Jesus Revealed
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Introduction:
Introduction:
I want to welcome you again this morning.
First, to those joining us online, we are so thankful for our online technology that allows you to be a part of our church family today.
I also want to welcome those who may be joining us for the first time today. I hope your time with us today is encouraging and helpful, and I look forward to meeting you.
I would also say if you are new to our church today, it would be helpful for you to know that we practice a form of preaching called “Expository Preaching”.
What that means, is we believe the Bible is best taught by taking books of the Bible and then breaking them down from beginning to end, chapter by chapter, verse by verse. Our goal, to better understand not only what God’s Word says, but what it means in our lives today.
That being said, if you’re just joining us, you’ve come at a great time because last week we started a new book study. And to be honest, it’s unlike any book study we’ve done. Because it’s not just any book in the Bible, it’s the final book in the Bible. A book that many Christians avoid because they find it intimidating and difficult to read.
So, if you haven’t guessed it, the book I’m referring to is the book of Revelation.
And as we learned last week, it is a book that’s difficult to read and understand primarily for two reasons:
First, unlike any other book in the Bible, it’s a book that consists of three different literary genres. And when I say genres I’m talking about a category of literary composition that is determined by literary technique, tone, and content.
So, for example, in our context Fantasy would be a genre. Drama would be a genre. Science Fiction would be a genre. Historical Fiction would be a genre. And the list goes on of different types of genre.
And just like our context, in the first century that had different types of genre, and Revelation consists of three of them together.
The first genre is that of an Epistle. Which is the easiest and is basically a letter style format of writing written to a specific group of people for a specific reason.
The Second is prophecy, which like prophetic books of the OT represents a warning of judgement to come.
And then the third, and most difficult genre is apocalyptic, which is basically an intensified version of prophecy with the addition of fantasy like imagery that is meant to be symbolic in nature.
For example, in Revelation 17 a description of a beast is given that contained 7 heads and 10 horns. Something like you’d see in some SciFi movie. But in Revelation it’s symbolizes a destructive nation that will rise up in the end times.
All that to say, because Revelation contains three different literary genres, it is difficult to read and understand.
Second, the book of Revelation is heavily tied to the prophetic books of the OT, which means if you don’t have a decent grasp on OT prophecy, it’s going to be difficult to understand what the book of Revelation is describing.
That being the case, for the purpose of this study and series, we are only tackling the first three chapters of Revelation. And we’re doing that for two reasons:
#1 - For the most part, the first three chapters are written in Epistle format, which means it’s the easiest part of the book to understand and interpret.
#2 - Like any book, the first part of Revelation establishes the basis for the entire book.
And that’s important because not only is it the key to understanding what the book of is about, but it’s the key for understanding how it applies to our lives.
Because if we want to understand how this book applies to us, we need to first understand how it applied to those it was first written to, which as we discovered last week was 7 churches in Asia. Specifically the Churches at Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.
So, why these churches? Well, as we learned, these churches represented some of the leading churches at the end of the 1st century.
But not only that, from a Biblical standpoint, these seven churches are meant to represent the church at large not only then, but now.
We know this based on the number 7, which throughout the Bible, and especially in the book of Revelation, is meant to be a symbolic number. A symbolic number that represents completion and is based off the 7 days of creation, which represent the completion of creation.
That being the case, as John writes to these seven churches, he’s not just writing to these seven churches. He’s writing to the complete church. The church universal. The church throughout the ages. Which means, he’s writing to all churches, which includes us as well, which is why this is series is super relevant.
Some might ask, “Why was it written?” Last week we learned it was written for two primary reasons:
#1 - It was written to challenge and encourage the church.
First to challenge the early church to hold strong to their faith and not give in to the pressure of the world to conform to its immoral and unethical standards.
But also to encourage. To encourage the early church by giving them a preview of the victory to come and remind them that despite the persecution and challenges, in the end God wins. And if God wins, we win.
#2 - It was written to give warning of coming judgment.
First to give warning to the early church, especially for churches that were not remaining faithful. A warning of what needed to change and what would happen if they didn’t make those changes.
And then a warning to the world. A warning of what would ultimately happen to those who refuse to acknowledge God and put their hope and faith in Jesus.
And so as you can see, the book of Revelation is not only an exciting book, it’s a relevant book for you and I. A book we need to understand if we truly want to be the church Jesus has called us to be.
