3104 West Liberty Ave.
Dormont, PA 15216
412-531-9363
 

Sermon: The Beasts and the Cross

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Our readings today present us with a stark contrast: a terrifying vision of worldly power and deception from Revelation, and a profound declaration of divine victory and drawing from the Gospel of John. While Revelation 13 can feel unsettling, John's words offer the crucial lens through which we can understand the message.

The Beasts of Revelation: Worldly Power and Deception

In Revelation 13:1-18, the Apostle John describes a terrifying vision of two beasts. The first, rising from the sea, is a composite creature with features of a leopard, bear, and lion, representing immense worldly power and authority. It receives its power, throne, and great authority from the dragon, who is Satan. This beast speaks blasphemies and wages war against God's holy people, demanding worship from all who dwell on earth. It's a picture of oppressive, anti-God political and economic systems that seek to control and dominate.

Then, a second beast emerges from the earth. This beast looks like a lamb but speaks like a dragon, signifying deception and false prophecy. Its role is to support the first beast, performing great signs and miracles to mislead humanity. It compels everyone, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their forehead. This mark is essential for economic participation—no buying or selling without it. This isn't just about a physical mark; it's about allegiance and economic coercion, forcing a choice between loyalty to this worldly system or loyalty to God. This vision highlights the immense pressure believers face to conform to systems that oppose God's truth and justice.

Jesus' Declaration: The World Judged, All Drawn

Now, let's turn to John 12:30-32, a moment of deep significance just before Jesus' crucifixion. Jesus declares, "This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out." Here, Jesus speaks of a cosmic battle, a definitive judgment against the forces of evil. The "ruler of this world" is Satan, the very dragon empowering the beast in Revelation. Jesus proclaims that this ruler is about to be driven out.

And how will this victory be achieved? Jesus reveals, "And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." The "lifting up" refers primarily to his crucifixion—an act of ultimate humility and suffering. Yet, it is precisely through this act of self-sacrifice on the cross that Jesus exercises his supreme power, drawing humanity to himself and securing victory over the forces of evil.

This verse brought to mind the very strong biblical connection between Jesus being lifted up on the cross and the bronze serpent Moses lifted up in the wilderness. The story of the bronze serpent comes from Numbers 21:4-9. The Israelites, grumbling against God and Moses in the wilderness, were punished with venomous serpents that bit and killed many people. When they repented, God instructed Moses to make a bronze serpent and put it on a pole. Anyone who had been bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze serpent would live. While the bronze serpent offered physical healing from a physical curse, Jesus, being the Son of God, offers eternal life and spiritual healing from the ultimate curse of sin and death. The bronze serpent was a temporary, symbolic solution for a specific crisis. Jesus' crucifixion is the once-for-all, ultimate solution for humanity's deepest spiritual need, drawing all who believe to Himself for everlasting life. It's a beautiful illustration of God's consistent plan of salvation through seemingly paradoxical means.

The Cross Confronts the Beast

The connection between these two passages in Revelation and John, is profound. Revelation 13 shows the "ruler of this world" (the dragon/Satan) seemingly triumphant through the beasts, demanding worship and economic allegiance. But John 12 reveals that at the very moment of Jesus' apparent weakness—his crucifixion—the true judgment of this world occurs, and the "ruler of this world" is driven out.

The cross of Christ is the ultimate confrontation with the beast's power. While the beast uses coercion and economic control, Jesus uses self-sacrificial love to draw all people to himself. The mark of the beast is about forced allegiance and participation in a corrupt system; the cross is about voluntary allegiance to a loving Savior who conquers through suffering.

This means that even when worldly powers seem overwhelming, demanding our loyalty and controlling our access to resources, Jesus has already won the decisive victory. His "lifting up" on the cross is the ultimate act of judgment against evil and the ultimate act of drawing humanity to God.

Our Allegiance and Hope

For us today, these passages call us to discern where our true allegiance lies. Are we tempted by the allure of worldly power, security, or economic convenience that might compromise our faith? Revelation warns us of the dangers of such compromise. John reminds us that the true power, the power that ultimately triumphs, is found in Christ, who draws us to himself through his sacrifice.

We are called to resist the pressures of any system that demands our ultimate loyalty over God. Our hope is not in overcoming the beast through worldly might, but in the victorious Lamb who was lifted up. It is through Christ's drawing power that we find freedom from the beast's dominion and the promise of eternal life. Let us, therefore, fix our eyes on the cross, the place where the ruler of this world was driven out, and from which all people are drawn to the glorious love of God. Just as the Israelites were healed when they looked upon the bronze serpent lifted up, we need to keep our eyes fixed on the risen Christ for our healing and salvation!

Amen.