Bible passage: Revelation 1.1-19
Series Introduction
Revelation is a book for our times: amid the chaos of history, opposition and persecution faced by the people of God, worldly empires and evil powers at war – amid it all the Lamb wins. So the main point of Revelation is to encourage and reassure God’s people (the church) of God’s ultimate victory in Jesus.
Revelation is not only about what will come to be, but lifts the veil’ on how things are now, on how history unfolds in time over and over again. The main guiding image is the vision of the heavenly throne room in chapters 4 & 5: God, Father Son and Spirit, who alone is worthy, receiving praise and glory now and always.
Some of the imagery is hard to understand. Some of the teaching – particularly in the letters to the churches – is really challenging. But through it all I hope you hear John’s message: the Lamb wins!
Who is Jesus?
We’ve spent a year looking at Mark’s different answers to the question Who is Jesus?’ They are like windows, pictures that help us understand who Jesus is. But we simply cannot conceive of Jesus in his glory. That’s why John’s vision is so bonkers…
[I saw] someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash round his chest…
[So far so good…]
The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow…
[OK, that makes sense, I know people with white hair…]
and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.
[O… K… eyes like blazing fire? Feet like bronze glowing in a furnace? Voice like rushing waters? But it gets more bonkers…]
In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.
Revelation 1.13-16 (NIV)
John is trying to describe something beyond description, to use words to convey something beyond language.
That’s going to happen a lot in Revelation. John saw amazing, incredible things and he searches for words and pictures to try and teach us the truth of what he saw. That’s one reason why I think Revelation is so downright weird, and difficult to read.
The other reason comes down to the way John’s vision answers Mark’s question… who is Jesus? Jesus is Lord.
Jesus is Lord
Of all the ways of answering that question, I think this is the hardest. Why? Not because it’s hard to understand, but because it’s hard to live out, to put into practice. Jesus is Lord.
When John saw Jesus he fell as though dead (17) with fear… I get it! But Jesus placed his right hand on [John] and said: Do not be afraid’ (17). I love the intimacy of the majestic Lord Jesus in all his glory, kneeling down and reassuring John with a touch and a word. I love how this moment in Revelation 1.17 captures two epic truths: the glory and majesty of the Lord Jesus, Son of the Father – firstborn of many sons and daughters, our brother.
It’s a wonderful thing, for Jesus our brother to be our Lord.
He describes himself as the First and the Last… the Living One [who holds] the keys of death and Hades’ (17-18). He is not only alive he is the Living One’ who has conquered death and one day will use his keys to lock it away for good.
It’s a wonderful thing, for Jesus to be our Lord!
It’s also hard. Jesus says some really challenging things to the church in his seven letters: about wealth, greed, persecution, sexual immorality, false teaching and more. He challenges, but out of love – because love is far more than affirmation.
You see, if Jesus is Lord – if Jesus is Lord – that means we are not. It sounds a silly thing to say, but often we live as if we think we are Lord rather than Jesus. We think we can decide for ourselves what’s right and wrong – usually in line with what suits us or fits with the world. But no, Jesus is Lord. We think we can decide who we are based on what’s in our hearts. But no, Jesus is Lord.
These things are given to us. That’s not tyranny, it’s a wonderful, releasing gift. Living with Jesus as our Lord means living the life God made us to live. It means living a life empowered by the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead. It means living a life stronger than death with the world’s best brother.
John’s vision of Jesus, for all its weird and wonderful language, is really saying: Jesus is Lord.
Next week we start looking at the letters our Lord sent to his church. For now… I have a dangerous question for you. If you answer yes’ it changes everything – and if it doesn’t, your answer was really no’.
Is Jesus your Lord?