The Worthiness of the Lamb

While processing through injustice during my time in Cambodia, the Lord revealed to me how the greatest act of injustice in history was the crucifixion of Jesus upon the cross. Jesus, the perfect, blameless one who came as the suffering servant to seek and save the lost, was beaten, mistreated, blamed, and rejected. He suffered the death of a criminal – a shameful death, death on a cross, a death reserved for the greatest criminals in that day – and He did nothing but walk in truth and love. He was perfect righteousness; He was faultless. He went through this injustice of the cross so that we could be justified. He was surrendered to the Father’s will, and the Father loved us so much that He was willing give His Son so we could be reconciled back to the Father. Jesus’ work on the cross was our way into Christ so we could be restored, redeemed, and reconciled to God. In the words of Ian Thomas, “The life Christ lived qualified Him for the death He died—and the death He died qualifies us for the life we live.” Jesus was the perfect atoning sacrifice for our sins, making a way for us to be clothed in His righteousness. But the death He suffered was unjust, nonetheless.

So my question is: How can we bring justice to the injustice of the cross?

There is a story about some Moravian missionaries who actually sold themselves into slavery for the sake of the Gospel so they could minister to the slaves in the West Indies. As the ship was leaving the dock, their cry back to their families was: “Is not the lamb who was slain worthy to receive the reward of His suffering?”

So how can we give Jesus the reward of His suffering?

He has always been after our hearts from the very beginning. It’s what He has always wanted: a heart that is fully in love with Him, surrendered to His will, that the Father may receive glory, and honor, and praise. He wants a relationship and partnership with His Bride, the church.

The greatest injustice is not allowing God to sit on the throne of my life. Wherever God is not worshipped there is injustice. Injustice is when we are not giving the Lamb who was slain the reward of His suffering.

Justice is allowing the Lamb to receive the reward of His suffering. That Jesus would have a Bride who is fully in love, that she seeks the glory of her King and partners with Him to see the dreams of His heart fulfilled. It means to surrender and walk in obedience. It means walking in purity, sanctification, repentance, and holiness. It means reckless devotion. It means persevering in love no matter the opposition or suffering. It means allowing Holy Spirit to enter in and dwell in His temple: our hearts.

Justice is brought to the injustice of the cross when Jesus is worshiped, loved, and adored. Justice is brought when we allow Holy Spirit to live through us so that we follow Christ’s example as the suffering servant, as the one who goes to where the Father goes, does what the Father does, and speaks what the Father speaks.

God’s dream is that all people would be loved and shown acceptance, and that they would be adopted into the body of Christ.

Jesus is worthy to receive the reward of His suffering. He is worthy of our lives. I am learning what it means to allow Jesus to receive the reward of His suffering through my surrender and obedience – that He may fully possess me with His Spirit and that I would hold nothing back from Him, but that I would be compelled by His love to go, and allow Him to dwell in me. I learned what a life of obedience to God looks like through studying the lives of the prophets – they persevered in very difficult callings because they understood what it is to fear God.

In light of what Jesus took on the cross, no sacrifice is too extreme. In light of His perfection and worthiness, no sacrifice is too great. The Lamb is worthy. Give it all. Go because He is worthy. Do because He is worthy. Allow Him to receive the reward of His suffering through surrender, through obedience, through loving Him.

Look to the cross… When you feel like giving up under the stress, look at the cross, look at what He endured so we could be equipped with everything needed to be obedient and victoriously walk out our calling. When we feel crushed by anxiety, look at the cross. He felt it in Gethsemane, sweating great drops of blood. He went through it so we could be set free from it. We are of more value than many sparrows and He notices every one. When we feel like the discomfort, whether physical or emotional, is unbearable, look at the cross. His discomfort was walked out in order that we would know and receive the Comforter. We must walk in obedience no matter the discomfort. Look to the cross and give Him glory through every trial, discomfort, and suffering; for He obediently endured all for love. Look to the cross and behold the worthiness of Jesus so that we can give it all to Jesus and be compelled by His love to go and to live a life worthy of our calling. The cross will keep our motives in check. The cross will inspire faith, hope, and love. The cross will give victory over sin. The cross will lead the lost home. The cross will breathe endurance in the hardest moments. The cross is the power of God unto salvation. That’s why Paul cried, “Christ and Him crucified.”

God has shown me through His Word that the foundation of God’s throne is righteousness and justice, and if I am to establish righteousness and justice on the earth as God commands, it starts with my heart. Am I giving Jesus the reward of His suffering through my daily surrender and obedience to Him? Am I abiding in His presence, acknowledging and enjoying His Spirit alive in me? From this place of bringing justice to the injustice of the cross through my daily obedience to Jesus, then I can go out and fight against the injustices of our day. I can intercede for the oppressed to go free and for the ending of human trafficking. But it must first start with the cross and surrender to Jesus, for He is our only victory and source of hope and freedom.

So often I fail at obedience, but I know that in my brokenness God meets with me and my weakness is made perfect in His strength, for His grace is my sufficiency, and His enabling grace at work in me does not leave me in defeat. He is my righteousness, and without Him I am nothing. We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

May the Lamb who was slain receive the reward of His suffering.