Friday
Revelation 5:6-14

The Lamb

Jesus was not the savior the Jewish people wanted. They wanted a brash king who would come in, stomp all over Rome, and install Israel as the rulers of the world. They were so desperate for that kind of king, they turned a blind eye to the King prophesied throughout the Old Testament—the King the Wise Men who traveled so far from the east found somewhat easily.

Without exception, when God’s plan caused discomfort or tested their patience, the Hebrews constructed a god that would conform to their liking. They wanted him to be the voice of the mighty wind, not a still small voice that would require them to be still and listen. They wanted a carnivorous executioner who would slay their enemies, not a Lamb who would be slain.

Even in the book of Revelation, the image of Jesus is that of the Lamb who is the only King worthy of “praise and honor and glory and power, forever and ever!”