Which is why this study is so important, because as we look at each of these churches, we are going to be asking a key question. And the question is:
Question - Are we a church that Jesus would be pleased with? A church that represents Him. A church that is accomplishing the mission He has given us.
And that’s an important question to ask and answer, because it will not only determine if Jesus is pleased with us, it also determines our longevity as a church.
So, with that as our basis, we’re going to continue to move forward as we prepare to see what Jesus has to say to each of these churches.
Because as you recall from last week, a majority of the 7 churches are not living up to the expectations that Jesus has for His church. Which means Jesus is going to have some challenging words to give them.
But before we get to the first church, today we are going to take a few moments and focus in on who is delivering this message to the 7 churches. Because as we learned last week, while the Apostle John is the human author of the book of Revelation, what he’s writing is being revealed to Him directly from a heavenly source.
You might ask, “How do you know that pastor?” I know because that’s what the next several verses tell us.
In fact for me, the next several verses represent one of the most eye opening passages in the Bible as we are given a vivid picture of the resurrected Jesus. Which is amazing because no where else in scripture are we given a description of what Jesus looks like, but here, in this final book, we are.
Which raises an interesting question. The quesiton being, “When it comes to Jesus’s earthly appearance, why doesn’t the Bible ever tell us what Jesus looked like?”
Well, I think there are several reasons, but let me give you a couple of my thoughts:
First, in order for us to identify with Jesus on a human level, I think it was important that His appearance not be a factor.
Why? Because for the most part we are image driven. In other words, we are attracted to something by the way it looks or doesn’t look.
And so in order for Jesus to appeal to all, the Bible doesn’t focus in on Jesus’s physical appearance, and in a way leaves it up to our imagination.
Which is why there are so many different renditions of what Jesus looked like.
For example, here are a few I found:
Images of Jesus
White Jesus
Black Jesus
Asian Jesus
Fabio Jesus
Hercules Jesus
Biker Jesus
Bro Jesus
My point is, for Jesus to be somebody we can identify with, I think the Bible gave us a clean slate to work with. Because at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if Jesus was white, black, or Asian. All that matters is do we believe He’s our Lord and savior.
I think a second reason we aren’t given a physical description in the Gospels, is because if we had one, we would turn that image into an object of worship. Which goes against the way God wants us to worship Him. God puts it like this in Exodus 20:4-5
16 beware lest you act corruptly by making a carved image for yourselves, in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female, 17 the likeness of any animal that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air, 18 the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the water under the earth.
In this passage God warns the Israelites not to try and make an image of Him like the other nations do with their gods.
And to be honest, that’s exactly what we would do if we had a physical description of Jesus. That image would become what we worship.
You might ask, “Ok pastor, but if it’s Jesus, what’s the problem with that?”
The problem is, while Jesus came to us in human form, that’s not how He wants us to view Him, because He’s not human. He’s God. And no image we could ever create would represent who He is. In fact it would be an insult to God if we even tried.
As a result, the only thing we are told about Jesus in the gospels is that He was a Jew. Which means, the only real indication we have of what Jesus looked like is that He was of middle eastern decent.
All that to say, there are reasons we aren’t given a physical description of Jesus in the Gospels.
But then all of a sudden in Revelation 1 we are given a description. But this description isn’t of an earthly Jesus. This description is of a heavenly Jesus. A resurrected Jesus. A glorified Jesus. A description that God wants us to have of His Son.
So, why does God want us to have this description? That’s what we are going to talk about today. And in doing so we are going to focus on three aspects of the resurrected Jesus:
Aspect #1 - Who He is.
Aspect #2 - What He’s currently doing.
Aspect #3 - What He has to say to us.
Now you might be thinking, “Pastor, I thought you said we were going to get a description of what Jesus looks like. I don’t see that as one of your points.”
We are. But what you need to understand is that the focus of the description isn’t so much about what Jesus looks like, but what it portrays about who He is, what He’s come to do, and what He has to say to us.
And so to get us started, we are going to jump back into Revelation 1 and pick up where we left of last week as John begins to give us a description of the resurrected and glorified Jesus. Look at what he says beginning in verse 4:
4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia:
Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood
What I want you to notice first, is that John begins by identifying the source of what he’s about to say, and the source is from heaven itself and the triune God.
And we know this based on the description that John begins with.
Notice he says, “…from him who is and who was and who is to come...”
While we don’t have the time to look at all the scripture references, this is a text book description of God the Father. He is the eternal God who has always been and will always be.
