Scripture Reading: Revelation 1:9–19
I can turn in your Bibles again to Revelation chapter one. Revelation chapter one. We looked this morning at the commission of John the Apostle to write the letter, the letters to the seven churches in Asia. We'll look at verses 12 to 19 tonight, continuing with the commission of John the Apostle.
But we're going to look at the vision of the Son of Man, the vision that John sees of the ascended and exalted Christ Jesus, our Lord. I'll read again Revelation chapter one, beginning at verse nine. 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 the garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with the 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. Amen. Well, let's open with a word of prayer.
Opening Prayer
Our Father, we thank You that we can read from this book. We thank You that we can read of our exalted and our glorified Christ Jesus. And we thank You, Lord God, that You have revealed Your will, that at this time You revealed these things to John the Apostle in order that he might edify and build up and bring confidence to the churches which were in Asia Minor. And Lord God, we thank You that we can be those who benefit from this book as Christians sharing with those first century Christians in our common faith and profession in our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, and looking unto him.
And we would just ask now that you be with us as we consider your word. Help us to glean from it that with which you would have us to glean. And Lord God, that you'd help us to order our lives after your word. that we would go from here with the confidence of this exalted Christ and that we would live in this lower world unto your glory. And we pray in the name of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Introduction
A number of Lord's days ago, we looked at the glory of Christ in his state of humiliation. Well, here we have the glory of Christ in his state of exaltation, in his state of having ascended to the right hand of the majesty on high and having received glory and dominion and a kingdom. When we looked at the glory of Christ in his state of humiliation, we noted a number of things that Christ Christ adorned, if you will, in the mocking garbs that the soldiers put on him. Christ marked up or adorned, if you will, again by the spit, by the spittings and the beatings of those who mocked him and sought to ridicule him.
Christ adorned with the crown of thorns. All of these things testified even still to the fact that he was altogether lovely and chief among ten thousand. But it's a wonderful thing as we can transfer from the earthly and I use that in a wholesome manner from the earthly and the humiliated Christ, the Christ of the incarnation. And we can move to the Christ of the ascension and the Christ of the exaltation and the Christ of glorification when we can move from the Christ of the spittings and the beatings being bruised and battered for guilty sinners.
And we can see him now as the one who has returned to the glory that he once had with the father before the world was. It's a wonderful thing. And we're going to look at three things tonight. The vision of the author, the response of the author and the comfort and confidence of the author from verses nine to 19 of Revelation chapter one.
The Vision of the Author
Now, first off, the vision of the author. We notice here that John is using symbolism. As the Old Testament uses it, and as, of course, the book of Revelation uses it, symbolism is throughout. We can see comparisons to this vision in the book of Ezekiel and in the book of Daniel.
We see symbolism at various parts of Holy Scripture as God is bringing his message to the people, to his people. And so John here employs the language of symbolism as he describes Christ or various aspects of Christ are here symbolically represented. Also, Christ is so glorious as we read this, Christ is so glorious that John has to employ simile or similitude in order to describe him to his hearers. And we see this also in the book of Revelation, where the glory of the throne room or the glory of God, the glory of the exalted Christ. is so glorious that the author, John the Apostle, can only use like and as in order to describe the glorious one.
Notice the language as we read here through the vision of the Son of God. Particularly at verse 14, 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. And then down at the end of verse 16 and his countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.
Yes, John was given words and he put those words onto paper or onto parchment. And yes, those words have meaning to be sure, but it's almost as if John was devoid of words in order to describe the glory of the exalted. The glory of the ascended and magnificent Christ Jesus, our Lord. What do we learn of Christ here?
First, we see that this one, like the Son of Man, or first we see that
Christ as the Danielic Son of Man
Christ is the one like the Son of Man of Daniel 7, 13 and 14. We read that at the outset of worship this morning. And you can turn there now for a moment because it is very important to see the connectivity between the Danielic son of man and the one like the son of man, as depicted here, not just connectivity, but this is the one in the same price to whom both prophets refer in terms of Daniel, chapter seven. And as a reader reads through the book of Revelation.
