The Glory of Jesus, Part 1

Introduction

The Lord has led me to break from our study of Matthew and to take the next two months to look at the seven churches in and 3. As we look at these seven churches, we are to prayerfully evaluate ourselves. While my estimation is that we are doing well, I am afraid that God’s estimation would be different. Out of the seven churches that Jesus addressed, only two of them were not rebuked by our Savior.

Too often, we get into the habit of comparing ourselves to others. We even compare our church with other churches. Let me go ahead and set the record straight - There are no perfect people, and there are no perfect churches. However, there is a perfect Savior and He has a message for the church.

This morning, we will begin our study of the seven churches by examining the one who judged them and will judge us as well.

Revelation 1:9–20 NKJV

I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.” Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this. The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.

Revelation 1:9-

Jesus commanded John to write down all that he saw and would see. He was to send this record to the seven churches in Asia minor or Turkey. There were seven lampstands in John’s vision that represented the seven churches.

The number seven is a number that represents completeness or perfection. Perhaps Jesus is giving a complete and perfect judgment of seven literal churches that were in Turkey, and consequently correspond to the different churches that have existed throughout time. If this is the case, and I believe it is, we should pay special attention to what Christ is saying to each of them.

The glory of Jesus Christ.

John provides us with vivid descriptions of what he saw. Some of the descriptions in the book of Revelation are difficult to understand without further study. However, his description of Jesus plainly reveals to us the glory and majesty of our Savior and King.

A loud voice, like a trumpet.

The voice of Christ demands our attention. When a trumpet is played by itself, it grabs your attention. If it is played louder than or different notes than the rest of an orchestra or band, your attention will be drawn to it.

Lamar is learning to play the trumpet. You can be anywhere in the house and know when he is practicing.

Right now, many people are ignoring the small, still voice of God. They ignore the promptings of His Holy Spirit through the written Word of God. There is coming a day though when Jesus will speak and every person, both the living and the dead, and every spirit will hear Him and pay attention.

A long robe, with a golden band.

The clothing of our Savior is significant. He wore the clothes of a priest and a king.

As priest, He intercedes for us.

Hebrews 2:17–18 NKJV

Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

Hebrews 2:

He not only aids us in our temptation, but being the mediator between us and God, Jesus offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for our sins.

As king, He rules and will rule.

Jesus is sovereign. He is the rightful ruler of the world and He will establish His kingdom on this earth very soon.

Regrettably, there are people in churches today, even this one that claim to be saved, but reject any claim of authority that Jesus has on them.

Those people are living in rebellion to the Lord and are either backslidden or not saved at all.

Salvation requires that we accept the fact that Jesus is Lord. He is our King. As King, He has every right to demand our obedience.

How are you doing in your submission to the Lord Jesus Christ?

Regardless of whether or not you are saved, one day you will declare that Jesus is Lord. Regardless of whether or not you have humbled yourself before the Lord, one day you will.

Phlippians 2:8-11

Philippians 2:8–11 NKJV

And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

His hair is white like wool; as white as snow.

This symbolizes the purity of Jesus Christ and His holiness. There is no sin in Him. He is the sinless lamb of God.

The white hair also brings to mind Daniel’s description of the Ancient of Days.

Daniel 7:9 NKJV

“I watched till thrones were put in place, And the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, And the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, Its wheels a burning fire;

The white hair denotes wisdom as well. There is none wiser than the Lord. His ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts. They are better than anything we can think or imagine.

His eyes like a flame of fire.

The description of Jesus’s eyes shows us that they burn with judgment. He seeks out the deepest recesses of our hearts. He will bring judgment on both the saved and the lost.

You may say, “Wait a minute preacher, what’s this about judgment on the saved? I thought His sacrifice kept us from being judged.”