But with God the Father John says the message also comes “...from the seven spirits that are before His throne...”
So, who are these seven spirits?
It’s the Holy Spirit. And we know that again based on the number 7, that once again symbolizes completeness. And so what John is describing is the complete Spirit of God, which we know as the Holy Spirit.
And then finally, the source of the message comes from Jesus as John writes, “…and from Jesus Christ...”
And it’s at this point that John focuses in on Jesus and begins to give us a description of Jesus. A description that begins with who He is. Which brings us to the first aspect of Jesus that we are going to look at this morning.
So, exactly who is Jesus? John tells us:
Revelation 1:5 (ESV)
5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.
In this passage John gives us several description of who Jesus is.
The first is that He is the faithful witness.
This is a description of Jesus that comes from Psalm 89 as God makes a promise concerning the future coming of Jesus. In Psalm 89 we read:
35 Once for all I have sworn by my holiness;
I will not lie to David.
36 His offspring shall endure forever,
his throne as long as the sun before me.
37 Like the moon it shall be established forever,
a faithful witness in the skies.” Selah
In this Psalm God assures Israel of a future redeemer. A redeemer that will come through the line of King David. And in making the promise God says it’s set in stone and just as sure as the moon in the sky above.
In other words, God’s promise of redemption is something we can count on. And God was true to that promise as He sent His Son Jesus to earth, born through the linage of King David.
Which is why Jesus is the faithful witness. Jesus is the fulfillment of that promise.
But He’s not just the faithful witness, He’s also the first born of the dead.
So, what does that mean?
It means that Jesus is the inauguration of the new creation that comes through His resurrection.
In other words, Jesus represents the first of what we will become through our faith in Him. That like Jesus we too will be resurrected from the dead as we are raised in a new body, a new life, and a new existence. This is what Jesus was talking about in John 11:25
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,
Jesus is the first born of the dead and source of our resurrection.
But not only is He the faithful witness and the first born of the dead, he’s the ruler of all the kings on the earth.
So, what does that mean? It means that he’s the one who now rules the entire earth. It means that all are subject to Him. It means that everything is in His control. It means that nothing happens unless He wants it to happen. It means that He is The KING.
This is what Paul is referring to in Philippians 2:9-11
9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Do you know what that means? It means that no matter how crazy the world gets, Jesus is still on the throne.
It means that regardless of who the President is and who controls congress, and what the Supreme court rules, that Jesus is the one who is in charge. He’s the King over all kings.
So, who is Jesus? He is the promised redeemer that conquered death, hell, and the grave, and now sits enthroned on high above all.
So, a great quesiton would be, “Why is it so important that we see Jesus in this way?”
It’s important because if you don’t, then He can’t be your King or your redeemer.
John puts it like this as he continues:
Revelation 1:5–6 (ESV)
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood 6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
John says for those who see Jesus like this, Jesus has freed them from sin and promises them a kingdom where they will rule and reign with Him forever.
But again, it’s a promise that is only possible if we see Jesus for who He really is, and put our hope and faith in Him and Him alone.
This now leads us to the second aspect of His description, and that’s what He’s come to do. John puts it like this:
Revelation 1:7 (ESV)
7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.
In this passage John appears to point to an event that Christians often refer to as “The Rapture”.
You might ask, “What’s that?”
Well, while the term “Rapture” is nowhere found in the Bible, it’s a word used Christians to describe the moment that Jesus returns for the Church.
The Apostle Paul writes about this moment in 1 Thessalonians 4. He writes:
16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
In this passage Paul describes the second coming of Christ. The moment when Jesus returns for the people who have put their faith in Him.
A moment where at the sound of a trumpet those who know Jesus will instantly be caught up in the air with the Lord and be with him for all eternity. Pretty exciting, right? Kind of a Superman moment.
And this is what we as believers look forward to and we hope happens in our lifetime. In fact Paul lived his life for this moment. Which is why Paul says to encourage each other with these words.
So when we come back to Revelation 1, is that what the Apostle John is referring to?
The answer is Yes and no.
Here’s what I mean by that.
By saying, “... he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him...”, John is referring to that rapture moment, but that’s not all he’s referring to, and we know that based on the word “coming” which is translated form the Greek word “ercomai”.
And what this word implies is that not only is Jesus coming but that He is continually coming.