We see the connectivity here between this one like the son of man, the dominion and glory and kingdom given to him and the response of the peoples and nations and the languages of the world to this one exalted to the ancient of days. Daniel, chapter seven, at verse 13, I was watching in the night visions and behold, one like the son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He came to the ancient of days and they brought him near before him. Then to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom that all peoples, nations and languages should serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away and his kingdom, the one which shall not be destroyed. We noted also this morning that this is a picture of Christ's ascension. Jesus Christ came to the ancient of days on the clouds of heaven and to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom. Jesus, in his earthly ministry before Caiaphas, before his crucifixion, applied this particular verse to himself.
Remember that scene. Caiaphas asks Christ Jesus in that something of a trial before his crucifixion. Tell us if you are the Christ. the Son of God. And Jesus says, it is as you say.
Nevertheless, I say to you, soon after or hereafter, you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the power and coming on the clouds of heaven. Jesus identified himself as the Danielic son of man who would ascend to the ancient of days and receive glory and honor and a kingdom. And here we have John seeing this same one, this one like the son of man clothed with the garment down to the feet and girded about the chest. with the golden band and many other items of symbolism that we will look at. But this is the Danielic son of man of Daniel 7 and the one, of course, that Christ speaks of or identifies himself as before Caiaphas in Matthew 26.
Secondly,
Christ Present with His Churches
we see that Christ is with his churches. Christ is with his churches. Notice verse 13. And in the midst of the seven lampstands, one like the Son of Man.
We know that these seven lampstands, as we get to verse 20, Jesus identifies and tells us what these seven lampstands are and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches. It's a wonderful thing here that Jesus is identified as one like the Son of Man in the midst of the seven lampstands. This means that Christ, as he promised, is with his churches. In Matthew 28 20, he said, and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age.
Jesus Christ promised that he would be with his churches and he is true to his promise. And in the midst of the seven lampstands, which are the seven churches, one like the son of man. And this ought to be a comfort to us. We identified this morning that, yes, we may not go through the same trials, the same persecutions as the first century church.
Nevertheless, we do have trials. We do have we do have persecutions. We do undergo afflictions and sufferings of various types. We we like them, though, have this same Christ as the one who is in the midst of us.
We have this Christ who isn't who isn't an absentee royal, an absentee majestic, an absentee king. He is a present king who rules and reigns for his people, for his own reputation, the glory of his father and for the defense of those whom who have been called unto belief in his precious name. Jesus Christ is with his churches. Thirdly,
Attributes of Christ in Symbol
we see the various attributes and perfections of Christ as revealed by these symbols. the various attributes and perfections of Christ as revealed by these symbols. Now, with the aid of theologians who cite the symbolism of antiquity, we can see Christ first off and also, of course, with the support of Holy Scripture. One of the aspects or attributes of Holy Scripture is the consent of all the parts. We can go to the Old Testament and other areas of the New Testament in order to see in order to support various doctrines, teachings and notions set forth infallibly within its pages.
But first off, we notice the priesthood, the high priesthood of Jesus Christ in verse 13, verse 13. This one. Like the son of man is clothed with the garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with the golden band, the priesthood of our Lord Jesus Christ. And this is a necessary and a glorious thing for for Christ's people.
Christ is the high priest. He is both the priest peculiar peculiar to Jesus Christ and him alone. He is both priest and the sacrifice that the priest offers unto God. Jesus Christ is our high priest offering himself up to God the father as that atoning sacrifice as that curse bearing substitutionary sacrifice for guilty sinners for us.
He is the high priest and the perfect high priest at that. He is also, verse 13, a ruler of the highest order. He is, as we work through the pages of Revelation, he is the one who now has rule over all of the kingdoms of the earth. Later in Revelation, John will say that the nations, the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our God and of his Christ.
The kingdoms of this world are not under the sovereign ownership of the rulers of those countries. They're not under the ownership of the people who dwell there. They are under the ownership of the sovereign and the ruling and the reigning Christ Jesus. He is the ruler of the highest order.
He is also the sum and substance of all wisdom. The sum and substance of all wisdom, verse 14, his head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes like a flame of fire. This whiteness, this hair white as wool, as white as snow, depicts something of wisdom. We know, of course, that Jesus Christ is the sum and substance of all wisdom.
