Calvary Baptist Church

Calvary Baptist Church, Grenada, MS, USA

Holding to the truths embraced by Baptist for centuries.

The word worthy is a word which speaks of the worth or value of something or someone. When it is applied to the Lord Jesus Christ it speaks of his infinite worth and value. The book of Revelation tells about this One, Jesus Christ, who is worthy of our love, praise, worship, and service. To know Him is to know joy, peace, satisfaction, and purpose in living. To know Him is to have eternal life, full forgiveness of sins, and a relationship with the living God. To not to know him is to miss out on life’s highest purpose and meaning, and to suffer eternal loss. To not know Him is to hear Him one day say “Depart from me into everlasting torment and anguish.” The very first verse of the book of Revelation begins “The Revelation of Jesus Christ…” The word revelation means “unveiling”. The word translated revelation in the Greek is the word from which we get our English word apocalypse. This word has come to relate to end time events, and for the Christian events which pertain to our coming Saviour, Jesus Christ. The book of Revelation then reveals Jesus Christ and his present and future greatness and glory. Jesus Christ came the first time as the lowly Lamb who must be slain to purchase our salvation. He comes the second time as the kingly lion who must reign to consummate all things.

In Genesis, we are told of the creation of the present heavens and earth. In Revelation we are told of the creation of a new heaven and a new earth. In Genesis we are told of the beginning of sin, the curse, sorrow and death. At the conclusion of the book of Revelation, there is no more sin, curse or death. All sorrow and tears are forever gone. In Genesis, man is driven from God’s presence because of sin. In the book of Revelation sin is forever subdued and the redeemed dwell in the presence of the living God in perfect peace and righteousness. In Genesis, Satan appears for the first time, and in the book of Revelation he is forever defeated and bound, and the Lamb lives and reigns with His people.

In Revelation we see great three truths about the worthiness of the Lord Jesus Christ. These truths have much meaning for the future hope and place of believers. First, the Scriptures tell us Jesus Christ is exclusively worthy; second, Jesus Christ is exceedingly worthy; and third, Jesus Christ is eternally worthy. Now if it is true as the Scriptures declare that He is completely worthy, have I given to Him the love, the worship, the praise, and the service that should be rightfully his? What will the Judgment Seat of Christ reveal about my life in relation to that Worthy One?

Revelation Chapter 1 tells us that Jesus Christ is exclusively worthy. Some people try to tell us that some people will be saved without acknowledging Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour, without coming by the way of the Cross. The Bible clearly indicates that is not true. Jesus said in John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man comes unto the Father except by me.” Peter in Acts 4 proclaims “Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name given among men whereby we must be saved.” There is only one way to God, there is only one person who can save and Jesus Christ is that person. No matter how sincere other people may be in their belief or their religion, there is no salvation apart from the blood of Jesus Christ. In Revelation 1, John writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, gives several reasons why Jesus is exclusively worthy.

First, He is exclusively worthy because of His greatness. In verse 4 of this Chapter, there is a greeting from God the Father, (“Grace be unto you and peace from Him which is, and which was, and which is to come…”) and from God the Holy Spirit (“and from the seven Spirits which are before His throne...”and from the Lord Jesus Christ (“and from Jesus Christ”). The Greek word translated and is a word which joins things of equal rank together. This verse is a clear reminder that Jesus Christ is an equal member of the Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is a unique person; He is the Son of God and the Son of Man. There has never been a person like the Lord Jesus Christ who is fully God and fully human. He is called “Jesus” because “He shall save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). He is called the “Christ” because He is the promised Messiah which God promised to Abraham that through his seed all nations of the world would be blessed (Gen. 12:2-3). He is also called “the faithful witness” (Rev.1:5) He always spoke the Word of God. He didn’t say “Rabbi so and so says unto you”, but “I say unto you.” He said “the words which I speak unto you they are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63).

Again Jesus said, “I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me, should not abide in darkness….He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken shall judge him in the last day” (John 6:48). Jesus is the fulfillment of Moses’ prophecy when he wrote “The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall harken” (Deut. 18:15). He always spoke and fulfilled the Word of God; He was the Living Word. He perfectly revealed the Father because He was the exact replica of the Father in His essence and character (John 14:9; Hebrews 1:3). He is great because of His person; He is the eternal Son of the eternal God who came into this world to become one of us.