In other words, Jesus’s coming isn’t just a one time event at some future point. It’s actually something that Jesus is continually doing in our lives and within the church. Yes, it will culminate in a final coming, but in between now and then He is still coming to us and He is still speaking to us.
Think of it like this. When you are in school and you start a class at the beginning of the semester, you know at the end of the semester there will be a final exam.
But what you also know is in between starting the class and the final exam, there will be various assignments, quizzes, and unit exams that all culminate in the final exam.
In addition to that you also know your teacher or professor will be right there with you teaching, guiding, challenging, and leading you to that final exam.
It’s the same with your faith. But in this case the semester is your journey of faith, and the teacher/professor is Jesus.
And yes, we are all praying for and hoping for that final moment when Jesus returns. What an amazing moment that will be. I hope it happens in my life time.
But the fact is, in between, there’s some classroom time, there’s some work to be done, there’s some teaching that needs to take place.
In addition to that, Jesus has some assignments He wants us to complete. He has some unit tests He wants to prepare us for.
And just like a teacher/professor, He’s going to be present with us as He leads and guides us to the final moment.
You see here’s what we need to understand, Just because Jesus hasn’t returned yet doesn’t mean He isn’t present in your life, because He is. In fact, He’s continually coming into your life. Continually bringing hope. Continually brining peace. Continually challenging us, prepping us, preparing us, and pushing us forward. And even in some cases, just like a teacher/professor grades your work, Jesus comes into our life to grade us, or to put it Biblically, to judge us.
And to be honest I don’t think many Christians see Jesus in this light. They just see him as Bible Jesus. The Jesus who came to earth 2000 years ago. The Jesus who walked around and healed people. The Jesus who loved people no matter what. The Jesus who got up on the cross and died for us. The Jesus who rose from the dead. And the Jesus that ascended into heaven and said, “I’ll be back.” The Jesus that seems historically distant.
But the fact is, Jesus is still present, and his coming isn’t just in the distant future, but it’s now, here in the present. You see Jesus is still speaking and Jesus has much to say to us. Jesus is still coming into our lives.
You might ask, “So, what does Jesus have to say?”
Well, that’s what we are going to find out over the next several weeks. But before we can hear what Jesus has to say, we need to first understand Jesus’s communication method. And as we’re going to see here in a moment, it’s an extremely visual and vivid communication method. A method based on imagery and on what the glorified Jesus looks like. Imagery that is full of symbolic meaning.
And so with our remaining time this morning, I want to introduce you to the glorified Jesus. A Jesus I don’t think many Christians are familiar with. But a Jesus we need to be famialir with. Because this is the Jesus that is speaking to us today.
So, what does this Jesus look like? Here’s how John describes Him. Beginning in verse 9 he writes:
9 I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet 11 saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”
12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest.
I want to stop here for a moment, because it’s important for us to understand that the person now talking to John is indeed Jesus.
We know this based on a few key indicators.
First, as John is praying he hears a voice behind him that he says is a voice like a trumpet.
This is a direct reference from Exodus 19 as God speaks to the Israelites from Mt. Sinai with a voice that sounds like a trumpet.
Second, as John sees this figure, he calls him the Son of Man. Again, this is a Biblical reference for Jesus, and something that Jesus referred to Himself as.
Not only that, but John says as he sees Jesus, he sees him walking among seven lampstands.
So, what are these lampstands? These lampstands symbolically represent the 7 churches Jesus is speaking to, which means based on what we learned last week, they represent the universal church. And the fact that Jesus is walking among them means that He is present among them.
Kind of goes back to what we just talked about, that Jesus is always present in His church.
Now, you might ask, “Pastor, how do you know that’s what those seven lampstands represent?”
I know because Jesus tells us that’s what they represent. Because if we jump down to verse 20 Jesus says this:
20 As for the mystery of the seven stars that 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 are the seven churches.
Jesus says the seven lampstands are the seven churches, which represent the church universal.
Finally, if we jump down to verse 17, Jesus identifies Himself to John. John puts it like this:
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.
In this passage Jesus clearly identifies Himself as the risen Savior. As the one who holds the power over death itself.
All that to say, there is no doubt that this is Jesus.
This now leads us to John’s description of what Jesus looks like. Picking up in verse 14 he writes:
14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire,
What I want you to notice is that John begins his description by telling us what Jesus’s head and eyes look like.
You might wonder, “Why start there?”
He starts there because Jesus’s hair and eyes are meant to symbolize His identity and His function.
