Sermon for Easter 4, May 11, 2025
To all those loved by God…called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Revelation 7:9-17 9After these things I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing in front of the throne and of the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and with palm branches in their hands. 10They called out with a loud voice and said: “Salvation comes from our God, who sits on the throne, and from the Lamb.” 11All the angels stood around the throne, the elders, and the four living creatures. They fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God, 12saying: “Amen. Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and might belong to our God forever and ever. Amen.” 13One of the elders spoke to me and said, “These people dressed in white robes, who are they and where did they come from?” 14And I answered him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me: “These are the ones who are coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15Because of this they are in front of the throne of God, and they serve him day and night in his temple. He who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. 16They will never be hungry or thirsty ever again. The sun will never beat upon them, nor will any scorching heat, 17for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd. He will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (EHV)
Jesus displays eternal peace for His people.
Dear redeemed of the living Savior,
It isn’t often that texts from the book of Revelations come up in our preaching series, probably because this book has been considered by many to be hard to understand. And truly, Jesus’ Revelation to John on the island of Patmos is often misunderstood by those lacking trust in the risen Savior. However, right from the start of the book, John explained that Jesus gave him symbolic pictures intended to bring blessing, comfort, and assurance to His people. There is nothing in this book that should make us afraid, either for the present or into eternity. In fact, Jesus here paints a picture as a funeral sermon for His Church by which Jesus displays eternal peace for His people.
John wrote, “After these things I looked.” He is telling us what comes after so many things already described in the book. Previously in the book, we have seen judgment come upon the world, and the Word preached to the far reaches of the earth, and victory brought to many. However, the world never becomes paradise, but rather, the world is forever a place of trouble and sorrow for believer and unbeliever alike, because this world itself is condemned on account of sin. However, we are given this kaleidoscope of pictures to assure us that this world and all its sorrows and pains is not the end for those who walk in Jesus. This is why I say it is like a funeral sermon for the entire Christian Church. The Preacher is showing us what comes next for the children of God after their time here on earth is ended.
Thus, we read, “After these things I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing in front of the throne and of the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and with palm branches in their hands.” Here, Jesus is showing us that His kingdom is not some little congregation like it often seems on earth. Instead, this is the gathering of all the saints who have been delivered from condemnation through faith in Christ. He is showing us that it doesn’t matter where any of us come from. It doesn’t matter what language we speak, who our ancestors might be, nor the color of our skin. This is the Christian Church of all the ages since Adam and Eve. If we could identify individuals in that group, you would see Abel, Noah, Moses, Abraham, King David, Mary, Martha, Lazarus, Elijah, Ruth, Martin Luther, your believing relatives, and millions upon millions more of the unnamed believers who have walked in this troubled world, or yet will, while trusting in Jesus as their Savior, whom God sent into the world “to save the world through him.” (John 3:17)
That uncountable number is the fulfilment of God’s promise to Abraham, “I will bless you greatly, and I will multiply your descendants greatly, like the stars of the sky and like the sand on the seashore.” (Genesis 22:17) St. Paul confirms this when he wrote, “The promise is by faith, so that it may be according to grace and may be guaranteed to all of Abraham’s descendants—not only to the one who is a descendant by law, but also to the one who has the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.” (Romans 4:16)
Every person in that multitude is dressed in white robes, and they raise up a symbol of victory in their hands. The white robes indicate that these are the ones who have been cleansed of all sin. There are pure and righteous before God. The palm branches have symbolized victory throughout the ages. The whole multitude is celebrating in gratitude for what Jesus has done for them and for all who trust in Jesus as their Savior which is fully shown as Jesus displays eternal peace for His people.
“They called out with a loud voice and said: “Salvation comes from our God, who sits on the throne, and from the Lamb.” This sentence contains an interesting construction in the Greek. It is a compact statement in the dative case which often could be translated something like, “The salvation is in, to, or by our God.” Any of these could be the correct choice, as also the translators chose here, because our salvation isn’t something we have accomplished, deserved, or earned. We remember Jesus’ words, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.” (John 14:6) Therefore, that great multitude stands around the throne of God in eternal Paradise solely because God in His mercy sent His Son, Jesus, to live, die, conquer Satan, death, and the grave, and rise again to grant us living hearts that believe and trust in the One true God.
