Text: Rev. 5:9-14
3 Easter, C
In the Beginning there was only God. Nothing else. No light, no sound, no people ... nothing. One day God decided to change all of that, so He began singing a song of creation. A more beautiful song had never been heard. As God sang out the words of His song of creation, there formed the very thing that His words spoke of. The words and the music mixed together in perfect harmony to create everything that exists in the entire universe. For Six days God sang this glorious song of creation, and as each new plant and animal was added to the list, they joined their voices with that of God, blending all of heaven and earth in rich and glorious music. On the very end of the sixth and last day God sang of human beings and Adam and Eve lifted up their voices in song with their God. And then God, and the song paused and rested before continuing on. A perfect silence to build anticipation for what would come next ... the glory of new life, and a clean start.
Things were wonderful for a while. All of heaven and earth, and everything in them sang in perfect unity with God. But then things changed. Adam and Eve grew tired of God's Song and decided to sing their own song. But their song was terrible. It sounded horrible, it was brash and ugly. It was the song of selfishness and greed. It didn't blend with God's Song at all. It was the song of sin and it ruined God's song of creation.
But God wasn't ready to stop singing His Song yet. He decided to fix it instead. And so it was that He sang of a promise to come. And that melody grew and grew until it began to bring back all of the terrible singing of the people into God's Song once again. Finally the Song of God and the song of man met in Jesus.
Here on earth it didn’t look like much, just a baby in a stable, but in that baby lay the song of the ages. In that baby Jesus, the terrible song of sin was brought to a fitting conclusion. It played out it's last gruesome chords in the crucifixion and death of the Saviour. Again there was a pause and a rest. A perfect silence to again build anticipation for what was coming next ... the glory of resurrected life and a fresh start. All the music of Heaven and Earth was silent for three days, until, faintly at first, then ever louder and louder, the glorious strains of God's Song were sung throughout creation! Jesus was alive again. He had come back from the dead and the song of sin would never be heard again!
But the singing didn't end there. For now the first song, the song of creation was truly brought to an end. It had once again been made perfect and whole. And so a New Song was needed. A song that could begin where this first song ended. It is the song we heard spoken of in the Book of Revelation.
The events we hear spoken of in Revelation have already taken place. It all took place on the day when the resurrected Jesus ascended into heaven to take up His rightful place as King and Judge. From here on earth, again, it didn’t look like very much. Jesus simply disappeared into the clouds. But so much more was going on up in Heaven. The Lamb entered His kingdom and takes up the scroll of all history. It is His for He paid for it. The old has been brought to completion; the new is about to begin. And as Jesus opens the scroll the new song begins.
"Worthy art thou to take the scroll and to open its seals, for thou wast slain and by thy blood didst ransom men for God from every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and hast made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on earth." (v.9-70) The new song begins on the lips of the redeemed, and it is only fitting. These are the ones who ... But they are not alone in singing the New Song.
“Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honour and glory and blessing!" (v.11-12) The song is then carried on by the angel host. And why not? For they have been singing the Song of our Lord from the very beginning. A new stanza, a new choir, but the same unending praises! Yet, the singing isn’t done yet.
And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all therein, saying, "To him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honour and glory and might for ever and ever!" (v.13) The praises of men and angels are brought to conclusion as all of creation joins in. For it too has much to sing about. The whole of creation has been saved in Christ. All is set right, and the harmony of Creator and Creation is once again restored. It is a New Song without end, for there will be no end to the gifts of God in Christ!
That new song is sung even now! At times, here on earth it may not seem like much. At best we can only hear it dimly, or at certain times when heaven breaks in upon what we do (As it so strongly does at Christmas or Easter). It is the song we sing, in part, every time we gather to worship our Saviour and every time we tell others of what He has done. It is a Song sung in The Word, and Water, in Wine and Bread. It is a Song to be shared between friends and even enemies. It is a Song of comfort. A Song of never-ending blessing. It is a Song that may not seem like much right now, but is connected with all that is even now happening in heaven and will be forever more.
"To him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honour and glory and might for ever and ever!" And the four living creatures said, "Amen!" and the elders fell down and worshipped. (v.13-14)
AMEN.
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