First, we have the white hair, like snow, which is a direct reference from Daniel 7 as Daniel describes a vision he sees of God. Daniel writes:
Daniel 7:9 (ESV)
9 “As I looked,
thrones were placed,
and the Ancient of Days took his seat;
his clothing was white as snow,
and the hair of his head like pure wool...
Do you see the direct correlation? Both say hair white as snow like pure wool.
And this an important correlation because it tells us something about Jesus. It tells us He is God.
Because that’s what Daniel sees in Daniel 7. He sees The Ancient of Days.
But not only that, Daniel sees the Ancient of Days taking His seat. What seat? In the context of Daniel 7 it’’s the seat of Judgment.
What that tells us then is Jesus isn’t just God, but His role is that of judge.
Which means Jesus is somebody you give honor to. He’s somebody you listen to. He’s somebody who holds your life in His hands. His judgment and his rulings are just and they are final.
And this is what I think a lot of Christians misunderstand about Jesus. That yes He’s our savior. But he’s also the righteous judge. The one we will all stand accountable before. He’s a God of judgment.
This is further confirmed as John describes Jesus’s eyes, of which he says were like a flame of fire.
Again, this is a metaphor for Judgment.
A metaphor that represents Jesus’s ability to see into the depths of a man’s heart and soul. In other words, Jesus can see the true condition of your heart.
Let’s think about that for a moment.
On a corporate level that means that Jesus can see the true nature of any church.
It also means he can see the true nature of any believer.
And as a result, what He sees either brings blessing or judgment on those churches and individuals.
Because nothing gets by Jesus. Nothing gets by those flaming eyes of fire. He sees all.
All that to say, when Jesus comes, He comes as a judge who brings either blessing or punishment.
This leads to the next part of John’s description:
Revelation 1:15 (ESV)
15 his feet were like burnished bronze...
John now focuses on Jesus’s feet. Kind of odd right? So, why the feet?
He focuses on the feet because they are look like burnished bronze, which means it was gleaming. So it caught John’s attention.
So, what does the feet of bronze represent?
First it represents purity. Because that’s what happens when you burnish bronze. You cook out all of the impurities.
What this points to then is the moral purity of which Jesus walks in.
A purity gleaming in the midst of a morally wicked world.
A purity of which He expects His church to walk in.
A purity that comes as we walk with Him.
But John doesn’t stop there, because he says:
Revelation 1:15 (ESV)
and his voice was like the roar of many waters.
Again this is an OT reference from Ezekiel 43 an affirmation that Jesus is God as Jesus’s voice is associated with the voice of God. Ezekiel writes:
2 And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. And the sound of his coming was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with his glory.
This now leads us to something John sees in Jesus’s hand:
Revelation 1:16 (ESV)
16 In his right hand he held seven stars...
We saw reference to this down in verse 20 as Jesus identified the 7 lampstands as the seven churches. Because along with the 7 churches there are seven angels of those churches.
So, who are these stars? There’s a lot of speculation, but many scholars believe the seven stars represent the church’s heavenly existence in which Jesus holds influence and control over. Which goes back to the fact that He’s the King and judge over all.
But there’s more to see because John goes on to write:
Revelation 1:16 (ESV)
from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword...
For me, this would be a little concerning to see a sword coming out of Jesus’s mouth. So, what’s that all about?
It’s meant to give us the imagery of a sword used by Roman soldiers and is based on the prophecies of Isa 11 and 49 but specifically Isaiah 11 where Isaiah writes:
4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
What this is meant to tell us is that Jesus just doesn’t judge the evil and wicked, but He judges those within the church who compromise their faith.
That’s why it’s a double edged sword. It’s the idea of both favorable and unfavorable consequences.
So, not only does Jesus judge the wicked, but He judges those in the church who aren’t what they say the are.
This leads us to John’s final observation. He writes:
Revelation 1:16 (ESV)
...and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.
John now looks at the face of Jesus and he says its like looking into the sun.
We see this portrayal of the face of Jesus in another place in the NT. In Matthew 17 Matthew writes:
1 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.
In this passage Matthew describes the transfiguration of Jesus. A transfiguration that pointed to the anticipation of the fuller glory of Jesus.
But now the anticipation is over. Jesus now sits in that glory. He now radiates it like the sun.
So let’s take a moment and reflect on John’s description and how we should see Jesus:
First, he’s to be seen as the Ancient of Days that sits on the throne of universal judgment.
