The world is entering a moment of visible fracture. The global order that has shaped the last several decades is no longer stable. American hegemony is being openly challenged, alliances are strained, and nations are racing to secure their place in a rapidly shifting hierarchy. Military expansion, technological dominance, artificial intelligence, cyber power, economic leverage, and control of resources have become the new currencies of authority.
Power blocs are hardening. Competition is intensifying. Fear is rising. At the same time, there is a growing sense, quietly spoken by some and openly by others, that the world is moving toward centralized global authority. A system capable of enforcing order amid chaos.
The Bible itself acknowledges that history is moving toward a moment when immense power will be concentrated in the hands of one ruler (Daniel 7; Revelation 13). This brings us to a question humanity has never been able to answer: Who is worthy to be trusted with that kind of power?
Is it a strongman who promises stability through force?
A nationalist who vows to protect their own people at all costs?
A technocrat who claims control through intelligence and innovation?
Could it be Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, or someone the world has not yet seen?
History offers a sobering answer. Every empire or ruler that rose through domination eventually collapsed under the weight of its own ambition. Power gained through fear always demands more fear to sustain it. Control gained through force always requires greater force to maintain it.
So the question before us is not merely who can rule, but who should rule. Not who is strong enough to seize power, but who is worthy enough to hold it without destroying those under it.
The Bible confronts this question directly, and its answer is as unsettling as it is hopeful. When heaven itself asks, “Who is worthy?”, no ruler, no empire, no political figure steps forward.
Instead, the throne is given to someone described as “a Lamb who was slain.”
In Revelation 5, John sees the throne of heaven. John was one of Jesus’ earliest followers, an eyewitness to His life, death, and resurrection, who suffered for refusing to declare loyalty to the Roman emperor as lord. From his place of persecution and powerlessness, he was shown the true throne room of the universe and heard a question that silences all creation:
“Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” (Revelation 5:2)
The scroll contains God’s divine will and His ultimate plan for history. The one who is worthy enough to open it will have authority over history. Yet no one, no ruler, no empire, no spiritual power, is found worthy, not even a Caesar. John weeps, because the future cannot be entrusted to unworthy hands.
Then the announcement comes:
“Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah… has conquered” (Revelation 5:5).
A Lion sounds right. Power. Strength. Victory. But when John turns to look, he sees something utterly unexpected.
“I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain” (Revelation 5:6).
This is heaven’s answer to the question of who is truly worthy to rule the world. The one worthy to rule the world is the one who was willing to lay down His life for it.
Worthiness Before Authority
The question in Revelation is not who is powerful enough, but who is worthy enough.
Power alone has never qualified anyone to rule well. History proves that strength without moral worth leads to oppression, fear, and decay. Heaven refuses to place the destiny of the world in such hands.
Jesus is declared worthy because:
“You were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God” (Revelation 5:9).
His right to rule flows from sacrificial love. He does not dominate the world; He redeems it.
How Jesus Became King
Jesus did not climb toward power. He descended into service.
“Though he was in the form of God… he emptied himself… humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:6–8).
Only after this do we read:
“Therefore God has highly exalted him” (Philippians 2:9).
Jesus’ death on the cross was the foundation of His kingship. He becomes King not by taking life, but by giving His own.
A Kingdom Unlike the Kingdoms of This World
Jesus explicitly contrasts His rule with that of earthly powers:
“The rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them… It shall not be so among you” (Matthew 20:25–26).
Worldly rulers gain authority through force, fear, and control. They rule from the outside in, enforcing obedience while hearts remain unchanged. That is why their power is temporary, and their legacy fragile.
Jesus rules differently:
- He serves rather than dominates
- He absorbs violence rather than returning it
- He invites allegiance rather than demanding submission
- He wins hearts rather than forcing hands
“The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28).
This is why His kingdom does not collapse. Love creates loyalty that violence and force never can.
Why the Lamb’s Power Endures
The Lamb’s authority transforms because it reaches deeper than law or force.
- It disarms fear through love (1 John 4:18)
- It exposes evil without becoming evil (Colossians 2:15)
- It leads hearts to repentance rather than resentment (Romans 2:4)
The cross does not deny justice; it fulfills it through mercy. What appears as weakness becomes the strongest force in existence:
“The weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Corinthians 1:25).
A King Worthy of Allegiance
Jesus does not rule by threat. He rules by trust. Those who follow Him do so freely, because His authority heals rather than wounds.
This is why heaven erupts in worship:
“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).
Only one who loves perfectly can rule perfectly.
Applying the Jesus Pattern to Every Area of Your Life
Jesus’ rise to power and style of leadership teach us that real transformation begins when we stop living for our own pride and agendas and start following in His footsteps. In our families, lasting change comes not through control or demands, but through self-giving love, building trust, security, and healing that can last for generations (Ephesians 5:25). At work, in business or career, true leadership is about serving others with integrity, putting people before profit, and creating environments where loyalty and respect naturally grow (Colossians 3:23).
On a larger scale, Jesus’ example reshapes communities, governments, and society itself. Leadership is meant to protect and serve, not exploit, and authority gains legitimacy when it seeks the good of others (Romans 13:3). In every area of life, the Jesus pattern shows us that real influence comes not from control or power, but from humble service, sacrificial love, and living in integrity.
What Kind Of King Are You Willing To Follow?
The world offers rulers who promise security through control. Jesus is the King who secures the future by giving Himself. Now, He is the only King who lives forever.
“Whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Matthew 23:12).
To confess Jesus as King is to accept His way of life. Those who belong to His kingdom reflect His pattern:
- Dying to self so others may live
- Serving rather than grasping
- Overcoming evil with good
“They won the victory over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the truth which they proclaimed; and they were willing to give up their lives and die” (Revelation 12:11 GNT).