The Jews, of course, and the Greeks would think this to be folly. The Jews thought that Christ Jesus was a stumbling block and the Greeks thought him to be foolishness. One of the things that we have, though, in Jesus Christ as it's set forth in Corinthians is that he is not a stumbling block. truly to his people, and he is not folly to his people, but rather he is the power and the wisdom of God. He is the true the true and saving sum and substance of all wisdom.
The Jews again thought, though, that he was a stumbling block. Spurgeon said that to the Jews, a crucified Messiah was an affront. This was a scandal to them. Their multitudinous sacrifices and all of their washings and ceremonies, Spurgeon said, were these all to be were these all to be put away and nothing left but a bleeding savior.
That was that was madness, that was a stumbling block to the Jews, to the Greeks, of course, it was foolishness. They sought after that earthly philosophical wisdom that men would provide by much learning. They did not see that in Jesus Christ truly that was the power and that was the wisdom of God. No true wisdom comes from outside the One of whom is the full embodiment of it.
Jesus Christ is depicted here with hair white like wool, as white as snow. And we ought to see in that the wisdom and the power of God. Christ is also the all-seeing Sovereign whose vision pierces through all things in his eyes like a flame of fire. Turn to Revelation 2 for a moment.
Revelation Chapter 2. Just to see something of Christ with his eyes as of a flame of fire, as flames of fire. Christ Jesus sees all things. He is all seeing.
He is all knowing. He is, of course, God. But we see here that his vision is piercing, and this would play a role as we work through the book of Revelation, particularly in application to the seven churches which are in Asia Minor can turn down to verse 22 of Revelation chapter two. Actually, sorry, we'll start in verse 20.
Nevertheless, I have a few things against you because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce my servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. Indeed, I will cast her into a sick bed and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation unless they repent of their deeds. I will kill her children with death and all the churches shall know that I am he who searches the minds and the hearts.
And I will give to each one of you according to your works. You see this here, that piercing vision of this Christ who has eyes like a flame of fire. All the churches shall know that I am he who searches the minds and the hearts. People might think that they can somehow veil their activities, they can veil their hearts, they can veil their perversities from the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
You can't close the door. You can't put a blanket over your windows. Jesus Christ sees through all things. He has eyes like a flame of fire.
And we are to bend our knees unto that one who has eyes like a flame of fire. We are to yield to His laws, to His precepts joyfully, and we are to submit to Him as one whose burdens are light and whose yoke is easy. But this Christ, as we'll see, this attribute of the Lord Jesus Christ is of great comfort to John the Apostle. And it's something that is pressed into the minds and the hearts of the churches in the seven churches in Asia Minor as they are exhorted, commended and condemned and ordered to live godly in their lower world.
Also, regarding Christ Jesus, he is the irresistible judge over all things. Verse 15, his feet were like fine brass as if refined in a furnace and his voice as the sound of many waters. Christ Jesus, excuse me, is judge of the living and the dead. That's the profession of the apostles throughout the book of Acts.
In one manner of phrase or the other, God has ordained us to preach to you Christ Jesus, who has been ordained himself to be judge of the living and the dead. And this would serve a great confidence again, all of these things, confidence to Christ's people, but great terror to those who have not submitted to Jesus Christ and to his precepts and to his righteous rule. Jesus is the irresistible judge and Christ is powerful conqueror. Notice the continued language here.
Verse 16, 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. It's wonderful language here. Out of his mouth went a sharp two edged sword. Again, this is language of symbolism.
Christ did not literally have a two edged sword protruding from his mouth. This is what this is, the word of God that is coming out of his mouth, that sort of the word or the sort of the spirit, which is the word of God, according to Ephesians chapter six. This is that word of God that Christ goes about to conquer with. The implements of Christ's battle gear are such that they are not carnal, they are not fleshly, they are rather spiritual.
Christ conquers by the power of his gospel, by the power of his word. And you can turn to Revelation 19 for a moment to see more of this. Wonderful language here, wonderful confidence to the Saints, terror to those who are remaining in rebellion. Christ Jesus here depicting depicted as one who rides the white horse, conquering, conquering over his enemies. and to and for the defense of his people.
