Worthy is the Lamb

I was sitting in my office earlier today working and listening to some music. It was that rare kind of morning when I had no appointments, there were no phone calls, and I was enjoying the presence of God in private worship. I was listening to a song called, “I Will Rise”. I was deeply moved when the anthem rang out about the angels singing worthy is the lamb as well as the redeemed. This is a clear picture of [Rev 4:11] when the elders fall down in worship and say, ‘Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”

I sat back in my chair with my eyes closed and let the music and the words of that song penetrate my soul. I pictured in my mind’s eye what that scene would look like and feel like. I have a deep yearning to say with that Heavenly throng, “Worthy is the Lamb!” The word “worthy” means deserving, suitable, due reward.

What is the Lamb worthy of? Everything. He is worthy of all our devotion. He is worthy of our most staunch loyalty. He is worthy of our highest pursuit, our deepest worship, our grandest affections, our greatest passion, and our best service. He simply is worthy of all of that and even more. He deserves all we can give but then on top of that He is worthy of more.

Down here Jesus does not get the praise, the worship, the service, or devotion He rightly deserves. There is coming a day when all that will change. Throngs will gather around the throne of God in uninhibited and undistracted worship extolling the worthiness of the Lamb. I long for that day. On that day I will not care how long the music portion is in the service and whether the flock like the songs or not and if everything is flowing smoothly. I will not be distracted thinking about my message. I will be absolutely uninhibited in my adoration of the Lamb singing, shouting, raising my hands, clapping, and even falling prostrate before Him. Why? He is worthy.

It is tragic that even in church Jesus does not get what He is due. We say we gather to worship but far too often He does not get much of that. He gets our thoughtless singing, our mindless meanderings, and our lackadaisical responses to His prompting but He does that get what He is due. He does not get all out, passionate, heart felt worship by far too many believers. This will never be the case in Heaven. This is where so many of our Pentecostal brethren could teach us a thing or two. Many people in these churches do not hold back in worship. In Baptist churches we have too many congregations who are too sophisticated and refined for all out worship and I bet it will noisy, reverent but loud. What a shock it will be when we get to Heaven. Worship will be powerful and there Jesus will get the worship He deserves.

He is the most worthy person in the entire universe. Why you might ask? Read for yourself what Paul said, “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” [Phil 2:5-11]

Jesus gave up everything to purchase redemption for mankind. He left the worthy worship He was accustomed to for ages and traded that for not just any death but death on a cross and the rejection of the masses. All of this so that men, women, teenagers, and children could be rightly related to God from every nation and among every language and dialect around the world who enjoy just and righteous standing before Him. For that reason He is worthy. He is also worthy because He rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to His kingdom. [Col 1:13-14] The Lamb is worthy because He is before all things and in Him all things hold together. [Col 1:17] He has come to have first place in all things. [Col 1:18] Suffice it to say worthy is the Lamb yesterday, today, and forever.