06AM January 22 Revelation 1 17_19
January 22, 2006—Morning Worship
The “Soon and Very Soon” Series
The Unveiled Christ – Part 3
Revelations of the Ministry of Christ
Revelation 1:17-19
Intro: Shackled by a heavy burden; ‘neath a load of guilt and shame. Then the hand of Jesus touched me. & now I am no longer the same! –- He touched! Oh, He touched me! & oh, the joy that floods my soul! Something, happened, & now I know; He touched me & made me whole!
I’m sure you remember the day Jesus touched you & brought you to salvation! You may not remember the exact day or time – but you do remember the experience of being washed clean from the stains of sin! What a marvelous experience! What a glorious day! What a wonderful Savior is Jesus!
Not only does He touch us at the point of our salvation, but Jesus also touches us in the daily experiences of life. After Jesus had fed the 5,000, the people wanted to make Him king by force. But Jesus immediately made His disciples get into the boat w/instructions to go to the other side of the lake. Jesus dismissed the crowd & went up on a mountain to pray. & in Matthew 14 25 Now in the 4th watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. 26 & when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a ghost!" & they cried out for fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid."
Isn’t it wonderful that Jesus makes us aware of His presence at the very moment we need Him most? Don’t you know the disciples were afraid? Don’t you know the disciples were tired & weary? Don’t you know the disciples were glad to hear the voice of God as Jesus spoke those tender, loving words, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid."?
Have you ever heard Jesus telling you, “It is I; do not be afraid”? Have you ever experienced peace in the middle of a terrible storm in your life? Have you ever been faced w/horrible news & yet, some how, your spirit was calm? I remember being in the hospital room when my Dad passed away. I remember feeling a calm that I cannot explain to this day—apart from the grace & peace of God! Have you ever experienced that kind of blessing from God; peace in the middle of a storm in life?
As the Apostle John lay prostrate before the feet of Christ, the Lord did something that is so typical of His character & grace; He reached down & touched John. Let’s read about that experience from our text in:
Revelation 1 17 & 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 & the Last. 18 I am He who lives, & was dead, & behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. & I have the keys of Hades & of Death. 19 Write the things which you have seen, & the things which are, & the things which will take place after this.
- 2 weeks ago, we talked about the Majesty of Christ; last week we saw the Mastery of Christ, & today we concern ourselves w/the Ministry of Christ.
- In these vv we see the revelations of Christ’s ministry to those who are His children.
- Notice 1st of all, in v. 17, that…
1. Jesus Expresses His Sympathy. (v. 17a-c) John tells us that, “…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….”
A. Jesus expresses His sympathy w/His Touch. (“But He laid His right hand on me….”)
- As you read through the Gospels, Jesus often touched people to heal & restore them.
- It was totally w/in His character for the risen Lord to reach out & touch John.
- It was totally w/in His character to express His sympathy w/John’s fear.
- Jesus had healed the blind; the lame; the deaf; the disfigured.
- He had listened as mere humans told of their fears; their frustrations; their failures.
- He had spoken softly to those who came to Him w/questions & gestures of worship.
- Jesus was sympathetic to us b/c He knew that w/o His sacrifice there could be no salvation. He was sympathetic & showed it by coming to take our place on the cross!
- & did you notice that Jesus touched John w/His right hand?
- The right hand was a symbol of power. It was a designation of ability.
- This was a picture of Jesus telling John, “I have the power to meet your needs. I have the ability to do whatever is necessary, for you, in your situation.”
- I’m so glad to know that Jesus is able!
- I’m so glad to know that Jesus has the power!
- I’m so glad to know that, no matter what comes my way, it never surprises Him!
- Jesus had told everyone who was listening that He & the Father were one.
- That meant that He is God & since there is nothing that God can’t do that’s consistent w/His character, there is nothing that Jesus can’t do!
- He is able to sympathize w/you in your needs; in your hurts; in your despair; & He expresses that sympathy w/His touch &…
B. W/His Tenderness. (“…saying to me, “Do not be afraid….””)
- Do you need to sense His touch or hear His voice saying, "Do not be afraid"?
- Are you in the middle of a situation that seems too much to bear?
- Are you aware of the fact, that fear is a natural response from mere humans like you?
- Are you aware of the fact, that John was so fearful in the presence of the Lord that he literally was paralyzed by his fear?
- Are you aware of the fact, that Jesus did not rebuke John for his fear?
