The Majesty and Meekness of Jesus Christ

Devotional

Day 1: The Paradox of Majesty and Meekness

In Revelation 5, we are presented with a vision that challenges our understanding of power and humility. Jesus is depicted as both the Lion of Judah and the Lamb who was slain, embodying a profound paradox. As the Lion, He is the majestic King, commanding authority and reverence. As the Lamb, He is the epitome of meekness, offering Himself as a sacrifice for humanity's sins. This duality does not diminish His glory but rather enhances it, revealing the depth of God's wisdom and love. The paradox of Jesus invites us to see the world through the lens of divine wisdom, reminding us that salvation is not of our own making but is a gift from God through Jesus. [04:39]

Revelation 5:5-6 (ESV): "And one of the elders said to me, 'Weep no more; 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.' And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth."

Reflection: In what ways can you embrace both strength and humility in your daily interactions, reflecting the paradox of Jesus in your life?

Day 2: Longing for Divine Authority

Humanity has an innate longing for greatness and divine authority, a desire that is fulfilled in Jesus, the Lion of Judah. As the majestic and mighty King, Jesus commands our admiration and trust. He is the ruler who provides, protects, and satisfies our souls. This longing for majesty is not just about power but about finding someone worthy of our trust and devotion. Jesus fulfills this longing by being the ultimate authority who governs with justice and love, inviting us to place our confidence in Him. [13:04]

Psalm 145:13-14 (ESV): "Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. The Lord is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works. The Lord upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down."

Reflection: Consider an area of your life where you struggle to trust in God's authority. How can you actively choose to trust Jesus as your King in that area today?

Day 3: The Intimacy of the Lamb

Beyond our longing for majesty, there is a deep desire for intimacy and connection, which Jesus fulfills as the Lamb. He offers Himself as a sacrifice for our sins, drawing near to us as a friend and brother. This aspect of Jesus' nature speaks to our need for closeness and forgiveness, providing a sense of belonging and companionship. In Jesus, we find the nearness of God, who is not distant but intimately involved in our lives, offering grace and love. [20:17]

Hebrews 4:15-16 (ESV): "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

Reflection: Who in your life needs to experience the nearness and forgiveness of Jesus through you? How can you extend His love to them today?

Day 4: The Fullness of Jesus

In Jesus, we find the fullness of divine and human excellencies. His majesty and meekness accentuate each other, creating a new beauty that draws us closer to Him. This fullness makes Jesus the supreme treasure, the one in whom our restless hearts find rest. By embracing both His authority and His humility, we experience the complete picture of who Jesus is, leading us to a deeper relationship with Him. [23:53]

Colossians 1:19-20 (ESV): "For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross."

Reflection: Reflect on how you can embrace the fullness of Jesus in your life. What steps can you take to deepen your relationship with Him today?

Day 5: The Supreme Treasure

Jesus is not only our Lord and Savior but also our supreme treasure. He is the pearl of great price, the treasure hidden in a field worth selling everything to possess. In knowing Jesus, we find eternal life and the fulfillment of our deepest longings. This understanding calls us to prioritize our relationship with Him above all else, recognizing that in Him, we find true satisfaction and joy. [28:26]

Matthew 13:44-46 (ESV): "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it."

Reflection: What is one thing you can do today to prioritize your relationship with Jesus as your supreme treasure? How can you make Him the center of your life?

Sermon Summary

In Revelation 5, we encounter a profound vision that reveals the paradoxical nature of Jesus Christ, who embodies both majesty and meekness. This passage invites us to pause and reflect on the mystery of God's purposes, as symbolized by the sealed scroll held by God. The scroll represents the hidden wisdom and plans of God, which are to be revealed in due time. The Apostle John, deeply moved by the scene, weeps when no one is found worthy to open the scroll. However, his sorrow is turned to joy when he is told that the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has conquered and is worthy to open the scroll.

This vision highlights the paradox of Jesus as both the Lion and the Lamb. As the Lion, Jesus is the majestic and mighty King, fulfilling our longing for greatness and divine authority. He is the ruler who commands our admiration and trust. Yet, as the Lamb, Jesus embodies meekness and nearness, offering himself as a sacrifice for our sins. This duality does not diminish his glory but rather enhances it, revealing a unique and profound beauty.