Second He’s continually coming to us. He is continually present. He is here in this room right now.
Third, He is the one who sees all things. There is nothing hidden from his flaming eye sight. He can see into the depth of your soul. He can see every thought, every desire, and evert intention of your heart.
Fourth, He walks with in all purity and the there is no stain of sin in Him. And for those that follow Him, He expects the same.
Fifth, As a result, He is the one who brings judgment to all who embrace sin and reject His rule and authority whether inside our outside of the Church.
And Finally, His glory shines like the sun. Its brightness cannot be looked upon. In His presence all is exposed and there is no darkness.
This isn’t the Gospel Jesus is it? This isn’t long haired blue eyed Jesus. This isn’t bro Jesus. This isn’t politically correct Jesus. This isn’t best friend Jesus. This isn’t the Jesus that winks and tolerates your sin.
No, this is King Jesus. This is the glorified Lamb of God. This is the Ancient of Days who yes, came to save us from sin, but will return as a judge to obliterate sin from existence. This is a Jesus you don’t mess around with.
So what should our response be? John demonstrates it for us.
Revelation 1:17 (ESV)
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead.
John says at the sight of the glorified Jesus, His presence was so overwhelming that he fell to the ground as though dead.
I want you to think about that. What John is saying here is that when Jesus enters the room, nobody is able to stand. His presence drops people to the floor. His presence paralyzes us and immobilizes our bodies.
Now, you might be thinking, “Wow pastor, you’re kind of painting a disturbing picture of Jesus. It’s like you want me to be fearful of Him or something.”
In some respects I do. Because Jesus is somebody to be feared, especially if you’re knowingly rejecting who He is. Because at the end of the day, every knee is going to bow and every tongue is going to confess that He is LORD.
But if you’re walking in obedience. If you’re living your life for Him, you have nothing to fear. Because after John falls the ground as if dead, look at what Jesus does:
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last,
Jesus put his right hand on John and gave Him assurance that he was His child.
And again, this is where a lot of Christians misunderstand who Jesus is. Because all we tend to focus on is Gospel Jesus. And please hear me, I’m not saying we shouldn’t see Jesus as the loving savior that came to give His life. We need to see Jesus like that. That’s what draws us to Him.
But once we know Him, our perspective needs to change. Because He’s not just our savior, He’s our King. A King who will not tolerate sin. A king who will separate the sheep from the goats. And this is going to be a real wake up call for some who claimed to be Christians but didn’t look anything like Jesus. Jesus puts it like this:
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
As we close this morning, my goal isn’t to frighten you or make you fearful of Jesus.
My goal is to simply give you a proper perspective of who Jesus is.
To show you that Jesus isn’t messing around.
To show you that He’s not a God that tolerates sin.
To show you that in His continual coming His goal isn’t to make us more happy, it’s to make us more holy.
Because this is the message of Revelation. That yes, Jesus is coming back for His church. And in that we rejoice.
But His church needs to be prepared. His church needs to be awake. His church needs to be found faithful. Which is why Jesus will now address His church. Why?
To tell us what he expects and what He desires us to be.
That being the case, before we start into the seven churches next week, I think it would be appropriate if you and I asked ourselves a few questions about who Jesus is:
Question #1 - What’s your perception of Jesus?
In other words, how do you see Him?
Do you just seem Him as a savior, or do you see Him as a righteous King and judge as well?
Because the fact is, if you’re going to follow Jesus, you have to see Him as both. Because while He first came as a savior, He’s coming back as a righteous judge who will put an end once and for to sin and death.
Question #2 - Is Jesus the King of your life?
In other words, does He rule and reign in your life? Do you walk in His ways and according to His desires? Do you live your life to bring glory and honor to Him?
Question #3 - Are you ready for Jesus’s coming?
And when I say coming, I’m not talking about His final coming. I’m talking about His coming into your life right now. Are you aware and listening to what He has to say. Because the fact is, if you’re not listening now, then you won’t be ready for His final coming.
I know some people think, “Yeah, someday I’ll get things right with God.”
But the Bible says today is the day of salvation.
1 Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 For he says,
“In a favorable time I listened to you,
and in a day of salvation I have helped you.”
Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
The fact is, Jesus is here now. He’s in this room. He’s walking among us. And He’s looking for people who are committed to Him. He’s looking for a church that will represent Him. He’s preparing us for His final coming, so that when the trumpet sounds, we will be ready.
Are you ready for His coming?
Let’s Pray