Christ Takes Judgment So We Taste Grace | Revelation 10:8–11

A voice from heaven tells John to do something unforgettable: “Go, take the scroll… take and eat.” It’s sweet as honey in his mouth and bitter in his stomach and that tension explains so much about the Christian life, the message of Revelation, and the way we talk about Jesus with the people around us.

We walk through Revelation 10:8–11 and trace the meaning of the little scroll. Yes, there is real sweetness: the gospel of Jesus Christ, the finished work of the cross, forgiveness of sins, and the sure hope of the new heavens and new earth. But there is also real bitterness: God’s righteous judgment against wickedness, and the hard task of proclaiming truth to people who would rather sit on the throne of their own lives. Revelation doesn’t let us reduce faith to comfort or fear; it holds grace and judgment together so we can see the glory of Christ more clearly.

We also connect this passage to the Lord’s Supper. The bread and the cup are small by design, because they are not meant to fill us up. They are meant to remind us that Christ’s body is broken and his blood is shed and that Jesus takes the bitterness of judgment so we can taste the sweetness of grace. Then we are sent out to “prophesy” in the everyday sense: to proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.