Risen and Reigning

Last Sunday, a small group of us gathered around our dining room table to repeat the ancient words and complete the ancient rituals.

We lifted the matzoh after supper and remembered the One who had declared this His body, slain for us. We contemplated the stripes, the piercings. We reflected on the lamb no longer killed each spring because the Lamb has been slain once for all.

We look upon the cross, the crux of history. We look upon the One slain, hanging there, giving His body. We break the bread and eat it.

We lifted the cup after supper and remembered the One who had declared this His blood, spilled for us for the remission of sins.

We look upon the cross, the crux of history. We look upon the One slain, hanging there, spilling His blood. We rejoice to drink the cup of redemption.

The Haggadah quickly took us to Psalms of praise. We recited the Dayenu (check out my comment on Lisa’s post for a brief description of Dayenu). We sang of the cross.

Then our cross-eyes moved forward as we poured the fourth cup – the cup of rejoicing. We recalled that Jesus did not drink this cup. He was to complete the cup of redemption that next day – the cup of rejoicing was still to come. Jesus announced that He would not drink the cup of rejoicing, but that cup stayed before His eyes.

The author of Hebrews tells us the Jesus endured the cross “for the joy that was set before him” (Heb 12:2 ESV). He looked past the shame of the cross with which He worked redemption to the joy of the cup that was to come.

This Sunday, we celebrated Easter. We sang that “Christ the Lord is risen today – Hallelujah.” The choir sang the Hallelujah Chorus with orchestral accompaniment. This swelled my chest and made me burst with joy, but it wasn’t this that brought tears to my eyes.

Instead, it was a song that I’m not particularly fond of, but one that included the refrain “Worthy is the Lamb.”

My eyes moved past the cross to the throne room of God, where four living creatures and twenty-four elders fall on their faces before a Lamb who was slain but now stands. I hear them sing together

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!”

~Revelation 5:12 (ESV)

Jesus Christ died, was risen, now sits enthroned in heaven.

My mind is transported to where He is and I set the fourth cup before me.

I hear the One testifying “Surely I am coming soon” and, with John, my soul cries out “Amen. Come Lord Jesus.”

For the Lamb who was slain is risen and reigning in heaven. May He come to reign on earth as He is in heaven.