Sermons

This Week's Sermon

“Seeing Is Believing”

Sermon on Sunday, May 11, 2025
Pastor Michael Carlson

Dear Church, 

Traditionally, this fourth Sunday of Easter is known as Good Shepherd Sunday. We’ve marked it already by reading Psalm 23 and hearing Jesus say, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”

But there’s a different animal I want to talk about today, one that we sing about almost every Sunday. “This is the feast of victory for our God, for the Lamb who was slain has begun his reign. Alleluia! Alleluia!” And, “Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us. Lamb of God you take away the sin of the world, grant us peace. Grant us peace, Lamb of God!”

Here’s an interesting little factoid: Jesus is called a “lamb” or “lamb of God” twice in all of the gospels. And then, only briefly in John. He’s never called that in Mark (our oldest gospel), and never in Matthew or Luke. Furthermore, Jesus is never called  “lamb” or “lamb of God” in Paul’s letters, nor in James’ nor John’s. In fact, Jesus is only once called a “lamb” in our epistles and then, only briefly, in 1 Peter.

So why do we keep trumpeting this title for Jesus, week after week, if Jesus is hardly ever called this in our gospels and epistles (and then, only three times)?

It’s because of the last book in our Bible, Revelation. (And, by the way, it’s not “Revelations” or “The Revelation of John,” as it’s sometimes called. It’s proper title is “The Revelation of Jesus Christ” by the Seer, or Elder, John.

As opposed to 3 times in the rest of the New Testament, the Seer John calls Jesus “lamb” or “lamb of God” an astounding 29 times! And it’s because this is a favorite title and description of Jesus in Revelation that it’s also become a favorite title and description of Jesus in our liturgy! And today I want to show you both why and how that’s such a significant title!

I don’t think I would ever have figured this out on my own but I’ve had the privilege of studying Revelation with one of the most acclaimed scholars of the text, Harry Attridge, from my alma mater at Yale Divinity School. He pointed out to us that John the Seer (the author of the text) does something fascinating with Old Testament promises and expectations and New Testament fulfillment.

Today’s reading from Revelation is one of those times.

Here’s what you saw in your bulletin. “And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the people of Israel …” and then John shows where he got that number. Each of the twelve tribes of Israel are alotted 12,000 “sealed” souls for a total of 144,000.

What’s a “sealed” soul? According to Old Testament promises and expectations these are the number of those marked by God for safety and rescue, just like those who were marked by the blood of the Passover lamb during the exodus were rescued from danger and given safe passage to the Holy Land.

Comprende? According to Old Testament promises and expectations, when God’s Messiah comes those being marked for safe passage are 144,000, 12,000 from each of the twelve tribes of Israel. Or so John the Seer hears.

Pay attention now to what John sees!

“After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb …”

What John hears is the promise and expectation of the Hebrew Scriptures: the “sealing” or protection of 144,000 from each of the twelve tribes of Israel. But that’s not what he sees!

What he sees is a great multitude, so great that no one could count them! And, instead of being limited to the twelve tribes of Israel as John heard, what John sees is that this multitude, so vast it can never be counted, comes from all tribes and peoples and languages!

No wonder we sing each week, “Worthy is Christ, the lamb who was slain, whose blood set us free to be people of God! Sing with all the people of God and join in the hymn of all creation! This is the feast of victory for our God!”

But I promised that I would explain the power and significance of that title for Jesus: lamb or lamb of God.

In chapter 5, John has been transported to the throne of God so that he could be given a revelation—a “revealing”—of what God is up to. In the symbolic language of first century Judaism, the future of creation—“God’s will on earth as in heaven”—was written down and sealed in seven scrolls. John—along with everyone else—wants to know what is written on those scrolls. But, as John records, “no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it. And I began to weep bitterly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it.”

Here’s what happens next! “Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. 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.”

Hurray! According to the promises and expectations of first century Judaism, God would bring about his will on earth as in heaven by releasing the Lion of Judah, a fierce and awesome figure of power, might, and revenge!

That’s what John hears. The Lion of Judah is unlocking the future and revealing the will of God on earth as it is in heaven. But that’s not what John sees!

“Then I saw between the throne and the four living creatures … a Lamb [the Greek is actually a baby lamb] standing as if it had been slaughtered … He went and took the scroll from the right hand of the one who was seated on the throne.”

He hears the promise and expectation of a Lion, a figure or violence, power, and revenge. What he sees is a baby lamb—a lambkin—standing “as if had been slaughtered.”

No wonder that it’s just a few verses later that we hear the multitude in heaven singing in unison, “Worthy is the Lamb—the baby lamb—that was slaughtered to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”

Jesus’ resurrection has absolutely and utterly turned the world upside down! The limited vision of those who are saved is replaced by numbers too big and too diverse to count. The avenging agent of God—the Lion of Judah—takes shape as a baby lamb that gives up its life in an act of rescue.

While St. Paul never uses the word “lamb” or the phrase “Lamb of God,” he does well summarize the same thought when he hears God say to him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.”

Worthy is Christ, the Lamb who has slain whose blood set us free to be people of God!

In Jesus’ name. Amen!