Bible Band Lesson (April 25, 2013)

TOPIC: Christ Our Redeemer

LESSON SCRIPTURE: Revelation 5:1-5, 11-14

DEVOTIONAL READING: Ezekiel 2:9-10; Revelation 10:8-11

CENTRAL VERSE: Revelation 5:13

INTRODUCTION: Jesus the Redeemer is God's best-known gift to a sinful humanity that came straight from His loving heart.  Our lesson this week shows us that our God is worthy to redeem us.

THE SEARCH FOR THE REDEEMER (Revelation 5:1-3)

In John's  vision, he continued to see the things that God has for the world.  The One sitting on the throne (God the Father) had a scroll in His hand.  It was sealed with seven seals.  A strong angel then called out asking who was truly worthy enough to open the scroll and read it.  But no one was found worthy enough in all the universe to do this.

THE REDEEMER IS HERE (Revelation 5:4-5)
Here we see the utter desperation of John as no one responded to the call of the angel to open the scroll.  He wept with hopelessness.  A sinful world without a Redeemer is definitely in a hopeless situation.  Then all of the sudden, one of the twenty-four elders spoke, for the Redeemer had been found.   He was identified as the Lion of Judah and heir to the throne of David.  The Messiah was here.  This is the same Messiah who is here for us today.

Our lesson this  week offers us the bleak reality of a world without God, but at the same time it shows us that God has not left us without hope, for in Jesus all our hopes come together.  He is the only Redeemer that the world will ever need.

THE REDEEMER IS ACKNOWLEDGED (Revelation 5:11-14)

John's vision was not over.  There is more to this wonderful message of hope.  Millions of angels then surrounded the throne of God, the living beings, and the twenty-four elders.  They gathered together and sang loudly in riches, wisdom and strength, honor and glory, and all praise.  They did this  because  He alone is worthy of all this.  They acknowledged Him for who He truly is, the Redeemer of the world.

As John looked, he saw in his vision others joining in this chorus of praise.  This included every creature in Heaven and earth and in all the universe.  Every living being praised the Redeemer.  What a song of praise that must have been!  Jesus is the One who deserves all power, riches, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and blessings.  The twenty-four elders joined in acknowledging Jesus as they chimed in with their "Amen".  Amen indicated full agreement of what went before.  This meant that these elders also agreed that Jesus is indeed the Redeemer worthy of all praise.

ESSENTIAL THOUGHT:

"Jesus is the Lamb that was slain for us."

QUESTIONS:

1.  Describe the "book" seen by John.  What do the seven seals indicate?

2.  Why was John weeping?

3. Why was Christ alone worthy to open the seven seals?