John also describes Jesus as “the first begotten from the dead” (Rev.1:5). In contrast to those who were restored to life only to die again, Christ is the Firstborn, the first to receive a resurrection body, which is immortal. As Christ is “the firstborn of every creature” (Col. 1:15), that is the one who was before all creation in time, so Christ was first in resurrection. John heard Him say I am He that liveth, and was dead, and am alive for evermore” (Rev. 1:18). Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:21-23 “For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ, the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.” Jesus said “Because I live, you shall live also” (John 14:9). When Jesus arose from the grave on the first day of the week after being three days and nights in the grave, those saints who were in Jerusalem whose graves were opened when Jesus cried with a loud voice “Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit”, came out of their graves (Matt. 27:57). These were the assurance to us of a greater harvest in which every believer will come out of that earthly grave and be changed in an instance and given a new body like unto the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. It will be a body not subject to decay or deterioration in any way. It will be a glorious body fitted for eternity for Christ. Christ’s resurrection power assures our resurrection (1Cor. 15:34-58; Phil. 3:20-21).

John next describes Him as the “prince of the kings of the earth”. Rulers may come and go, nations may rise and fall, but Jesus Christ remains on the throne in heaven. He is seated at the right hand of the Father, the place of honor and power. He is actively involved in the affairs of this world and is directing all things to the desired end where He will be crowned “King of Kings” and His people will reign with Him. Paul wrote “For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever (Rom. 11:36). Nothing escapes His sight, nothing happens without His knowledge, and He works all things after the counsel of His own will. All things work together for good for His people because He makes it happen. (Rom. 8:28-29) There is no other person like, nor has there ever been any other person like, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is great because of what He does.

Jesus is exclusively worthy not only because of the greatness of His person, but also because of the greatness of His grace. His grace can be seen when the Scriptures describe Him as the one who loves us, the one who washed us from our sins, and the one who has made us kings and priests unto Him (Rev. 1:5) First, John says “He loveth us”. When did Jesus Christ begin loving us? When will He stop loving us? The word “loveth” in this verse is in the present tense. As believers we have been loved with an “everlasting love” (Jer. 31:3). We were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:3). Christ was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8). We were on His mind when He was there on the cross suffering for us. We see the love of the Father and the Son when Jesus went to Calvary’s cross to die for our sins. The Father did not set aside the penalty for our sins. But He did not put the penalty for our sins on us. He laid our sins on One who was mighty to save, One who was absolutely worthy in His sight. The Scriptures declare: “But God commendeth his love toward us that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). The Father in love sent the Son to be our sin-bearer. The Son lovingly laid down His life to pay for our redemption. Having died the innocent on behalf of and in the place of the guilty, He now ever lives to make intercession for us. His love for us is constant and continual. Paul asked the question in Romans 8:31-39 what can separate us from the love of Christ and his conclusion is “Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.” In fact, He loves us with the same kind of love He has for His Father-an everlasting love, a perfect love, an unchanging love. What a great love! What grace!

Second, He “washed us from our sins in his own blood”. Two thoughts develop from the word washed about our salvation. On the one hand, sin is a stain on us which we can not blot out or remove ourselves. Isaiah says “Though your sins be like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (1:18). Christ’s sacrifice makes us fully acceptable to a Holy God because Christ took the punishment for our sins and God credits to the account of the believer the perfect righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. The stain is gone forever. On the other hand sin is a chain that keeps us in bondage. The word washed also means “loosed and set free”. That’s exactly what salvation does for us.

It breaks the bondage of sin so that we are now free to follow and serve Christ. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law by being made a curse for us. Now that the penalty has been paid we are no longer under condemnation and have been placed in Christ’s kingdom never to be enslaved to sin again. Satan has no claim on us. Again what love! What grace!

Third, He has made us kings and priests unto Him. One day we shall reign with Him. Even now the Scriptures say that we are children of the King. We have an intimate family relationship with Christ. We also have been given the privilege of worshiping and serving Him. We can offer up prayers for His work, His people, and His glory. We can offer the sacrifice of praise and of a yielded life. We can witness of His love, His grace, His power, and His glory to others week by week. We are ambassadors for Christ. We can come boldly into His presence with our petitions and requests. In the Old Testament only the High Priest could enter into the Holy of Holies and that only on the Day of Atonement after making a sacrifice for his own sins. But we can come everyday into His presence based on the finished work of the Lord Jesus. What love, what grace that made us His own. He is worthy because of His grace. He did for us what no one else could do.

