Rev 1:1-3 Jesus or 1 billion dollars?
Notes
Transcript
1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.
The churches that received the book of Revelation needed to know how God had blessed them—because by the world’s standards they did not seem blessed. We too need to know how God has blessed us. The churches that received the book of Revelation also needed to know why they should praise God—because by the world’s estimation, God had not made them the most influential, most successful, most impressive, most wealthy, most healthy people. We too need to be reminded that Jesus is more worthy than everything the world can offer.
The first section of this letter v1–8, we see that God reveals himself so that those who know him are blessed and praise him regardless of their circumstances and external appearances.
We will study today only v1-3 where we have the blessing of Revelation.
John starts the letter by saying: “The revelation of Jesus Christ.” John claims that the book is the revelation of Jesus. John does not say that his book is a record of the revelation of Jesus, but that his book is a revelation of Jesus. John writes this book and sends it to the churches so that the churches will be blessed by what he has written to them, not so that they will only know the details of John’s vision. John wants the churches to read and hear his book. He does not want us to study this book so we know all the details but miss the main point, which is a revelation of Jesus.
This revelation is so precious and v1 shows from whom this revelation is coming from: it says
SLIDE
1:1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,
Here there are five parties involved: (1) God gave the revelation to (2) Jesus who made it known by sending his (3) angel to his servant (4) John who wrote it down for (5) the servants of God and Christ. (v1 and 2)
Do you see from this chain of people how important this book is?
Imagine you are going on a vacation in England and while you visit the things you were going there to see you are greeted by a Palace guard who is searching for you. The palace guard was sent by Prince William who is sending you this gift from King Charles. You would hold that gift with a high esteem.
We have something much greater Rev 1:1 says “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him.…” This book comes from God himself. And God didn’t give it to just anyone—he gave it to Jesus, who gave it to his angel, who revealed it to the beloved disciple, the Apostle John. Who wrote it for you and me. We must hold and read and keep what Revelation, what the Bible says!
The revelation is given so that the servants of God and Christ will know “the things that must soon take place” (1:1). No matter how many centuries pass before these events occur, in the light of eternity they will come soon. These events could happen at any moment. Are you ready?
The servants of God receive the revelation from God’s servant, John. This is the Apostle John, the son of Zebedee, the brother of James, the beloved disciple, author of the Gospel of John and the three letters of John. John tells us in verse 2 that he “bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.” This is a claim to be telling the truth, all of it that he saw. The author of this book has identified himself by name in verse 1, and he has claimed to be giving eyewitness testimony in verse 2. This is a strong witness to the author’s intention to tell what he believes is the truth. You can trust the Bible, and you can trust the book of Revelation. John signed his name. To reject his testimony is to call him a liar or say he got it wrong.
1. Is the book reliably connected to an apostle?
2. Do churches throughout the known world value this writing?
3. Does this writing agree with what we already know about God?
God gave this revelation through Jesus (1:1), John testified to everything he saw (1:2), and that leads to verse 3: “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy.” This statement is made in spite of the fact that John’s testimony got him exiled to Patmos (1:2, 9). John evidently thought it more blessed to proclaim the book of Revelation than to avoid the suffering that could result.
1:3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.
He continues in verse 3, “and blessed are those who hear.…” This statement is made in spite of the fact that gathering with other Christians would had negative consequences for just being with other Christians. A person could be held guilty by association with them. Your reputation could be tarnished. You could find yourself persecuted for being a Christian. John evidently thought it more blessed to hear the book of Revelation than to avoid such persecution.
How good must John’s experience of Christianity be for him to declare this blessing! In spite of persecution, in spite of the ways that Christianity will not advance people in Roman culture, in spite of the fact that Christianity could cost you your life, you’re blessed if you hear and keep the faith revealed in this book.
John must think it’s better to stand right before God by faith in Christ, forgiven and free of all sin, than it is to have all the world bow before you. John must think there is a life after this life in which the rewards for those who belong to Jesus will be greater than all the pleasures of sin in the present world. Is your experience of Christianity like John’s? Do you know the relief that comes from knowing that faith in Christ and his death on the cross makes you right before God? Do you know there is something better to live for than this world?
If you’re a follower of Jesus, are you like John? Are you announcing to anyone who will listen how blessed it is to know God? Are you calling people to taste and see that the Lord is good? Won’t you feast yourself on the Lord, and won’t you announce his goodness to anyone who will listen?
A brother in Christ from the 2nd century said this about the followers of Jesus:
“They love everyone, and by everyone they are persecuted. They are unknown, yet they are condemned; they are put to death, yet they are brought to life. They are poor, yet they make many rich; they are in need of everything, yet they abound in everything. They are dishonored, yet they are glorified in their dishonor; they are slandered, yet they are vindicated. They are cursed, yet they bless; they are insulted, yet they offer respect. When they do good, they are punished as evildoers; when they are punished, they rejoice as though brought to life … and so Christians when punished daily increase more and more.” (Epistle to Diognetus 130AD)
Don’t miss what this quotation says: these Christians live in a way that says that knowing God is better than freedom from persecution. Knowing God is better than avoiding martyrdom by denying him. Knowing God is better than money. Knowing God is better than worldly fame. Knowing God is better than doing evil to avoid persecution from a criminal government. And this causes their numbers to increase. When people show by their lives that knowing God is this good, others want to know such a God!
1:3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.
The next phrase in 1:3 significantly qualifies the blessing on those who read and those who hear with the words, “and who keep what is written in it.” This tells us that the blessing John is talking about is not some external magic formula that automatically results in what the world thinks of when they hear the word “blessed.” This blessing that John is describing is the blessing of being affected by the reading and the hearing of the words of this prophecy. The reading and hearing of the words of Revelation changes those who experience it. They believe what it reveals, and as a result they “keep what is written in it.”
John intends the book of Revelation to produce a radical change in perspective. He intends the persecuted members of these lowly and insignificant churches to feel the reality that they are blessed. In spite of the fact that they are at odds with the reigning culture of the Roman Empire, in spite of the hostility of the Emperor and, more significantly, Satan himself, they are blessed! They are blessed because of what this book reveals. It may not seem that they are blessed by their physical eyes, by the worldly, fleshly standards of counting, but this book will make plain that the awful judgment of God is coming against those who have rebelled against God and opposed his people.
Meanwhile, God’s people will ultimately be delivered and will enjoy the new heavens and the new earth under the caring rule of King Jesus. So it may not seem like it to human perception, but those who read, hear, and keep the book of Revelation are truly blessed in reality.
V3 ends by saying: “for the time is near,” declaring that reality is soon to break into this world where things are not as they seem.
The book of Revelation ends in the same way it starts with a blessing and a warning that these things soon will take place. Rev 22: 6-8
6 And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.”
7 “And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things
In these first three verses of Revelation, then, John lays out the blessing of the apocalyptic prophecy. What is that blessing? God sent this message to his servants to tell them that those who keep the words of this book will be delivered, while those who have rebelled against God and opposed his people will answer to God’s justice. The blessing of Revelation is to know how things really are: God is going to be glorified when he demonstrates his mercy in the salvation of his people, and that mercy will be highlighted by the great final judgment that God will bring to all His enemies.
God’s people are those who keep the words of this book. Are you among those blessed people who keep the words of Revelation? God reveals himself so that those who know him are blessed and praise him regardless of their circumstances.
Come Taste and see that the Lord is good.