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"The Celebration in Heaven!"
What is the biggest celebration that you remember? Maybe it
was something that you saw on TV or perhaps you were there
yourself. I have memories for example of standing on a stage
wearing a three-cornered hat made of the finest construction
paper singing "Fifty Nifty United States" to celebrate our
nations Bicentennial. I won't tell you that I was in the
5th Grade back then! I remember watching all the pomp as
Prince Charles and Lady Diana were married. I have fond
memories of being in Washington, DC one Fourth of July with
fireworks flashing in the sky across the Mall while the
National Symphony played "The Star-Spangled Banner." I'm
not ashamed to admit that it made me a little misty-eyed.
Some of the best celebrations that I have been a part of
have been in church. I have attended the inauguration of
a Synodical university president, call services, ordination
services, installation services, and any number of Christmas
and Easter Festivals.
We all have memories of times when we gathered, pulling out
all the stops, to celebrate some important moment in our
community, nation, or world. Whatever the biggest celebration
is that you can remember, I want to tell you today of a
celebration that pales all others into insignificance. I
want to tell you about the most important celebration in
the history of the universe.
Last week, Pastor Arp asked us to reflect for moment on
what difference the Easter celebration has made in our
lives in the days that followed. He called us to allow
that celebration of Easter to continue in the way that
we grow closer to our God…oh, yeah, he also asked us to
ask hard questions in Bible study! I’m sure he meant in
HIS Bible studies!
Pastor Arp asked us what difference the celebration of Easter
made here on this earth. Today, John takes us beyond that
point to tell us now of the things that happened in heaven.
It is the biggest celebration in the history of the universe.
It is a celebration that almost didn’t happen at all.
To fully appreciate our Epistle lesson from Revelation 5
this morning it is important for us to back up a bit.
Listen to the beginning of the chapter (Revelation 5:1-7):
{1}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.
{2}And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, "Who is
worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?" {3}But no one in
heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even
look inside it. {4}I wept and wept because no one was found who was
worthy to open the scroll or look inside. {5}Then one of the elders
said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah,
the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll
and its seven seals." {6}Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had
been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the
four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven
eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the
earth. {7}He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him
who sat on the throne.
God the Father was prepared to give a scroll to whomever
was worthy to receive it. On that scroll is the rest of
the book of Revelation. More importantly, on that scroll
are all of the events, all of the happenings, every single
moment of human history from Jesus’ Ascension to his return.
It is not just that they are written there, what is far more
important, is that the one who opened the scroll would also
be in control of all of those moments and events.
The search for one to open the scroll began. But no one
was worthy to open it; not the angels, not the saints already
in heaven, no one in heaven, on earth, or under the earth was
worthy to open the scroll, or even to look inside of it. Who
is worthy to open the scroll and to be absolute control of the
events of human history?
One thing is certain. It sure isn’t you and me. Let’s face
it. Control is not our strong suit. Of course that doesn’t
keep us from trying it anyway. In some way or another we spend
most of our lives trying to be in control. Think about it.
There are few feelings worse to us than being out of control.
We try to control things at work. We try to control the
future with our financial planning. We try to control meetings.
We try to control our health, until we discover that we cannot
keep the doctor away, no matter how many apples we eat.
We try to control our families, only to discover that as
children and grandchildren get older the biggest battles
of all time will come as they also try to be in control.
Who is going to win?
Some of us have a simple plan. We have long since decided
that we are right and that the world would be a much better
place if everyone would simply do things our way. And we
set out to get our way. Sometimes we are subtle. Sometimes
we are passive-aggressive, using tools like the silent
treatment and anger and pouting and guilt to get our way,
and then if someone confronts us we simple deny the whole
thing.
Other times we are down right rude and blunt. Still other
times we attempt to get our way by using our bravado,
daring someone to disagree with us. We try any and all
methods to be in control of everyone and everything.
