Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” Then I saw between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders a Lamb standing as if it had been slaughtered, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. He went and took the scroll from the right hand of the one who was seated on the throne. When he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell before the Lamb, each holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. They sing a new song: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slaughtered and by your blood you ransomed for God saints from every tribe and language and people and nation; you have made them to be a kingdom and priests serving our God, and they will reign on earth.” [Revelation 5:5-10]
The victory is already won. At least, the one that matters most in the cosmic scope of things is already won. The victory of God over the powers of evil is not an open question or up for debate, and it is not even on the ballot today (no matter how many demagogues want us to think of this year's election as a battle of "God's candidate" versus an "evil" one, and no matter how tense we may feel about this year's election). The victory that reframes all other contests in all of history is already a done deal, and you can count on it.
I know that as I write, and as you read, the actual process of voting is still ongoing, and ballots will continue being counted through the night and maybe far into the future for days to come. And I know that you likely have strong feelings about the candidates and issues for whom you are voting. I do, too. But, as much as I care, worry, and hope about which human beings will be elected to serve in leadership roles for the next two or four years here in the place where I happen to live, my hope as a Christian does not depend on the outcome of the 2024 election, nor or any previous or future election, either. My hope depends on the clear word from the Scriptures that God has already won the ultimate victory over the powers of death, sin, and evil--and that the decisive moment in that conflict is at the cross and resurrection of Jesus. The victory is already won there, and it cannot be undone even if your preferred candidate loses. God has defeated the powers of evil and death in a definitive sense, and God accomplished it without the assistance of door-knockers, TV pundits, billionaire donors, or people waving flags. It did not require an invading army, a barrage of cruise missiles, a vast fortune spent on attack ads, or a mobilization of the military against some ominous "enemy" lurking in the shadows. The scandalous and still compelling claim of the Gospel is that God in Christ "has conquered"--as in, an already accomplished fact--through dying on the Empire's cross and rising from a borrowed grave.
That surprising turn of events is actually at the heart of this scene from the last book in the Bible, which was actually written to offer hope to anxious Christians in a time of fraught political tensions with the powers of the day (the Roman Empire). In this scene, a voice announces that a hero is about to step onto the stage: "The Lion of the tribe of Judah" is the one who has "conquered" (also translatable as "won the victory," and that this makes him worthy. So we're getting psyched up for a "tough" guy, someone like a roaring lion--maybe someone strong and muscular, or big and intimidating, or who projects "strength" and bullies his enemies into submission. You know, somebody like Caesar... or Herod... or any of the other kings and Big Deals throughout history. But that's where God turns things upside down--because just as this "Lion" announcement is made, someone very different actually appears: "a Lamb, standing as if it had been slaughtered." Christians will immediately recognize this as a symbol for Jesus, and that the mortal wounds on the Lamb are a shorthand for the cross and resurrection. We keep getting hyped up for powerful, intimidating Lion to come and save the day and "win"... and God instead has already WON the victory through the death and resurrection of a Lamb. That's God for you--turning the tables on us by revealing to us that the victory is already won, and that God didn't need any of our expected strategies to do it. God saves the world through Jesus self-giving love that went to death and back, not by intimidating opponents, not by marching in an army, and without firing a shot or riling up a riot. And it's already accomplished.
When I take that assurance seriously, it has a way of reframing everything. When we let ourselves forget that the ultimate victory is already won, it has a way of filling us with fear--and when we human beings get scared, we start justifying horrible things in the name of fighting off our fears. When we forget that Jesus the Lamb has already defeated the powers of evil, it is tempting to demonize our opponents or rationalize doing rotten things in the name of furthering our cause, because we assume that it's up to US to achieve the "win." It is tempting to think that we need more "Lion-like" tactics to get things done, and it is easy to forget that even the people we disagree with are people for whom Christ died. When we remember that the victory has already been won--by a cross and resurrection--it has a way of disarming us and bringing us back to clarity.
So today, cast your vote (if you haven't done so already), and do so with the seriousness that such decisions call for. As a follower of Jesus, let yourself be guided by Jesus' own concern for the love of neighbor, the needs of the vulnerable, the blessedness of the lowly and the poor, and the importance of justice and mercy over power, privilege, and profit. Take the questions we vote on with the gravity they deserve, and make your choices as an expression of your deepest, most honest understanding of the common good. But also, remember that even a hotly contested election is not the Ultimate Battle of Good and Evil, no matter how much the Angry Voices On Screens want us to think it is. For followers of Jesus, the ultimate victory has been assured already, even before the polls close today, because Jesus defeated death at its own game on the cross and broke the power of sin and evil in the resurrection.
The victory is already won--the one that matters most. Remember that today, take a breath, and then step out into the world living in the victory of the Slain but Risen Lamb.
Lord Jesus, give us the clarity of remembering you have already won the victory that matters most--and let that reframe the way we face anxious days like this one.
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