WORTHINESS
Jim M Macfarlane
Revelation 4: 11; 5: 1-10, 12
Luke 7: 1-10
The hymn with which we began the meeting on Lord's day morning (Hymn 232), at the gathering to remember the Lord Jesus in the breaking of bread, spoke of His worth, and it was a theme which was taken up by our brother as he gave thanks for the emblems. It was one which featured later in the service of God, that the Lord Jesus is the worthy One. My mind turned to Revelation 5. This, of course, refers to a future time. The Lord Jesus has been received up in glory; He is ascended up above all heavens that He might fill all things, and this is all because of the worth of His Person and the worth of His accomplishments. He has set Himself down at the right hand of the Father in heaven, a place of unique distinction, giving a measure of the worth of the Lord Jesus according to heaven's measure of Him; and He is seated there and will remain there until He moves to take His own throne, and from that throne He will administer the earth. What we read in Revelation 5 refers not to the final establishment of His reign on the earth, but to what will unfold on the earth, under His direction, so that His reign can be established. The earth will profit from that in a thousand years of blessing, and God's ways in respect of man on the earth will be fully justified.
But there are things that have to take place during this period of the arrangement of things on the earth to allow His reign to be established and that is, I think, what we read about in Revelation 5. There is a book to be opened and it is sealed with seven seals. A significant part of Revelation relates to these seals being opened, one by one, and the consequences for the earth of their opening. Now, a seal is something which, in the simple application of things, requires strength to open, and it is interesting that there is “a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to break its seals?” It is not simply a matter of strength to break these seals. There is a strong angel here but it is he who raises the question. He does not have what is required to be able to open the seals, whatever his strength, but his word is interesting; he says, “Who is worthy to open the book, and to break its seals?”. The Lord Jesus will engage in all that is involved in the events of the breaking of the seven seals in order to establish things on the earth for His glory, for the glory of God, and for the blessing of men; He will do it because He is worthy to do it. He has entered into heaven because of His worth and we have a place there because of His worth. Since we are taken into favour in the Beloved, the blessings that we know are consequent upon the recognition of the worth that is His and its basis is elaborated here: “Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open its seals; because thou has been slain, and hast redeemed to God, by thy blood, out of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation, and made them to our God kings and priests; and they shall reign over the earth”. Now that refers to the work that He has already accomplished, and by means of which He has established this worth, of which the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders speak. It is a complete work but He will continue to operate in respect of things on the earth. These will unfold according to the opening of the seals, only by Him and only because He is worthy.
His acclamation by the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders constitutes a new song in verse 9. In verse 11, millions of angels are added to this company, which continues the theme: “Worthy is the Lamb that has been slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing”. May we be impressed by the emphatic way in which His worth is declared in this chapter. Ultimately, He is acknowledged by every created intelligence.
I read in Luke 7 because the centurion is recognised as worthy. The centurion had a position in the Roman army, which was the means by which the dominion of Rome was established and maintained. This was a dominion which was very different in character from that which the Lord Jesus will ultimately have over the whole earth, the preparation for which we have read a little about in Revelation. Nonetheless, the word as to the centurion is that he is worthy. This accolade is from the elders of the Jews and, in view of their systematic opposition to the Lord Jesus, its value might be doubtful. However, I think that worth is recognised in this man by the Lord Jesus Himself: “Not even in Israel have I found so great faith”. So if this man is recognised and referred to as worthy by the elders of the Jews, it is because of the substance that was manifestly in him and which is identified by the Lord Jesus Himself. The elders of the Jews spoke of the centurion as worthy, because his public testimony witnessed to the faith which the Lord Jesus so warmly appreciated
Now, as personally worthy of that recognition, it is interesting to see the centurion’s assessment of himself in verses 6 and 7: “Lord, do not trouble thyself, for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof. Wherefore neither did I count myself worthy to come to thee”. There is a humility that is appropriate in the presence of One whose worth has the level of distinction that we have seen in Revelation. This is a man who establishes his own worth by recognising the worth of Jesus and putting his “great faith” in Him unreservedly.
So my desire is simply that we would be encouraged to follow along these lines. May each of us be able to walk in evident consistency with our faith in Him who is worthy, so as to be able, perhaps, to reflect something of His worth. We have often remarked that the brethren were first called Christians at Antioch. This was a consequence of what was seen in them. I think there was an acknowledgement of worth in that, and it is a challenge to me, and perhaps to us all, as to whether we reflect in any way the worth of the One in whom we have faith as our Saviour and Lord.
May we be encouraged by these things. For His Name's sake.
Word in meeting for ministry, Dundee
Dundee
19th January 2016