Revelation 19, beginning at verse 11. Now, I saw heaven opened and behold, a white horse and he who sat on him was called faithful and true and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire and on his head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except himself.
He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed him on white horses. Now out of his mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it he should strike the nations. And he himself will rule them with a rod of iron.
He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Wonderful passage of Holy Scripture for the people of Christ. Because this is our victor.
This is our Redeemer. This is our conquering King. And He goes about with the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, conquering and to conquer. And as we look, I think we can do this in a wholesome manner as we look at the history, at the history of humanity from the time of Christ up until now, we do see some of this.
Yes, we see ebbing and flowing. Yes, we see peaks and valleys. with regards to the advance of history. But nevertheless, from a small speck of Christians in Jerusalem in the first century to millions of Christians in the 21st, we can look back and we can see the conquering riding of the rider on the white horse, riding victorious by his gospel, to his praise, to his honor, to his glory and for the defense of his people, the propagation of his message. One of those wonderful quotes that I think I've memorized, I don't know if I get it right every time, but it's a wonderful quote that testifies to this exact point, that from the first century to the 21st century and yes, continuing, Christ Jesus has marched on his white horse, conquering with the sword of the spirit.
This is a quote from a man, I believe it's the late 18th century. the late 19th century, he was an ambassador from the United States to England and people were mocking Christ. and missionary work, Christian missionary work, to countries all around the world. And this man stood up, having listened to the mockery long enough, and he said to these people and to all who would listen, he said, I challenge any skeptic to find one 10 square mile spot on this planet where you can live your lives in peace and safety and decency, where old age is honored, where infancy is revered, where you can educate your children where the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ has not gone first to prepare the way. And he said, I challenge you or I exhort you to emigrate thither and there proclaim your unbelief. If you can find any spot that the gospel of Jesus Christ had not gone to first, where you can live your lives in a manner of decency, where old age is revered, where people respect young ones, life where they honor life.
If you can go to these places where you can educate your children, where we have all of these advantages, all of these benefits, peace and safety and decency, you won't be able to find a spot where the gospel of Jesus Christ had not gone first. If you can emigrate there and proclaim your unbelief, because we'd rather have those who recognize that wonderful blanket of comfort and provision that God sent by way of Christ and his conquering riding on the white horse. It's a wonderful thing to consider Christ as powerful conqueror, because that's what he is. He rides conquering with the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.
Fifthly, we see Christ Return to the glory He had with His Father before the world was. Christ returned to the glory He had with His Father before the world was. Again, at verse 16. And His countenance, the end of verse 16, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.
Remember, Jesus said that He would be returning to the glory that He had with His Father before the world was. No longer is he the recipient of spittings and beatings and bruising or crowns of thorns. Now he is the recipient. He has been the recipient of that glory that he once shared prior to the incarnation.
And he's seen by John as one whose countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. John was, during Christ's earthly ministry, was able to see something of this at the Mount of Transfiguration, when he beheld the glory of Christ as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. And Peter and Peter and those who were able also to look upon him, looked at that one who was majestic, looked at that Christ Jesus, who had something for a time during his earthly ministry of the glory of his deity shining around him. And John now sees this as Christ has been the recipient of dominion and glory and a kingdom. and where he now lives and reigns interceding for his people.
So that is
The Response of the Author
the vision of the author that he sees of Christ Jesus that we'll see as we move into the confidence and the comfort of the author in a moment after we look now at the response of John the Apostle, the response of John the Apostle or the response of the author, verse 17. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. His response, John's response to Christ was one that is typical, was typical, traditional and biblical. And what I mean by that is, is that has been the response of people who have been confronted by Christ Jesus.
And I mean that in a good way. Christ Jesus throughout the biblical record. People, the people who respond to Christ Jesus and his glory don't throw their hands in their pockets or lean up against the water cooler and chat. They respond typically, traditionally and biblically with those throughout the biblical record who fall on their faces as dead men or who pronounce those oral curses upon themselves.
Woe is me, for I am undone. John responds rightly here to this vision of the exalted and glorified Christ Jesus. Again,
A Biblical Pattern of Prostration
John is like Isaiah when he beheld the glory of Christ. Isaiah 6 verse 5. He is also like Daniel when Daniel confessed that he was without strength or vigor when he saw that glorious one and he was found with his face upon the ground. You can also turn for a moment here to see some similarities to Ezekiel chapter 1.
