb, of course, is Jesus.
And the time? Well, this is the end—when God is cleaning up the mess that evil has made out of His creation. That’s what the sealed-up scroll is all about. Whoever opens it will kick off the final events that destroy evil forever and bring in the new heavens and new earth, where there will be no more death or sin or grief or pain.
But there’s a problem. Who deserves to have that honor? Who is good enough to open the scroll? Only one Person—the Lamb, our Lord Jesus.
Look at how they describe Him! Three times He gets called “the Lamb who was slain.” He looks like He’s been sacrificed—and He has. Because forever and ever, Jesus carries the marks of His suffering and death on the cross to rescue us from the power of evil. They mark Him out from everyone else as the One who deserves all glory forever.
Jesus’ wounds remind us of what He did of His own free will and love for us, laying down His life and then rising again. Who else loves us that much, that He would pay such a price to bring us safely home to God? Now we are God’s own children, citizens of His kingdom, safe and blessed and beloved forever. And it’s all owing to Jesus.
We Pray: Thank You, dear Lord, for saving us from our sins! Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Originally published in The Lutheran Hour on April 30, 2025
Used by permission from International Lutheran Laymen’s League, all rights
Reflection Questions:
1. The elders represent human beings, God’s people. Why is Jesus standing among them and not somewhere else?
2. Why do you think the passage calls Jesus both a Lion and a Lamb?
3. Why is it Jesus who kicks off the end—and the new beginning?