His sacrifice on the cross kept us from the eternal punishment of our sins. He will still judge every thought, word, and deed of every person. The Christian will miss out on certain blessings and gifts. Did you hear that? Jesus Christ is going to judge every thought, word, and deed. He is going to bring up every time you put yourself or something else as more important than Him. He is going to judge every time you chose sin over obedience. He is going to judge us for the blatant disregard we have shown toward His precious blood. Folks, the time for repentance is now. You do not want to be face to face with those eyes like a flame!

In addition to judging the saved for their deeds, He will judge the lost as well. Their judgement will be swift, complete, and eternal. The lost will be cast into the lake of fire and separated from God for all of eternity because they completely rejected Him while they had the opportunity to repent.

His feet like brass.

John continues his description by saying that the feet are like brass as if refined in a furnace. This gives the idea that the feet were glowing.

This gives the idea that the feet were glowing.

Additionally, it indicates the stability and immovable strength of Jesus Christ. There is no one and no thing stronger than Jesus Christ our Lord.

His voice like the sound of many waters.

It rained just about every day we were in the mountains and it rained hard Wednesday night. On Thursday, we went through the park and stopped by one of the streams. It was near impossible to hear anything other than the stream. Its sound drowned everything else out.

I wish that our ears was so tuned to Him that we could only hear Him when He speaks. The voice of Christ will drown everything else out one day. Nothing else will be heard when He speaks.

Seven stars in His right hand.

This indicates that He protects the messengers or pastors of the churches and He uses them as well. The messengers are the possession of the Lord. They are not possessions of the churches, they are God called, God anointed, and God sent. In the final days, there will be false prophets, but these seven stars that correspond with the seven churches are the possessions of Jesus Christ.

A sharp two-edged sword.

The sharp two-edged sword coming out of His mouth is indicative of His Word and its power. The universe and all that it contains, except mankind was created through the spoken word of God.

The Bible is God’s word and it searches our hearts and souls.

Hebrews 4:12 NKJV

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Countenance like the sun!

Have you ever tried to look at the sun shining at full strength during the middle of the day? You can’t look at it long without it hurting your eyes. You must turn away from it.

This is how Jesus’s face shown in John’s vision. This is how His face will shine for all eternity. It will shine with glory forever and ever and ever.

John’s response to the glory of Christ.

When John saw Christ, he fell as dead at Christ’s feet. His falling was not necessarily as much an action as it was a response. He could not help himself as he came into the presence of such glory.

Let me remind you of who John was - John was one of the first disciples called by Jesus. He was part of the inner circle of three. In fact, one could argue that he was Jesus’s best friend.

He described himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved. They had a bond that could only be described as a brotherly friendship. Here, we have one who witnessed miracle after miracle. One who witnessed the transfiguration. One who witnessed the crucifixion and resurrection. One who walked on the shore with Peter and Jesus. This one person who was perhaps closer to Jesus than any other now falls on his face before the Lord.

Please understand something this morning, when we encounter the glory and presence of Jesus for the first time, it will not be on our feet or even on our knees. We certainly will not be sitting in the presence of such glory!! We can not help but to fall on our faces before the Lord.

Notice the first four words spoken to John after he fell at the feet of Christ as a dead man: “Do not be afraid.”

Our response to the glory of Christ will be fear and dread. We will examine more of this next Sunday, but today I want you to understand that those of us that are saved will be overcome with fear and dread when we come into the glorified presence of Jesus Christ.

Response

As we will see next week, Jesus is coming back. He is coming again. He is coming to rule and reign. Christian, is He ruling in your life? What about that one area that you will not release to Him? He is not ruling if you are holding something back. Rather, you are living in rebellion to a jealous God who will not share your allegiance with anyone or anything else.

Repent, come to the altar, give Jesus all that you are. Be prepared for His imminent return.

Lost person, you will one day confess Jesus as Lord, if you wait until you do so out of obligation, you will be damned for all eternity. Jesus died for your sins so that you can be forgiven. You simply must believe that He did so and submit yourself to the Lordship of Christ. If you would like to be saved today, why don’t you come and let me explain to you how to know Jesus Christ as both Savior and Lord.