Ezekiel chapter one, just to see that what what John is doing is not new in the biblical record, but rather it is something that is right and proper, but something that men have done before him. Ezekiel chapter one. We looked at Ezekiel, chapter two, and in similarities with regards to both prophets being carried off by the spirit for particular purposes. We'll back up to Ezekiel, chapter one, at verse 26.
And above the firmament, above the firmament over the heads, their heads was like, excuse me, let me start over again. Verse 26 of Ezekiel 1. And above the firmament over their heads was the likeness of a throne in appearance like a sapphire stone. On the likeness of the throne was a likeness with the appearance of a man high above it.
Also, from the appearance of his waist and upward, I saw, as it were, the color of amber with the appearance of fire all around within it. And from the appearance of his waist and downward, I saw, as it were, the appearance of fire with brightness all around, like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day. So was the appearance of the brightness all around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.
So when I saw it, I fell on my face and I heard a voice of one speaking. You see the similarities here, first off, don't you see, and perhaps more so here than in Revelation 1, 9 to 19, you see that Ezekiel is troubled to find the words to adequately speak of the glory or right of the glory of God. Now, I use trouble knowing that this is God breathed scripture and that God gave Ezekiel the words to write the words to pen. This is scripture.
Nevertheless, Ezekiel is writing here and in so writing Holy Scripture, he can't he doesn't have adequate words to describe the glory. We see lightness. We see the lightness of a throne in appearance like a sapphire stone. On the likeness of the throne was a likeness with the appearance of a man high above it.
The glory of the Lord, the brightness, the brightness, the glory, the majesty, the likeness, as Ezekiel says here, of the glory of the Lord is so grand, is so majestic that Ezekiel is troubled to find adequate words. And then the response, same as the Apostle John. So when I saw it, I fell on my face and I heard a voice of one speaking. John is in that that terrific vein of men and women of the Old and New Testaments who rightly drop before the glory of the Lord in that wholesome fear and reverence that is deserving of Christ Jesus, the exalted Lord.
And this is very instructive for our generation, and it's been noted before from this pulpit, and it ought to be time and time again.
Irreverence Confronted
that John's response to the glorified Christ is instructive for a generation who seem to be clearly irreverent with regards to the glorified Christ. Christ is not a ten dollar T-shirt and Christ is not a five cent slogan. We don't need to, as a generation trying to appeal to culture, we don't need to remove Christ and command him to come down from that lofty place and fit him into packaging of modern hipster idioms so that we can appeal to modern culture. We don't need to do that.
We need to command modern culture to look up to that lofty place and to see Christ as He is, biblically, and to command them to bend a knee, to command them to repent of their idioms and their phraseologies, seeking to yank down Christ Jesus from His loftiness and His high place. How dare you make Christ Jesus a $10 t-shirt, Jesus is my homeboy. How dare you issue out these five cent slogans that reduce Christ to just our buddy that we can chill with, with hand in the pocket, other hand on the water cooler, talking about the latest fads. That's not our Christ.
Our Christ Jesus is this Christ. The Christ whose countenance was like the sun, shining in its strength. And we ought to pray that these people, like Nebuchadnezzar, would have their understanding returned to them, and they would worship and praise the Most High Christ. This Christ is the Christ, not of modern hipster idioms, but the Christ of biblical glory, biblical majesty and heavenly things.
And we ought to render that proper response unto him and worship him as we ought. Christ Jesus, the one whose countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. And
The Comfort and Confidence of the Author
notice what we have here is great comfort Great comfort for the author. Verse 17 again. 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. Wonderful response by our Lord Jesus Christ to this one who has that proper fear, who has that proper reverence, but who very soon would have those emotions, though right, transferred and translated into great confidence and great comfort. Look at this response again by the Lord Jesus Christ. John falls at his feet as dead, but Jesus puts his right hand on him and says to him, do not be afraid.
