“What might Jesus say to us in the new year?”
Havasu Christian Church
January 7, 2024
Revelation 1:1-20
“An introduction to Jesus!”
INTRO: Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could have Jesus, in the flesh, some and speak to us? Would He be wearing a robe? Or perhaps He’d be in Jeans and a button down shirt? Or maybe a suit with sandals? Regardless of how He dressed, it would be amazing to sit and listen to our Lord and Savior!
Since Jesus’ next time on this planet will be at the end of time, this isn’t going to happen…. So what is there that’s similar?
Well, Jesus wrote some very personal letters to some Churches, and sent them in care of John the Apostle….. We’re going to study these letters as if they were sent to us and see what we can learn from them. I suspect this study will be a very profitable one if we allow it to be.
But before we get to Jesus, we probably should spend a little time with His secretary, John the Apostle. By this time, he is an old man. His job of caring for Jesus’ mother, Mary has long since past. John is probably the only one of the Apostles still alive, and he’s been banished to the island of Patmos, in the Agean sea, by the Roman emperor Domitian in 95 A.D. John will live out the last days of his life there. But before those days run out, he has one last job to do for his Lord. He will write the book of Revelation.
As we read the first Chapter of this book, I want us to pay attention, to see a couple of things.
- What does this chapter tell us about John the Apostle?
- What does this chapter tell us about Jesus?
Revelation 1:1–20 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John,
2 who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.
3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.
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 the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood—
6 and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
7 BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
9 I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because 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 the sound of a trumpet,
11 saying, “Write in a book what you see, 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 with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands;
13 and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash.
14 His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire.
15 His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters.
16 In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength.
17 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last,
18 and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.
19 “Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things.
20 “As for 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 are the seven churches.
- What does this chapter say about John?
- John is a “bond servant” of Jesus.
- John is the willing slave of Jesus!
- Whatever Jesus tells John to do, it is his job to do it! Not to ask “why?” or whether it’s a good idea. The only question is “How can I accomplish this?”
- John has been a faithful in “testifying to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.
- John was a witness to all that Jesus said and did.
- He accurately told about what he saw and what he did with Jesus.
- John hasn’t held anything back!
- John hasn’t made anything up!
- John has been accurate in all he has said.
- After all, he has had the Holy Spirit helping him!
- This last book to write will be no different!
- He will accurately say what he is told to say.
- He will, to the best of his ability, describe what he sees and experiences.
- What does this chapter tell us about Jesus?
- Jesus is “the faithful witness”
- No falsehood in Him!
- All truth, no dishonesty!
- From Him you will get the whole truth!
- Jesus is the “firstborn of the dead”
- Jesus is not the first person to ever be raised from the dead.
- He raised at least two people Himself.
- He is the first to raise that never died again!
- Jesus is the “ruler of the kings of the earth.”
- No one on earth can thwart His will!
- Jesus loves us and released us from our sins by His blood
- Jesus loved us so much that He became our Savior!
- Jesus made us to be a kingdom,
- We, people from all different continents, backgrounds, languages, ethnicities, have all been made a Kingdom! The Kingdom of Jesus!
- Jesus made us priests to His God and Father
- Jesus is the only One we need between us and the Father!
- We can go directly into the Father’s presence because of Jesus!
- Jesus is due all the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
- Jesus is deserving of more praise than we can ever hope to give Him!
- Jesus WILL be returning!
- every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him
- How will this happen? When the dead rise, they will all see Jesus! Even those who Killed Him!
- and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him.
- Christians will mourn for what Jesus went through for us!
- Pagans will mourn for the fact that it is now too late to accept what Jesus has offered!
- Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega,”
- He has always been!
John 1:1–5 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
- He is the Lord God
- He is “Who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
- How does John experience Jesus?
- He hears Jesus!
- “like the sound of a trumpet!”
- Loud? Brassy?
- John sees Jesus!
- John turns to see 7 lampstands and a man, standing among them.
- He is clothed in a robe reaching to His feet
- This is the clothing of a man of importance.
- He has a golden sash across His chest.
- Again, this is something that really stands out! Looks like something royalty would wear.
- His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow
- Wisdom of age, dignity of age, Jesus has it!
- His eyes were like a flame of fire.
- There is POWER in His gaze!
- His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace
- Chalkolibanon… a compound of copper and something else… but it’s glowing like it’s in a furnace!
- His voice was like the sound of many waters.
- It’s loud, like rapids?
- In His right hand He held seven stars
- The 7 stars will later be explained as the “Angels” (messengers) of the seven churches.
- They are in Jesus’ right hand… the place of honor and protection!
- Out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword.
- This sounds really strange! As if things weren’t already strange enough.
- The sword is a reminder of Jesus’ power and His right as the conqueror.
- He will rule!
- His face is like the sun shining at mid-day!
- Jesus’ face is positively glowing.
- Jesus makes quite an impression!
- John falls at Jesus’ feet like a dead man.
- Reminds us of the soldiers outside Jesus’ tomb.
- Jesus touches him and tells him not to be afraid.
- Jesus describes Himself to John (and us!)
- I am the first and the last
- Again, Jesus is speaking about His eternality!
- The living One
- I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.
- Jesus died and raised from the dead!
- He has full control of death from now on!
Conclusion: What should I have learned from our study of this first chapter of Revelation?
- It’s the book of Revelation… not Revelations!
- From John, we learn to be bond servants… slaves of Jesus.
- What He wants, we do our best to give.
- WHEN He wants it,
- No matter the cost to ourselves.
- From John, we also learn to be faithful to the Word of God.
- It’s not for me to embellish.
- It’s not for me to take away from.
- It’s not for me to add my own opinions.
- From John we learn that retirement from being a servant of God doesn’t start till we die!
- From Jesus we learn so much about Him!
- He is forever!
- He is the beginning and the end!
- Jesus is the “total package.
- Wisdom
- Maturity
- Purity
- He is the ruler of all!
- He loves us enough that He died for us!
- He has unified us and made us a Kingdom!
- Jesus has conquered and has the right to Rule!
- He is always true!
- He is the proof of the resurrection!
- He has conquered death, forever!
- I will spend eternity, either with Him, or without Him!
- In His heavenly presence
- Or away from Him in Hell!
- It’s my choice!
