Jesus Christ is Worthy

I remember hearing a prayer that thanked God for "making us worthy," and I felt rehearsing Inigo Montoya's line from the movie The Princess Bride:  "You keep using that word.  I do not think it means what you think it means."  To the credit of the people who have prayed thus, "worthy" is a word that has a range of meaning that has shifted over the years.  A partial definition from the Webster's 1828 Dictionary of "worthy" is:  "1) deserving; such as merits; having worth or excellence; equivalent; with of, before the thing deserved; 2) possessing worth or excellence of qualities; virtuous; estimable; 3) suitable; having qualities suited to; either in a good or bad sense; equal in value."  Worthy speaks of being meritorious, of being deserving when compared with others.  I do not believe the person who claims they are made "worthy" are suggesting they are equal with God or deserving of His help or grace, for that undermines grace and the Gospel entirely.

The modern Miriam-Webster Dictionary gives this simplified definition:  "having worth or value, estimable; honorable, meritorious; having sufficient worth or importance."  The focus of the modern definition is focused more on having worth or importance.  It is true that God has ascribed value and worth to mankind by sending His only begotten Son to die to save us sinners, but it is not that we are worthy.  He is the only worthy One, and will only ever be worthy:  up to the task of saving lost sinners, able to hear and help people in all troubles, and deserving of all glory, honour and praise.  It is good for us to realise God is worthy regardless whatever struggles or troubles we face, for His merit and excellence is infinite.  He alone is righteous, virtuous and good without a single flaw, and praise Him for His faithfulness and mercy graciously extended to us.

A heavenly vision that affirms God alone is worthy plays out in Revelation 5:1-5:  "And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. ² Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?" ³ And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it.⁴ So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it. ⁵ But one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals."  The right hand of God who sat on the throne held a scroll, and no man or even a strong angel was worthy to take it in their hand, loose the seals and open it--much less look at it!  None could measure up to the requirements of doing so.  John ceased weeping when it was revealed there was One worthy, excellent and able to open the scroll, Jesus Christ the Lion of the tribe of Judah who has prevailed.  Jesus is worthy because He is God.

After Jesus Christ took the scroll the 24 elders bowed before Him and proclaimed His worthiness.  The praise and adoration of the God who is worthy continues to swell with the shouts of angelic hosts in the following verses.  Revelation 5:11-12 says, "Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, ¹² saying with a loud voice: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!"  Jesus is altogether worthy, equal to any amount of praise, honour and glory mankind or angel can proclaim.  God is worthy of all sacrifice, worthy of all adoration and worship forever and ever.  Worthy is the Lamb who was slain because He is risen and a Saviour for all who trust in Him.  Let us praise and thank Him because He is worthy, not just because He has forgiven and helped us.