We even try to control God. Ever find yourself trying
to make a deal with God. We say: “God, I will do the
following or stop doing the following if only you will
do what I ask.” We imagine that if we can only do what
he wants and stop doing what he doesn’t like, then we
will not suffer pain or hurt anymore.
The truth is that never are really in control. The
truth is that we cannot even control the most base
and carnal of our thoughts and desires. We certainly
have no business trying to control all that goes on
around us.
The angel searches high and low to find someone worthy
to open the scroll and control human history, but no
one is found. This truth makes John weep. And it
should distress us as well.
What if no one is in control of the universe? What if
is true that all there is out there is evolutional forces
or perhaps the power of evil? What if the tragic scenes
that seem to be more and more common on our televisions
these days are really all there is? The very idea that
no one is control and chaos is that that there is should
make us join John in tears of hopelessness.
But one of the elders at the foot of the throne of God
points someone else out to the angel. He points out one
who is a descendent of Judah and David. He points out the
Lamb of God, the Lamb who was slain and yet has triumphed.
At this, heaven breaks out into song. He is worthy to take
the scroll and to control its contents because he has done
will of his father perfectly. Jesus is worthy to take the
scroll from his father because we know that he once gave up
the glory of heaven for pain and anguish of this world.
He who has been there from the beginning came to earth and
from the beginning people tried to control him, to control
his words and actions and finally when that didn’t work,
they tried to be in control by putting him to death. They
placed a crown of thorns on his head and left him to die.
In case we have forgotten already, the story finds its
fulfillment on the first Easter when Jesus is raised from
the dead. It is a battle won, a victory secured, an
incredible reason for a celebration.
It is this celebration that John shows us today. In a
few weeks we will celebrate the festival of the Ascension,
that day when Jesus is taken up into the clouds. What
John shows us in this vision from Revelation 5 is what
happens on the other side of those clouds.
The voices of those that have gone before us into heaven
break into song. Soon they are joined by ten thousand
times ten thousand angels. We have all heard crowds burst
into celebration, maybe at a Hail Mary pass that results
in a last minute touchdown or at a three pointer that hits
the rim as the buzzer sounds. It is an incredible rush of
sound and joy, but it is nothing compared to the joy and
sound of the voices in heaven as they burst into celebration
at Jesus’ final victory.
They celebrate as Jesus’ crown of thorns is replaced by a crown
of glory, honor, and power forever. Jesus is worthy of receiving
the scroll and that he does. He receives the scroll and that
means that he also takes human history, more specifically he
takes your life and mine into his hands to guide, protect, and
yes, in his loving grace to control us too.
We are not left to some random forces of evolution where only
the strong survive, and we are not left to uncontrolled forces
of evil. Our lives are in the control of the one who loved us
enough to die for us.
We join in that celebration today. Have you ever wondered what
your loved ones in heaven are doing at this very moment? Revelation
makes it clear that they live in endless celebration of the endless
victory of the Lamb of God.
Our worship this morning is a part of that great celestial
celebration. Think on that. As you worship and praise God
this morning, you are involved in the exact activity as those
who have gone before you.
We have another reason to celebrate today. We celebrate the fact
that Jesus’ victory can make sense of our world in a way that
nothing else can. We have all been through so much. As a
nation we seem to have grieved so often. To tell you the truth,
whenever I see our staff gathered around the office TV I almost
don’t want to look, because I really don’t want to know what it is.
We celebrate because we know that our world is under the control
of Jesus Christ. In is true that bad things continue to happen,
and it is ok for us to admit that tragedies are horrible
experiences and perhaps to lend our aid and comfort where
we are able. But we do so never forgetting that the victory
is won. Such things will not go on forever. What is more,
he can and will bring good from them, perhaps in ways that
we will never fully see or understand.
The time is coming and coming soon when Jesus, whose blood has
washed our sins away, will come again from the glory of heaven
to bring you and me directly into the celebration.
It is the greatest celebration in the history of the universe.
Jesus has won the victory and that celebration and one day he
will say to us: “I did it for you, and this celebration is
for you too!”
In Jesus’ Name! Amen.
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