Revelation 5:11-14
John 21:1-19
Sermon
The book of Revelation is Apocalyptic literature. It’s the kind of literature that shows up when things are really bad... and people are really short on hope.
Apocolypsis means to reveal what is hidden. And in this case... John has a vision of a throne room with all of creation... not just angels and supernatural things, but all things in creation. Every creature. All of heaven, all of earth. It’s a big, end times party celebrating the victory of the lamb. It’s a vision of the great party at the end of all things.
This vision is one of comfort to those who are suffering. The comfort comes that, hidden from us, and those first Christians, is the work of God pulling towards this great event. We and they all heard the stories of resurrection and God being with us, but still the struggle of life continues all around. So this vision opens us up to a different reality than the one that seems so obvious in our daily lives..
And not only does the vision show an alternate reality of what is, it also is subversive to the political agenda of the day. “Worthy is the lamb” get’s political very fast. A common phrase of the day was “Worthy is so and so the politician. It’s a phrase the honors someone of importance.
So, to have central at the great party this lamb... This image of Jesus in the place of praise and authority is subversive. “Worthy is the lamb” takes away title from those who were ruling. It shows who really has the power... it shows where political alliance lies.
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And this is offensive to those in power.
A slaughtered lamb is the reason for the party... not because of being dead... but because of the great mystery of resurrection. And now we hear what the lamb is worthy... Power... wealth... wisdom... might... honor... glory... blessing...
It’s a whole new world gathered around the lamb who is worthy.
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Today we are getting just a taste of that party as we celebrate what is to come, and what is already here.
Alleluia, Christ is risen. (((HE IS RISEN INDEED))) alleluia.
Allelu - praise be to. Jah - God. So the song the kids sing... allelu allelu allelu alleu yah would actually mean praise praise praise praise God!
So we say it.... and we sing it... and not just in kid songs...
“This is the feast of victory for our God, for the lamb who was slain has begun his reign Al le lu ia.”
And now... almost word for word... “Worthy is christ, the lamb who was slain, whose blood set us free to be people of God. Power, riches, wisdom and strength and honor blessing and glory are his.”
This is the hymn of all creation that we join in.
And as we gather at our Eucharist table later we will join the holy holy holy... another song of the great party at the end of time shown in a vision to John.
John’s vision shows us the worship of heaven, and today we taste just a bit of this as we retell the story of what God had done. Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again.
Alleluia, Christ is risen. (((He is risen indeed, alleluia!)))
Yes... worthy is the lamb...
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In John’s gospel, the resurrection account ends quickly. I feel like Peter has been a part of this whole story so far as one of the first to be called... but it seems he has lost his faith... The other disciple outruns him to the tomb and looks in and believes that Christ must have risen... but Peter is just confused.
And then after the Mary Magdeline finds the tomb empty and Jesus appears to her she tells people, and none of them believe her.
But then, that Sunday evening, Jesus appears to the disciples and they believe. It’s a classic John’s gospel move. People don’t believe what they are told, they see a sign, then they believe... but we don’t hear about Peter at this point.
A week later, Jesus appears again and “doubting Thomas” becomes becomes “believing Thomas” when he sees the sign of the scars... and in this account... we don’t hear about Peter either... he might be in the room, but he has no lines in this part of the story.
And just before we start today’s reading, John’s gospel tells us that there were many other things that Jesus did... but we don’t hear about them or what Peter has been up too during this time. Is he hiding? Is he scared of what is to come? Is he feeling worthless? Does he yet even now believe?
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I feel bad for Peter. He tried so hard to stand firm... he made statements that he would never be the one who who abandon Jesus... even if all others did... he had some high times with Jesus... sortof one of the inner three...
I get a sense that he was very earnest and passionate in his trying... and when three times he denies Jesus he disappears from the story for awhile.
I guess we would expect to see the death of his discipleship and him being kicked out of the apostles club as a natural reaction as it is our tendency to set bars for accomplishment. It is our tendency to divide who has is worthy and who is not.
This disciple who is called the peter... petros literally meaning rock on which the church will be built... this disciple has failed... he is not worthy.
Several weeks have gone by since Jesus rose from the dead and we don’t hear about Peter until he says;
“I’m going fishing”.
It has been a long three years since that first encounter with Jesus... where all the disciples had believed and had such high hopes... they dropped their nets and followed... they strode out in faith at this high time and all things seemed really possible...
And now... although nothing would ever be the same again... things seemed remarkably how they had been on that first day. Fishing all night and catching nothing.
Again in a classic John’s gospel move Jesus comes to the people who can’t even see him for who he is except for John who believed even at the tomb.
Then Jesus shows them a sign, 153 fish on the right hand side of the boat... and this shows the abundance did not end when Jesus died... it shows he is the worthy and powerful one... but that abundance continues in Jesus name.
And now Peter gets dressed (and nobody knows why he was naked and fishing at night... or why he puts clothes on and then jumps in the water... he must have been really excited...) and swims to Jesus.
And for the first time... after they have breakfast...
for the first time since Jesus predicted Peter’s denial, he speaks directly to Peter.
And here is the grace proclaimed for all people for all times. That the unworthy disciple who broke his own word, and failed to acknowledge even knowing about Jesus, Peter has his moment of redemption and transformation. For it is not Peter’s worth that matters... it is Jesus who is the worthy one.
Three times the question of love. Three times John restates his love. I wonder if Peter is waiting for the hammer to drop... Jesus whom he denied is now hitting him with this question that pains him.
Of course I love you Jesus...
Standing face to face with the man whom he denied all knowledge of, John is now forever changed by the vast grace and forgiveness and depth of God’s love to come to one such as himself, to eat a simple meal with him... and proclaim redemption to the unworthy Peter.
Peter is affirmed in his calling as, Jesus is still standing with Peter, still calling to Peter... still saying, “Follow me.”
Sin, death, and the accuser are all beaten in Christ making a path to everlasting relationship to God through the cross.
The broken things of this world are redeemed. The Worthy Christ comes to the unworthy disciples with good news that death is beaten and all of them are swept up in the story of the God who is redeeming all of the Peters, all the doubting Thomas’ into the new reality of life. This is the reality where life is the final word, and death has lost it’s sting.
Under the worthy Christ, we live,
A life with no fear of death.
A life with no fear of being abandoned for our unworthiness.
A life with the blessed assurance that God, taking on flesh in the Worthy Christ is once and for all times for us.
And today we too are swept up in the very same story.
The baptismal reality that promises the washing away of sins.
The songs we sing now that link us to the reality of the Worthy Christ.
The meal that we are invited to where the God of all creation joins with us... feeds us, forgives us, gets inside us and does to us the surprise new reality of new life through Christ’s victory on the cross. This is the story and the promise of God.
The story sweeps us up in our now, and heads towards the day when we will join with the Angels and heavenly beings, and all the creatures of earth and under the earth and in the sea and sing Worthy is the lamb that was slaughtered to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.
Thanks be to God.
Alleluia, Christ is risen. (He is risen indeed)
Amen.
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