- Don’t you know that Jesus simply touched him & said, “Do not be afraid”?
- Jesus understands what its like to be you! He knows what its like to be human! He walked in our shoes, as it were, for some 33 years!
- He knows human needs; human fears; human desires; human expectations; human necessities!
- & Jesus, in His tenderness, says to you, “Do not be afraid; do not worry; do not fret; do not be anxious! It is I, do not be afraid!”
- He told the woman caught in the act of adultery, “Go & sin no more.”
- He told the man whose son was demon possessed, “All things are possible to him who believes.”
- He told the man w/the withered hand to, “Stretch forth your hand!”
- He told Lazarus, “Come forth!”
- He told the woman who poured the costly perfume on His feet that what she had done would be told in every place the gospel was preached.
- Jesus did rebuke those who were not following Him, but to those who were attempting to walk in His ways, He was tender.
- I’m reminded of the hymn that says; what a friend we have in Jesus; all our sins & grief to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer.
- If Jesus were not tender w/us, we would not look forward to spending time w/Him.
- But since He does express His sympathy for us w/His tenderness toward us, we know we can come to Him w/every care; every worry; every thought; every concern!
- Oh, thank God for the sympathetic Savior who not only gave Himself for us; but knows what its like to be us!
- But not only does Jesus express His sympathy, notice 2ndly that…
2. He Reveals His Identity. (vv. 17d-18a) John tells us that, “…He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, "Do not be afraid; I am the First & the Last. 18 I am He who lives, & was dead, & behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen.”
A. Jesus reveals His identity Through His Name. (“…I am….”)
- Jesus simply said "I am," which reveals His deity.
- This is the same I AM who made the covenant w/Israel.
- This is the same I AM who sent Moses to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt.
Exodus 3 14 & God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." & He said, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, I AM has sent me to you."
- The words translated I AM literally mean, “to be, to exist, to abide, to remain, to continue.”
- These words could have easily & accurately been translated, “the Self-Existing One.”
- If God is self-existing, that means He needs no one else; there is no one who will ever have anything that He wants or needs. He has all the power necessary to exist outside of time & space & any other natural elements.
- & so Jesus was saying to Moses & to John, “I AM the self-existing one; I AM the all sufficient one; I AM the only, supreme, intelligent, almighty, separate, unique, holy, supernatural being; I AM God.”
- That means that in saying I AM, God is saying, “I AM whatever you need Me to be; whenever you need Me to be it.”
- He can be your father; friend; confidante; counselor; comforter; support & supply.
- When Jesus’ birth was foretold, Isaiah said He would be called Wonderful, Counselor, Almighty God, Everlasting Father, & the Prince of Peace.
- Everything about Jesus is unique & every name that He is given in the Scriptures reveals something else about His character & His identity.
- & while it is true that He reveals His identity through His name, it is also true that He reveals His identity…
B. Through His Nature. (v. 17d-18a) Jesus said, “I am the First & the Last. 18 I am He who lives, & was dead, & behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen.”
- The words "the 1st & the last" reveal the fact that Jesus is eternal.
- There has never been a time when Jesus did not exist. He is eternally, the 2nd Person of the Godhead.
- He did not come into existence at His birth in Bethlehem. He has always been!
[Someone once described Jesus Christ as: the meeting place of eternity & time, the blending of deity & humanity, the junction of heaven & earth.]
- Even the word translated ‘1st’ means, “first, at the first.” It means, 1st in time, place, rank, honor, influence. It means chief, or principal.
- IOW by His very nature, Jesus Christ is God in the beginning.
Genesis 1 1 In the beginning God created the heavens & the earth.
- There is no explanation of God, no proof offered that He exists; just the description of how He spoke all things into existence.
- If God is the 1st there is no doubt that He is the last & over all things in between!
- & the words "I am He who lives" reveal His victory, so there's truly nothing to fear!
- Jesus is alive! He was alive; He died on the Cross for sin; & now He is alive forevermore!
- & the way that’s worded in v. 18 in the original language, it means that He is alive by His own power. He is causing Himself to live!
- As God, He alone has eternal life!
- He alone offers that life to all those who would believe!
- He alone grants eternal life to all who repent of sin & turn in faith to Him!
[The 19th Century gave birth to what is called Higher Criticism of the Bible. Those philosophers, who subscribed to that thinking, picked apart the word of God based on their own perception of logic & nature. & that mindset gave birth to the theory that God is dead. Dead in the sense that He is no longer needed. God was obsolete, blasé & useless.