The paradox of Jesus challenges our expectations and invites us to see the world through the lens of divine wisdom. It reminds us that we are not the architects of our salvation; rather, it is God who saves us through the incarnation of Jesus. In Jesus, we find the fulfillment of our deepest longings for both majesty and intimacy. He is the supreme treasure, the pearl of great price, and the one in whom our restless hearts find rest.

Key Takeaways

1. The Paradox of Jesus: Jesus embodies the paradox of being both the Lion and the Lamb, combining majesty and meekness in one person. This paradox challenges our expectations and reveals the profound beauty of God's wisdom. It reminds us that we are not the architects of our salvation; rather, it is God who saves us through Jesus. [04:39]
2. Longing for Majesty and Might: As humans, we have an innate longing for greatness and divine authority. Jesus, as the Lion of Judah, fulfills this longing by being the majestic and mighty King who commands our admiration and trust. He is the ruler who provides, protects, and satisfies our souls. [13:04]
3. Longing for Meekness and Nearness: Beyond majesty, we also long for intimacy and connection. Jesus, as the Lamb, fulfills this longing by offering himself as a sacrifice for our sins. He is the friend and brother who draws near to us, offering forgiveness and companionship. [20:17]
4. The Fullness of Jesus: In Jesus, we find the fullness of divine and human excellencies. His majesty and meekness accentuate each other, creating a new beauty that draws us closer to him. This fullness makes Jesus the supreme treasure, the one in whom our restless hearts find rest. [23:53]
5. The Supreme Treasure: Jesus is not only our Lord and Savior but also our supreme treasure. He is the pearl of great price, the treasure hidden in a field worth selling everything to possess. In knowing Jesus, we find eternal life and the fulfillment of our deepest longings. [28:26]
** [28:26]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:08] - Introduction and Church Legacy
[00:23] - Reading from Revelation 5
[01:00] - The Scroll and the Seals
[01:35] - The Lamb and the Elders
[02:08] - The New Song of Worthiness
[02:59] - The Paradox of Jesus
[04:39] - Jesus as Lord and Savior
[06:13] - Majesty and Meekness in Revelation 5
[07:15] - The Sealed Scroll and God's Purposes
[09:02] - The Weight of Waiting
[10:15] - No One Worthy to Open the Scroll
[12:21] - The Lion of Judah
[13:04] - Longing for Majesty and Might
[18:28] - Longing for Meekness and Nearness
[23:53] - The Fullness of Jesus
[28:26] - The Supreme Treasure
[29:02] - Closing Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: The Paradox of Jesus in Revelation 5

Bible Reading:
- Revelation 5:1-14
- Daniel 12:4
- Isaiah 11:1

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Observation Questions:

What is the significance of the sealed scroll in Revelation 5, and why does John weep when no one is found worthy to open it? [01:00]
How does the vision of Jesus as both the Lion of Judah and the Lamb who was slain illustrate the paradoxical nature of Christ? [12:21]
What role do the elders and living creatures play in the scene described in Revelation 5, and what do their actions signify? [01:51]
How does the new song sung by the elders and living creatures in Revelation 5:9-10 emphasize the worthiness of the Lamb? [02:08]

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Interpretation Questions:

How does the paradox of Jesus being both the Lion and the Lamb challenge our human expectations of power and humility? [04:03]
In what ways does the vision of Jesus in Revelation 5 fulfill the human longing for both majesty and intimacy? [13:04]
How does the imagery of the Lion of Judah and the Lamb who was slain deepen our understanding of Jesus' role in salvation history? [19:45]
What does the combination of divine and human excellencies in Jesus reveal about God's wisdom and purpose for humanity? [23:53]

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Application Questions:

