Lion, Root, Lamb
Have you ever wept so deeply that your heart couldn’t form words?
Maybe it was at the graveside of someone you loved. Maybe it was a diagnosis, a betrayal, or a moment of overwhelming joy—like watching a child take their first steps after doctors said they never would. We weep because we care. We weep because we wait. We weep because we wonder—can anyone make this right?
John the Apostle, caught up in a heavenly vision, found himself weeping for similar reasons. In Revelation 5, a scroll containing God’s final and perfect plan was sealed—and no one in heaven or earth was worthy to open it.
“I wept and wept because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or even to look in it.” — Revelation 5:4 (CSB) But then came the announcement that changed everything…
"Look, the Lion has Conquered!"
"Then one of the elders said to me, 'Do not weep. Look, the Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered so that he is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.'”
— Revelation 5:5 (CSB)
This statement isn’t just about hope—it’s about prophecy fulfilled.
Genesis 49:9–10 (CSB): "Judah is a young lion… The scepter will not depart from Judah or the staff from between his feet until he whose right it is comes and the obedience of the peoples belongs to him.”
Isaiah 11:1 (CSB): "Then a shoot will grow from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit."
Friends, these Old Testament promises pointed forward to a King from Judah’s tribe—a Lion who would rule with justice and righteousness. Jesus, the descendant of David and the eternal Son of God, is that Lion.
But When John Looked…
"Then I saw one like a slaughtered lamb standing in the midst of the throne..."
— Revelation 5:6 (CSB)
What a moment! Expecting a Lion, John sees a Lamb that had been slain—but is now standing. That is the paradox and the power of the Gospel: Jesus conquers not through brute strength, but through sacrificial love.
This is the heart of our hope, the core of our worship, and the pattern of our lives.
How Do We Respond?
Worship Deeply — Let awe replace apathy.
Live Sacrificially — Real power is shown in surrender.
Trust Fully — When you weep, remember—the Lion has conquered.
Maybe you’re in a season of weeping.
Maybe you’ve been waiting for someone to open the scroll in your life—to bring clarity, healing, or hope.
Friend, Jesus is worthy. The Lion has conquered. The Lamb has risen. And your tears are not wasted.
“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.”
— Revelation 21:4 (CSB)