Revelation 5

Revelation 5:6

rtf1ansiansicpg1252deff0deflang1033fonttblf0fnilfcharset0 Georgia;f1fnilfprq2fcharset0 Padua; colortbl ;red0green128blue0; viewkind4uc1pardf0fs24 par b The Weakness and the Power of Christ.b0 par par cf11ulbf1fs22 Rev_5:6cf0ulnoneb0f0fs24. par par cf11ulbf1fs22 1Pe_3:18cf0ulnoneb0f0fs24. par par cf11ulbf1fs22 2Co_13:3-4cf0ulnoneb0f0fs24. par par Mark the CONTRASTS given us in these three passages. par u8212?the Lamb slain and the Lion of the tribe of Judah; par u8212?death and life; par u8212?the flesh and the spirit; par u8212?crucifixion and resurrection; par u8212?weakness and power. par par These words, which read almost as if the one contradicted the other, bring us to the cross of Christ, show His empty tomb, and proclaim a risen Lord, to whom all power is given. The third passage is more detailed and explicit than the first; let us take our outline from it, keeping, however, the others before us. This third passage affirms also our connection both with the weakness and power of Christu8212?with His death and life. We are one with Him in death and life; we have fellowship with Him both in His weakness and strength. As He lives again by the power of God, so do we. As He was put to death in the flesh, so are we.

As He was quickened by the Spirit, so are we. par par There are two declarations here made concerning Christu8212?the one negative, the other positive; the first as to His non-weakness, the second as to His power. par par b I. His non-weakness.b0 He is not weak in Himself, says the apostle; nor is He weak toward you. He is Judah’s Lion, though for a season He does not act as such. Yet there are many things which look like weakness in His person and history, and in His Church’s history. par par b (1) He entered our world an INFANT.b0 Helpless as the most helpless of the sons of men. He was scarce born when He had to flee from danger. His life was feeblenessu8212?He was persecuted, and had to hide Himself at times.

He was taken prisoner, bound, tried, condemned, by a Roman judge. Was all this not weakness? From infancy He is the Lamb. par par b (2) He was CRUCIFIED.b0 This is the event which the apostle takes hold of, conceding it as a proof of weakness. He was crucified through weakness. Every part of that awful event betokens weaknessu8212?His submitting to an unjust sentenceu8212?His allowing Himself to be scourged, bound, buffetedu8212?then nailed to the treeu8212?then crucified. All was weaknessu8212?weakness just like that of the thieves at His side.

He is the Lamb slain. par par b (3) His DEPARTURE from earth.b0 True, He rose. But after His resurrection here was no forth putting of power; and He left this earth without avenging Himself on His enemiesu8212?as if unable to do anything against themu8212?as if they had prevailed against Him, and succeeded in banishing Him. par par b (4) The CHURCH’S history since He left.b0 He left, saying, ‘All power is given to me.’ ‘Lo, I am with you always.’ But the story of the Church since then has been one of weakness, not of power. A bare existence is all that she has had, amid persecution and mockery; divisions, backslidings, inconsistencies within, hatred and hostility without; no progress in the earth; gaining a little in one place, losing it in another; her members, like the conies, a feeble folk, making their nest in the rock; made up of smoking flax and bruised reeds. ‘Harmless as doves,’ is the Master’s picture of His disciples. Does not this look like weakness in her Head? par par b (5) The WORLD’S history since He left.b0 Earthly power and glory have increasedu8212?empires of idolatry have risen. Paganism, Popery, Mohammedanism divide the world between them. The name of Christ is not a name of power among the nationsu8212?it takes no place in commerce, or politics, or war, or art.

The world honors not, obeys not, the Son of God. It is in rebellion against Him; and this rebellion has lasted centuries, and is not yet put down. Is this weakness, or is it not? par par b (6) The progress of ERROR and EVIL since He left.b0 Evil has not diminished; the human heart has not improved; sin has not been dried up; evil men and seducers wax worse and worse; and the last days are the worst. Errors multiply; infidelity is leavening society, and working its way into the Church of God. The Bible is assailed; the gospel is denied; the cross is ridiculed; the blood is repudiated; the authority of Christ as Prophet, Priest, and Kingu8212?is disowned. Satan, too, still works; death still triumphs; pain and disease are still at largeu8212?working woe and havoc in God’s creation.

Does not this look like weakness? Does it seem as if evil had gotten the upper hand entirely? par par Yet, in spite of all these strange phenomena in Christ’s own history and that of His Church, the apostle declares, ‘He is not weak;’ He is not weak in Himself; He is not weak to us. Whatever may be the cause of these anomalies, it is not weakness, and never has been so. The weakness is only in appearanceu8212?and even that appearance is but temporary. par par b II. His POWER.b0 He is mightyu8212?mighty not only toward you, but in you; mighty in the midst of you; mighty in your hearts. Apparent weaknessu8212?but real and true power.

This is the wonder; and in this wonder there are contained other wondersu8212?wonders of wisdom, love, and long-suffering; wonders which could not have been exhibited in any way but this; this marvelous adjustment of forces, moral and physical; this holding of His own for ages against the augmenting power of creature-evil and creature hostility; this meeting each fresh development of evil by wondrous contrivances of His ownu8212?all of them moral and spiritual, not miraculous or forcible; keeping the vast hostile forces of earth and hell in check by invisible influence; saying, yet not audibly, to the tides and billows of the stormy deep, thus far, but no farther; reserving the great physical demonstration of His power until the day when He comes to take vengeance on His enemies. par par Yes, says the apostleu8212?He is mighty. Whatever appearances may say; whatever we might be tempted to infer from the power of the world and the weakness of the church; from the prevalence of evil and the scantiness of good; from the depression of His friends, and the elevation of His enemiesu8212?He is mightyu8212?mighty in Himself, and in all things pertaining to Him. His word is mighty; His gospel is mighty; His purposes are mighty; the arm with which He wields the world’s scepter, and holds Satan’s bridle, is mighty. He is mighty over the world, and in the world; mighty over the church and in the church, and in behalf of the church; so mighty, that no weapon forged against her, or against one saint, shall prosper; so mighty, that she is entirely safeu8212?secure in the midst of danger, and wiles, and power. All His strength is ours; it belongs to the Church; it belongs also to each member of His body. We are strong in the Lord. par par The weakness of the Lamb slain belongs to the Church; yet also the strength of the Lion of the tribe of Judah.

She can do all things through Christ, who strengthens her. She lives by the power of God. The source of her strength is above, and the preservation of her heavenly strength is connected with the preservation of her Nazarite locks. When these, the pledges and marks of her consecration, are shorn, she becomes weak like other men. par par Our strength is not in numbers, nor wealth, nor political influence, nor human learning, but in Him who was crucified through weakness. He is both the wisdom and the power of God. The arm of flesh has always been a broken reed for the Church of God.

It is in the power of a risen and glorified Christu8212?in the power of the Holy Spiritu8212?that she is strong. It is only in this power that she can be holy, or work for God, or fight His battles, or war with Satan, or confront the gathering hosts of evil, or contend with error, or win the everlasting victory!