Reflect on a time when you felt a longing for greatness or divine authority in your life. How can recognizing Jesus as the Lion of Judah fulfill that longing? [13:04]
Consider your need for intimacy and connection. How does Jesus as the Lamb who was slain meet that need in your personal life? [20:17]
How can the paradox of Jesus as both majestic and meek influence the way you approach challenges in your life? [04:39]
In what ways can you cultivate a deeper appreciation for the fullness of Jesus' divine and human excellencies in your daily walk with Him? [23:53]
Identify an area in your life where you have tried to be the architect of your own salvation. How can you surrender that area to Jesus, trusting in His wisdom and purpose? [04:21]
How can you practically demonstrate that Jesus is your supreme treasure in your relationships and daily decisions? [28:26]
Think of a specific situation where you need to rely on Jesus' strength and gentleness. How can you apply the lessons from Revelation 5 to that situation this week? [27:29]

Sermon Clips

One of the reasons that we love Jesus is his paradoxes. You know what that word paradox means? It's a situation or a person or a thing that combines seemingly contradictory features or qualities, like something we don't think belongs together but it comes together, and in particular in Jesus, who is perhaps the greatest example of a paradox. [00:03:16]

The beautiful paradoxes of Christ expose our false and our weak and our small expectations. They remind us we didn't design this world, we don't run this world, we didn't design God's rescue of us. We cannot save ourselves, but God can and he does through the word become flesh. [00:04:18]

As Christians, this is part of the paradox we confess: Jesus is Lord. He's fully God. He's the towering, all-wise, all-knowing, all-powerful God. As God, he formed and he made all things. Every knee will bow to him, every tongue will confess that Jesus is Yahweh, God's sacred old covenant name revealed in Exodus. [00:04:42]

Jesus is glorious and sovereign as Lord, and Jesus is glorious in rescuing us and in his self-sacrifice as our savior. And so come to Revelation 5 this morning to linger in the paradox and the beauty of majesty and meekness, of might and mercy, of his grandeur and his gentleness in this one spectacular person. [00:06:13]

We long for majesty and might. We long to see and admire and benefit from greatness. And so the voice rings out in verse 5: Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has conquered. The Victor, he's great. Lion of Judah signifies that this long-promised king of Israel called Messiah has come. [00:13:04]

Jesus is not only majestic and mighty, he's meek, he's lowly, he's near, he's among us as one of us. We not only want to see greatness from afar, we long to know greatness personally. We want to get near the greatness. We not only want a hero to admire from a distance, we ache for a brother to be at our side. [00:20:17]

God designed our souls not only for greatness but also for nearness and for his meekness. So you might ask at this point, if Jesus is God and he has been from all eternity, what does his humanity, his lamb, have to add to his being our great treasure? His divine excellencies are infinite. [00:21:02]

In Jesus, we have it all in one person. We have it all in Jesus. It is one thing to see and enjoy the divine excellencies of unmatched strength and unmatched knowledge, and it's another thing to see and enjoy the human excellencies of humility and friendship. But then greatest of all is to see and enjoy the full range of divine and human excellencies in one person. [00:23:53]

When majesty and meekness come together in one person, they accent one another, they burst with a kind of new beauty when they're together. And so, as Edward says, they set off and recommend each other. So see it first in verse six: John says he saw a lamb standing as though it had been slain with seven horns and seven eyes. [00:24:23]

We admire his greatness all the more as it's near to us, and we enjoy his nearness all the more because he is great. Because he is the Lamb and has drawn near to save us, we can enjoy his lionlike majesty and strength and holiness without cowering in fear. We can know we're safe in his might. [00:27:29]

God designed our souls for Jesus, not just a divine father, not just a human friend, but God himself in human flesh, fully God and fully man in one spectacular person. He is not only our Lord, glorious and important as that is, and he's not only our savior, wonderful and marvelous as that is, he is our supreme treasure. [00:28:26]

You were not only made for God, you were made for the God-man, for Jesus, who loved us and gave himself for us and rose again to be our living and knowable and enjoyable King. [00:29:39]

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The Majesty and Meekness of Jesus Christ

Devotional

Day 1: The Paradox of Majesty and Meekness

Day 2: Longing for Divine Authority

Day 3: The Intimacy of the Lamb

Day 4: The Fullness of Jesus

Day 5: The Supreme Treasure

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

The Majesty and Meekness of Jesus Christ

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