The Worthiness Of Christ Series

B. What He has done (v. 7-10)

1. The first thing that this standing, having been slain, Lion/Lamb does is take the book from the Father. Don’t think of it by force, but something that God ordained from eternity past to take place. The main thing, however that the elder says that Jesus has done to manifest his worthiness is that He was slain. Redemption was the greatest act ever accomplished! God incarnate submitted Himself to a cruel punishment and separation from God that was not His. He bought back, redeemed (purchased off the slave auction block then set free), paid the price for people in every ethnic, political, linguistic group on the planet selflessly and perfectly. He conquered/prevailed through submission and death. He defeated Satan, took the keys to hell, took the sting from death, took the permanence from the grave, validated every promise of God, completed perfectly the plan of God for His life, and pleased and brought glory to the Father. And as if that wasn’t enough, He has also made us kings and priests to God.

2. Dan 7:13-14, 1 Peter 1:18-19, Heb 9:12, 15, Col 1:20, Tit 2:14, Rom 3:24-26, 5:7-8

3. Illustration: I’m forgiven, because you were forsaken, I’m accepted, you were condemned, The redeemed are dependent on God for all. All that we have—wisdom, the pardon of sin, deliverance, acceptance in God’s favor, grace, holiness, true comfort and happiness, eternal life and glory—we have from God by a Mediator; and this Mediator is God. God not only gives us the Mediator, and accepts His mediation, and of His power and grace bestows the things purchased by the Mediator, but He is the Mediator. Our blessings are what we have by purchase; and the purchase is made of God; the blessings are purchased of Him; and not only so, but God is the purchaser. Yes, God is both the purchaser and the price; for Christ, who is God, purchased these blessings by offering Himself as the price of our salvation. –Edwards, An article in the National Geographic (9/91) tells of a young man from Hanover, Pennsylvania, who was badly burned in a boiler explosion. To save his life, physicians covered him with 6,000 square centimeters of donor skin, as well as sheets of skin cultured from a stamp-sized piece of his own unburned skin. A journalist asked him, "Do you ever think about the donor who saved you?" The young man replied, "To be alive because of a dead donor is too big, too much, so I don’t think about it." I’m At Your Mercy,

4. Christ has done for you more than any other. If he never did another thing for you, what he has already done is of infinite value, and you will enjoy it for eternity if you trust Him. You and I deserved punishment for our sin, but Christ stepped in. And not only will you be together will him eternally, you will reign with Him. You didn’t just barely squeak through the gate, you are in with authority and privilege. Christ is shown to be worthy because of his sacrifice on our behalf as propitiation and a justification of God. This shows the certainty of salvation, and the destiny of world evangelization. Think what it must have been for John to see the myriads of people worshipping Christ.