Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy as the Triumphant One (1/23/25)

Last week we saw how our Father God is worthy of all praise and honor for all eternity. After the spectacular scene in Revelation chapter 4, John was briefly saddened by what he saw next.

Revelation 5:1-7      Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. ² And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” ³ But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. ⁴ I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. ⁵ Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

⁶ Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.⁷ He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne.

Only triumphant Jesus, the Lamb slain for us, is worthy before God! No other human or angel was, or ever will be, worthy before God.  

None of us are holy or righteous. The only way we can be seen as holy and righteous in God’s eyes is to believe in Jesus’ work on our behalf (His death, resurrection and exaltation). Philippians 3:9…not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.

So, will we one day be worthy, as well? I don’t think so. Worthy means morally upright and fully deserving. We are seen as holy and righteous before God because God has consecrated and justified us by His grace and mercy through the blood of Jesus. However, we will never be fully deserving. Only Jesus lived a perfect, holy and morally upright life. He then took on the death we deserved and victoriously overcame death by rising from the dead by His own power.  

Only triumphant Jesus is truly worthy! Let’s praise Him for His worthiness and all that He did for you and me.