One German philosopher of the 19th Century (whose name I cannot pronounce) coined the phrase, “God is dead.” He wrote extensively on the subject, saying that man had killed God & that if men were able to kill the Almighty—that men would have to become gods.
That philosopher died at the age of 56. 19 months before his death, he witnessed a horse being whipped & suffered a complete mental breakdown. He died of pneumonia as a complication of a stroke he had suffered earlier that year. I guess he wasn’t god after all!]
[Mahatma Gandhi was once approached by an atheist w/the request to organize & promote an anti-God society. To which Gandhi replied, “It amazes me to find an intelligent person who fights against something which he does not at all believes exists.”]
- Despite what you may have heard to the contrary, Jesus Christ is alive! God is not dead! Thank God we don’t serve a dead god. We serve the risen Savior & He’s alive!
- Not only is He alive, but He is alive forevermore! & in the text, Jesus ‘Amened’ His own preaching.
- When you see the word ‘Amen’ at the beginning of a statement it means “verily or truly.” When you see that word at the end of a statement it means, “it is so or so be it.”
- IOW Jesus was saying in v. 18, “I AM alive w/eternal life by My own power & it is so!”
- Jesus has sympathized w/us in our humanity & identified Himself to us as deity & in the latter part of v. 18…
3. He Affirms His Authority. (v. 18b) John tells us that Jesus said, “…& I have the keys of Hades & of Death.”
- The keys Jesus possesses signify His sovereign authority to open & close the grave.
- Jesus Christ decides who dies & when.
- King David wrote in Psalm 139 16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. & in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.
- He knew the day you would be born – He knows the day you will die – He knows the number of days you will live – He knows what you will do during your days & everything else about you!
- The fact that Jesus has the keys to Hades is significant!
- The word ‘Hades’ is a transliteration of a Greek word that means, “hell or the grave.”
- Hades was also the name of the god of the lower regions. It’s associated w/Orcus, know in Greek as the infernal regions, a dark & dismal place in the very depths of the earth, the common receptacle of disembodied spirits. Hades is usually known as a very uncomfortable place which is the abode of the wicked.
- Of course, later in the Book of the Revelation, we are told that Death & Hades give up their dead to be judged at the Great White Throne Judgment.
- Our understanding of Hades best comes across in the word hell.
- It is the place of punishment; the place where the soul is tormented in flames; the place where it is said, “that the worm dieth not.”
- It’s a place where darkness prevails; a place where screams of agony are heard continuously.
- It’s a place known as a bottomless pit where wicked souls await their final judgment.
- Jesus is telling the Apostle John that He has the keys; He holds the power; He is in control of Hades & of Death.
- Whatever Jesus says will be done, will be done!
- He has the keys! He is in control! He determines who has access! He is the final Judge!
- Ladies & gentlemen, I don’t think anymore needs be said about the authority of Jesus!
- He is the Sovereign God of all! He is Sovereign in Creation; Salvation; over every life.
- He is the King of kings & Lord of lords! There is no one like Jesus!
Conclusion: Feel the hand of God comforting you despite your circumstances, & hear the voice of God affirming His authority over you. & then, do not be afraid! Jesus is ministering to all those who believe. He is calling you to walk w/Him; drawing you to a closer fellowship w/Him; leading you to do godly works to advance His kingdom.
Do not fear anyone or anything! God is in control! His children will never be forsaken! He is aware of your needs; of your problems; of your difficulties; of your particular situation! Trust Him! Follow Him! Walk w/Him! & DO NOT BE AFRAID!
Invitation: Are you walking through a storm in life right now? Is there something that seems to have destroyed your life? Are you facing a trial or challenge so difficult that you are truly afraid?
Hear the Lord speaking to you today through His word, saying, “…I am the First & the Last. 18 I am He who lives, & was dead, & behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. & I have the keys of Hades & of Death.” & feel the Lord’s touch of His mighty right hand on you as you seek to know Him by faith.
If God is calling you to salvation today, would you come & lay yourself at His feet? Would you surrender your will to His will? Would you place your faith in Jesus Christ alone to save you?
If God has spoken to you about your fear; your situation; your obstacles, would you come & lay them down hear at this altar? Would you allow God to minister to you today so that you may minister to others tomorrow?
If you sense God speaking to you about any matter, you come.
Hymn 282 Living for Jesus