November 8 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Devotional

John turns to look at the one who is worthy to open the book. The elder had said that this worthy one was the lion of the tribe of Judah. But when John looks, he sees not a lion but a Lamb.

And here is the whole surprise of the gospel: when all of Israel was looking for the lion who would break the yoke of its enemies, God sent a Lamb to take away the sins of the world. When people were eager to see the slaughter of the oppressors, the lion became a Lamb, and he himself was slaughtered.

The mystery of the gospel is also the offense of the gospel. For this reason Israel rejected its King, and it is the reason why even noble people of goodwill have refused the Redeemer. By his very looks, the slaughtered Lamb shows us that the wrath of God is so great that no one can hide. Sin is so bad that even the noblest must be saved by his blood.

When John sees the One who is worthy to open the scroll, he sees the revelation of God's compassion: he sees Jesus. The plan of God for the history of the world is executed by the Lion who appeared as the Lamb.

The Lamb is "standing" before the throne. That posture means that he possesses infinite power. But it is love-power. The Lion is a Lamb. And the whole world is at his mercy.

All the battles of God have been won—and shall be won—by the power and meekness of Jesus.

The great Word from the throne is that Jesus saves. Not only does he save the lost souls of wandering people, the Lamb directs the whole history of our planet to its eternal goal. He alone is worthy to take the scroll and open its seals.

So let all who have been ransomed by his blood now say, "Worthy is the Lamb!"

REFLECTIONS

What do people expect of Christ today? Would the "Lamb of God" imagery turn people off?

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published by Paideia Press in 1977. This updated edition is copyright 2009 by Faith Alive Christian Resources. You can order a copy of this revised version of the book directly from the publisher.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this updated edition of Daylight are from the Holy Bible: Today's New International Version copyright 2001, 2005 by the International Bible Society.