Wonderful response by our Jesus, gracious and merciful and kind response from this glorious Christ, deserving of all praise and all honor. And secondly, John is comforted by the threefold identification that Jesus gives to him. This identification now that Jesus gives to John is comforting. First off,
Christ's Eternal Identity
Jesus identifies himself as being eternal. Do not be afraid. I am the first and the last. Remember, we looked at this this morning when we looked at Isaiah, that Jesus is using language rightfully that only is deserving of deity.
I am the first and I am the last. Previous to that, in verse eight, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. Then in verse 11, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last. And he reiterates it here.
Do not be afraid. I am the first and the last comforting John, giving John confidence in the fact and certainty of his deity and his eternality. He is from everlasting to everlasting. And secondly,
Christ Victorious over Death
Jesus, as a comfort and confidence to John, identifies himself as the one victorious in death and resurrection. The one victorious in death and in resurrection. I am he who lives. Verse 18.
I am he who lives and was dead. And behold, I am alive forevermore. Death no longer has domain over me or death or the grave certainly could not hold Christ. He was there. for a time, but rose again three days after his death and crucifixion.
He rose again and he is now alive forevermore. And this is importance. This is importance. The importance of the fact that Christ has risen from the dead.
Remember Paul's argument in First Corinthians, Chapter 15. If Christ is not risen, then your faith is futile. A risen Christ is the comfort and the hope of Christians. This means for us, first off, newness of life according to Romans 6.
Christ raised by the power of God is that language used of God raising us on some newness of life by that same power that raised Christ from the dead. So a resurrected Christ Jesus is important because it means for the Christian that our newness of life is an actual reality. Our faith is not futile because Christ is risen from the dead by the power of God. And so Jesus, again, comforts John here by the fact that he is the one who was victorious over death or in death, over death, yes, but in death and resurrection.
And thirdly,
Christ Sovereign over Hades and Death
Jesus identifies himself as the one who has ownership of and sovereignty over Hades and death. Ownership of and sovereignty owner over Hades and death. Notice, 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. Jesus Christ is the owner of these keys and he is sovereign over Hades and death. This is of a great comfort to the Christian, because because when when Christians in these persecuted countries are again being pressed by the heat and the weight of God haters daily, when they're being pressed down and when they are fearful, when they are fearful, maybe they're not. I don't want to use that they're fearful, but they do have, of course, the daily possibility not only that they could be beaten, not only that they could be severely beaten, but that they could also be killed.
They have confidence that Jesus Christ is the owner and the sovereign master of the keys of Hades and of death. The body they may kill, God's truth abideth still, we sang this evening. They'll have that reality. They'll be resigned joyfully unto the fact that God has graciously granted it to them to suffer for his namesake and that they might receive death. the body they may kill.
But nevertheless, they are joyfully resigned to the greater reality that it is God's truth that will abide forever, that Christ is sovereign over Hades and over death. And though they may kill the body, they will, because Christ rose from the dead, they will rise again and they will enter into Emmanuel's land where they will forever sing Hallelujah. What a Savior Jesus is the sovereign owner over Hades and death. And it is a good thing to know that such a one is on our side.
That we have this Christ Jesus on our side, I've used this before in my previous in my previous life, in my time when I played team sports, you remember when I played rugby, there was a couple individuals that I was always so glad to see walk in the change room door. because they were good rugby players. They were strong, or they were fast, or they were skillful. I knew that if they were on the field, good things were going to happen. And so I can remember sitting in the change room door, and the doors would open, and some of the guys would come in.
I'm like, OK, yeah, you're good, but we'll play with you. And then a couple of the big dudes would come in, and I'd be, oh, OK, it's on now. We can play. We can play some rugby.
Well, to an infinitely greater degree, we have Christ Jesus on our side, this one who is eternal, this one who is God of very God, the first and the last, this one who has been victorious over death and in the resurrection, and this one who has ownership of and sovereignty over Hades and death. And this one is on our side. This one, when we approach with fear and with reverence, does to us, if you will, the same as he does to John. He lays his right hand on us and he says, do not be afraid.