Now, imagine for a moment what the sound would be like if all 7.5 billion people currently living on earth would be gathered together in one place shouting with joy for victory, and you will have a sense of what it is like in John’s vision when “All the angels stood around the throne, the elders, and the four living creatures. They fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God, saying: “Amen. Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and might belong to our God forever and ever. Amen.” Amen means this is sure and certainly true. The angels of heaven rejoice for even one sinner who repents, and that continues on among all the angels and saints until God has filled His heaven with all His elect. Therefore, their joy and thanksgiving continues forever, for there will never be a moment in heaven when anyone will regret believing in Jesus.
Here in time, there are some who want to hear a fire and brimstone sermon. Some want rules to follow to live a good life. Some want to hear their own works be praised. However, Jesus didn’t come into our world to give us more rules, nor to drive us to be good because of fear of punishment. The law was written in our hearts to teach consciences to recognize their guilt, and the proof of condemnation for sin is all around us because death is evident everywhere we look. This world has been deteriorating ever since sin entered the world. Our bodies grow more decrepit as we age. The fruits of the field and forest soon fall into decay and rot on the ground. The mountains and hills are slowly etched by erosion as the curse for sin in time and weather eats away at all creation.
All things like this show us that our judgment draws ever closer. Scientists scream and worry about various conditions that indicate our end will come. However, we don’t need these physical proofs because the Bible clearly warns us that Judgment Day comes for all flesh. Left on our own, that judgment brings eternal condemnation. The only possible help comes from outside this sin-ruined world. As John observed that great crowd of the redeemed, he tells us, “One of the elders spoke to me and said, ‘These people dressed in white robes, who are they and where did they come from?’ And I answered him, ‘Sir, you know.’ And he said to me: ‘These are the ones who are coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.’”
Psalm 121 declares, “My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:2) Jesus has pictured that help in this vision just as John the Baptist pointed to Jesus as the true Savior and promised Deliverer, “Look! The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) The vivid vision displays in graphic detail what Jesus has done for us. With His holy life, Jesus lived righteousness for us. By His bloody torture and crucifixion sacrifice, Jesus absorbed our guilt into Himself and paid the penalty each deserved so that the eternal death sentence should never have to be applied again. By the grace of God and the washing of Baptism, God Himself has washed away our guilty stains. By the blood of Christ shed for the guilty, the elect of God have been made pure through faith. The great tribulation is life on earth. All the death, trials, tears, pains, persecution, and devilish temptations are brought to an end as the Lord calls us out of this world into His eternal glory.
Then comes the fulfillment of every promise God has made to His chosen people: “Because of this they are in front of the throne of God, and they serve him day and night in his temple. He who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. They will never be hungry or thirsty ever again. The sun will never beat upon them, nor will any scorching heat, for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd. He will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” Here, our Savior has pictured what Adam and Eve enjoyed in the Garden of Eden before sin corrupted every part of our existence. “Once this perishable body has put on imperishability, and this mortal body has put on immortality, then what is written will be fulfilled: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. Death, where is your sting? Grave, where is your victory?’” (1 Corinthians 15:54-55)
Dear friends, as we consider all the troubles and sorrows we face throughout life, and we remember those whose passing we mourn, no greater funeral sermon could ever be preached than the picture Jesus displayed for John to write down to give us comfort and peace. Through the work of Jesus, we have a sure and certain hope that when our end on this earth comes, there is for us far greater life, joy, glory, and peace ahead. Though some people think they want law which only brings condemnation, Jesus has displayed for us here the true life He promised when He told His disciples, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10) This eternal reward is pictured for our sure confidence as the children of God, forgiven of all sin and cleansed of all guilt by the blood of the Lamb, as Jesus displays eternal peace for His people. Amen.
Amen. Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and might belong to our God forever and ever. Amen.