In Revelation 5 Christ is seen as the one who has vanquished Satan, as the redeemer of men, and as the only one who can deliver this world from its bondage. He can and has done what no one else who has ever lived or ever will live has done. Therefore, hundreds of millions and millions more of the hosts of heaven break forth in praise saying “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.” This is followed by similar praise from all that is in heaven and on the earth to Him that is on the throne and the Lamb. Then the 24 elders fall down and worship Jesus. These 24 elders I believe represent the saved from the 12 tribes of Israel (Old Testament saints) and the 12 apostles (New Testament saints). John in Revelation says that Jesus is exceedingly worthy because of His glory. He is exceedingly worthy because of creation. In Revelation 4:11 says “Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honor and power; for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” Paul in Colossians 1 says that “all things were created by Him and for Him”. John tells us that there was not even one thing that was made that was made without Him (John 1:3). This universe is a complex place with billions of galaxies and billions of stars, wide varieties in plant, animal, and marine life. However, the height of God’s creation is man who is fearfully and wonderfully made to live life for God’s glory. We believe what God says about creation or we are left to the black hole of man’s faulty reasoning and nature. Only a spiritually blind person could fail to see God’s mighty creative work and Jesus Christ was actively engaged in the creative process. He is exceedingly worthy because He controls all things. He is Alpha and Omega, the one who is uncreated and was here before the world was ever created. He is the one who even now has framed the ages (Heb. 1:3) and now works all things after the counsel of His own will. He does what He pleases in heaven above and He does what He pleases in earth below. By Him all things consist or whole together. There is none who can stop Him from accomplishing His will. We must either yield to Him or be crushed by Him. Think of the many events that are happening each day and all the conflicting motives involved. Yet, the Scriptures say that because of Him, “All things work together for good to them who love the Lord, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” This should cause us to rest in Him, to trust Him in the middle of trials, tribulations, and terrors. He is the omnipotent omniscient, all powerful one. We need not fear life, because He is the living one who ever liveth to make intercession for us. We need not fear death because He died and is alive forever more and has the keys of death and of hell. He is worthy because He controls all things.

He is exceedingly worthy because He consummates all things. He is the Almighty, the one who was, who is, and who is to come. Men may wish He would not return, but they can do nothing to prevent His return. “Behold He comes with clouds and every eye shall see him.” This is speaking of His return at the end of the tribulation period. This is His return in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who know not Him (2 Thes. 1:9). The clouds spoken of here speak of clouds of glory, the same clouds that were with the children of Israel as they left Egypt. These clouds reflect the power, presence, and protection of God for His people. This coming has been preceded by the return of Christ for His saints where there is the resurrection of the bodies of dead believers and the rapture of all living believers. Then after a seven year period of tribulation upon the earth, Christ returns with His saints to destroy His enemies, and establish His millennial reign upon this earth. In one hour the antichrist and his kingdom are brought to nothing. The blood from the battle will run for more than 180 miles to the depth of the horses’ bridles. Then, Christ will return with His saints to the earth to establish His kingdom. No wonder the Scriptures say that all nations shall mourn because of Him. They centered their lives in this world and all their schemes and plans have been brought to nothing. After his millennial reign, they will stand before His Great White Throne Judgment Seat and face the full wrath of a Holy God for their rebellion against and rejection of Him. For the believer, the Scriptures tell us in John 17 that Jesus in His great high priestly prayer prayed that every believer would behold his glory (24). In Romans 8 the Scriptures declare that we are joint heirs with Christ; we share in His glory and riches. Peter tells us that we have an inheritance which is perfectly reserved in heaven which shall never lose it value or worth (1 Peter 1:4). Surely, He is the exceedingly worthy one who is the judge of every unbeliever and the deliver and rewarder of every believer.

Jesus Christ is also the eternally worthy one. In Revelation 21 and 22 John records the revelation that was given to him by the Holy Spirit of the new heaven, the new earth, and the New Jerusalem. The Scriptures say that in that city there was no temple, but the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it and the light of it. (Rev. 21:22, 23). Again in Revelation 22:3-4 we find “And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall serve Him and they shall see his face and his name shall be in their foreheads.” These verses remind us that Jesus is coequal with the Father and that He shares the Father’s glory and throne in the eternal state. Earthly temples symbolized the presence of God, but in God’s Holy city, the supremely beautiful New Jerusalem, Jesus who is the image of the invisible God, is the temple. In Jesus Christ dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Col. 1:19, 2:9). In that city which Christ has prepared for His own there will be no created light, but Christ the uncreated, eternal light will be there to give it light. Revelation 21:24 says, “And the nations of them who are saved shall walk in the light of it; and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it.” By the holy light of Christ all nations shall walk, and He will be to all the Light of life, truth, holiness and righteousness. The curse will be gone, sin will be no more, death and sorrow shall flee away, and no unbelievers and unregenerate sinners shall be found in the in this great place. Christ shall be exalted in that day and all shall give their eternal love, praise, service and worship to Him. Truly, Jesus is exclusively worthy, exceedingly worthy, and eternally worthy!