I am this Christ to you. And it's a glorious thing, and let us daily rest upon that when we wake up in the morning, this isn't just when we when pastors come up here and we pray. We pray for we pray that we would as Christians know know the glory of Christ that we would that we would be able to not be afraid but wake up in the morning and go to bed in the evening resting upon Christ Jesus and his promises. Christ Jesus. and his attributes and his perfections, when we say, let us, Lord God, wake up with Christ upon our hearts and let us go to sleep, lay down our heads on our pillows with Christ upon our minds.
It's not just liturgical and an exercise of pastoral prayer. It is genuine and earnest. We actually do legitimately want ourselves and you to wake up with the glory of Christ upon your minds and upon your hearts. And we do want ourselves and we want you to lay down your heads upon your pillows with the confidence that there is a Christ Jesus ruling and reigning over the heavens and over the earth.
That's something that we pray genuinely and earnestly. And that's something, brethren, that we ought to do daily. Wake up with Christ upon your hearts. Go to sleep and rest your pillow with Christ upon your hearts.
Again, not not as not as this wimpy Palestinian that some modern Christians Christians want to set before you, who only has ownership and rule in your heart. But this Christ Jesus, who is sovereign over the entire universe, who holds us in his hands. It's wonderful in the Scriptures. We have the fact that he holds Christians generally in the palm of his hands, never to let go.
He has the seven churches in his hand also, and he has the pastors of the churches, according to verse 13 or according according to Revelation chapter one and in verse 16, he has the pastors of the seven churches in his hands, all Christians, churches and pastors. He has in a tight grip. It's a glorious thing. It's a glorious reality.
And so we can rest and we can wait with the fact that this Christ is behind us. He is on our side and he rides victoriously for his glory and for our defense. And
Application
it is a terrible thing, though, if you are not on his side. It is a terrible thing if you are not on his side. If you're tarrying, if you're delaying, if you're saying, oh, maybe tomorrow or maybe next week, let me live out my life for a while where I can enjoy the passing pleasures of sin. Then maybe I'll come to Christ Jesus and bend an knee.
No, that's folly and that's madness. I've actually heard somebody verbalize, oh, I enjoy the passing pleasures of sin. That's sick. That's wrong, and that's folly and madness.
There's a reason why they're called the passing pleasures of sin. Because when you die, you're going to have those pleasures no more. In fact, you'll enter into eternal torment. Those pleasures will be snatched away from you, taken away and destroyed, and you will be declared, or Jesus will declare to you, depart from me, for I never knew you, into the fire reserved for the devil and his angels.
Don't be that pompous, pride filled person who says, oh, yeah, I enjoy the passing pleasures of sin. Cast them off, put them away and bend the knee to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords who rewards and who is glorious and who is this merciful Christ who will put his right hand on you if you believe, if you're found in him and he'll say to you, do not be afraid. I am the first and I am the last. I am he who lives and was dead and behold, I am alive forevermore.
Amen. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved and you will have that heart. You will have that disposition to put away those ungodly things of this passing world and you'll put on Christ Jesus unto the saving of your soul. Let's pray.
Closing Prayer
Father, we thank you so much for this Christ Jesus. We thank you for what we can read here, Lord God, in our Bibles. We thank you for the exalted and for the glorified Christ Jesus and Lord God, might all of us have this response of the author, John the Apostle. Might we fall at his feet as dead men in that proper fear and in that proper reverence.
And might we rise, Lord God, having Jesus, as it were, put his right hand on us, telling us to fear not. And might we have great comfort and great confidence in this lower world to carry out our role, Lord God. in this lower world, that we would shine as light, that we would conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Help us to go, Lord God, into this week, to depart from this place, having sung your praises and having worshiped and having fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ. Help us now to go, not to depart into the world to do worldly things, Lord God, but to depart back into the world and live godly, do godly things, live a godly life and show people that there is a light that shines in us.
Lord God, that You are the light of the world, that Christ Jesus is the light of the world, and that we would point, man, that we would hold fast that truth, and that we would hold it forth, that we would hold forth Your Gospel of saving and victorious and amazing grace, and that, Lord God, according to Your wisdom and Your plan and Your appointed time, that many would believe, that many would bend in need to this Christ, and that they would seek to live godly in Him. So Lord, we just pray that you go with us now and help us to live this week unto your praise and unto the glory of Christ. And it's in his name that we pray. Amen.