…singing with full voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honour and glory and blessing!’” vs. 12
Revelation 5:11-14
When the door of heaven is opened and the Seer is taken up in the Spirit to view its wonders, we are quickly introduced to the slaughtered Lamb of God, a metaphor for the Christ that is used 28 times in the book of Revelation. Obviously the early Christians were familiar with this image that is lifted from the sacrificial practices of Judaism as described in the Hebrew scriptures. As they searched for ways to describe the sacrificial love of God as revealed in the cross it made sense to identify Jesus with the Lamb. And even though that image of Christ has to some extent fallen out of favor, it still remains as an integral part of the Eucharistic liturgy.
In fact the Agnus Dei or Lamb of God is sung every Sunday in many congregations as the people ready themselves to receive the Body and Blood in the form of bread and wine. It’s a beautiful hymn, a gift to believers from the writer of Revelation, and makes a strong connection between the death of Jesus and the forgiveness of sins. And that’s important! No one should ever leave a regular worship service without having heard that their sins are forgiven in Christ Jesus. And whether we like it or not, there’s no more powerful metaphor for forgiveness than the slaughtered Lamb. Praise be to God for the Agnus Dei!
Thought for the Day: What’s my favorite part of the Communion liturgy?
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