A Worthy Judge

And they sang a new song: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation (Revelation 5:9 ).


Worthy is the Lord the chorus goes. No one is worthy to judge unless they fully understand the law. Not just the law itself but the intent of the law. For without knowledge of the spirit of the law, a judge can only be rigid and uncompassionate. A fair and just decision rests on the situation’s full comprehension by those who have power over us.

Christ is worthy, because He was with His Father in the beginning. He saw the world in its infancy and watched the people whom He loved turn from their Creator. Then, at the Father’s bidding, He came to Earth. Not merely to live among men but to become a man who would possess the same vulnerabilities that entrap every mortal. The wonder of it all is that He could have risen above the mundane at any time, yet He lay down His power to experience the vilest of deaths. Who else could be worthy? And because of this, I sing the new song grateful that my place in eternity will be decided by One who extends mercy, understands, and has the power to forgive.