"Him Who Loves Us" Sermon: Revelation 1:4-8 (manuscript)

 

“Him Who Loves Us”

Revelation 1:4-8

October 1, 2023 YouTube

          As we opened the book of Revelation, we saw that it is the Word of God – infallible and inerrant – and thus, it is right for us to read it.  As Paul writes, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (II Timothy 3:16-17, ESV).

          John explains that this Word was given by God the Father to Jesus to an angel to John to the servants of God – the things which must happen soon.  And everyone who reads and hears and obeys this book will be blessed.  You will have peace, contentment, and joy.

          Our text this morning tells us to whom this letter is sent:

“John to the seven churches that are in Asia:”

The Word of God that was given to John to be sent to the servants of God, here, are particularly named as the “seven churches that are in Asia.”

What is called Asia or Asia Minor, here, we now call Turkey. The churches that are named form a semi-circle in Asia, and since all seven are mentioned in the text to come, it is obvious that this is a letter that was passed from one church to another.  There are specific messages for each of the seven churches, but the bulk of the letter is for all of them – and for more than them.

The New Testament names more than these seven churches in Asia. So, what is going on here?  Are they the only churches that have issues to address?  Is the message of Revelation to be kept secret from all the other churches in Asia – and around the world?

No, remember we said that apocalyptic literature like the book of Revelation is written with symbols and numbers that have to be interpreted to understand what is being said.  In this case, Revelation is using first century Jewish symbols and numbers that the Romans would not understand to get the message to the believing Jews and Gentiles, but not to the Romans.

So, what does the number “seven” indicate?  In Jewish numerology, “seven” indicates completion, perfection, and other similar words.  So, this letter is written and sent to the real seven church that are named in the chapters to come, but it is also sent to all churches and all believers – Christians – throughout time and space.  This letter is for you and me and Second Reformed and all the other churches and Christians.

“Grace to you and peace”

Grace and peace are given to believers by God. Grace is the unmerited gift of God. Peace are the blessings that God gives by grace.

“from him who is and who was and who is to come,”

We might rightly guess that this is a reference to God the Father.  As we read in Exodus, “God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ And he said, ‘Say this to the people of Israel: “I AM has sent me to you’” (Exodus 3:14, ESV).

“and from the seven spirits who are before his throne,”

Let’s figure this out: “Seven” signifies complete and perfect.  These “seven spirits” are those who give grace and peace – just like we have seen God the Father do.  But only God can give grace and peace, so the “seven spirits” must be God the Holy Spirit.  There is no other option.

And we might ask, but he says “spirits.”  God the Holy Spirit is One, but there are times when He is spoken of in the plural to show His fulness.

We remember in Isaiah 11:2, “And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD” (ESV).  These are God the Holy Spirit.

And we ask again, “But if this is God the Holy Spirit, why does it say He is “before” the throne, rather than on the throne?”

Being One God in Trinity, God sits on His throne.  What is being indicated here is the activity and power of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit goes out from the throne to cause people to believe in Jesus Alone for salvation and to enable the servants of God to do all that He has commanded.

“and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.”

Grace and peace also come from Jesus Christ. 

He is the faithful witness. He is the faithful witness to Who God is and the salvation He grants through Jesus which we find centered in the cross.  He and His Gospel are the encouragement as we are persecuted and suffer for the His sake.

He is the firstborn from the dead.  He is the firstborn to be resurrected from the dead, conquering it and ruling right now.  He is the firstborn in the sense of the quality of His resurrection.  And He is the firstborn, indicating that there are other latter-born – we are the younger brothers and sisters of Jesus.

So, what do we have so far:

The letter of Revelation was written to seven, real and specific churches that existed when John wrote.  The letter is also written to every believer, Christian, and church throughout time and space.

And He is God in Trinity – Father, Spirit, and Jesus Christ, the Son – who gives grace and peace to all those who believing savingly in Jesus.

Now, John breaks into the first doxology – the first hymn of praise – in the book of Revelation:

“To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

Praise be to Him – Jesus – Who loves us.  Did you hear that?  “Him who loves us.”  It doesn’t say, Him Who loved us, it says Him Who loves us. Jesus loves us from all eternity past, He loves us right now on October 1, 2023, and He loves us throughout all of eternity.  Praise be to Him.

Jesus has freed us from the Wrath of God for our sins.  His blood paid the debt to God for our sins, and we are eternally forgiven. Jesus took our place to receive the full Wrath of God for our sins in what is called the “Substitutionary Atonement.”  Jesus is our Substitute before the Father, and Jesus makes us right with God.

And that blood has made us a kingdom and priests to God the Father.

God told Moses to tell Israel, “’Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel” (Exodus 19:5-6, ESV). Israel was told that if they were perfectly obedient, they would be a kingdom and priests to God.

The believers in Israel and of the Gentiles are continued in the Church today, and the believers in the Church today are the Israel of God.  Believers throughout time and space are a kingdom of God:  a kingdom of priests to God.

As Peter writes, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” (I Peter 2:9-10, ESV).

As the people of God who are a kingdom and priests to Him, how do we carry out our service as priests?

The author of Hebrews writes, “Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God” (Hebrews 13:15-16, ESV).

Our primary work as priests of God is to serve, honor, worship, and praise Him.  Jesus has made the sacrificing of animals and their blood unnecessary since He has offered Himself up and shed His blood, so we are called as priests to praise God in all that we do and say as our priestly sacrifice.

“to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

As believers and priests, we praise God acknowledging that to Him Alone belongs the glory – His Splendor and Worthiness, and to Him Alone belongs the dominion – the sovereign rule over everything and everyone throughout time and space.  Glory and dominion are His forever and ever, eternally His, and never ours.  Amen!

John writes, “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.”

Jesus says, “Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30, ESV).

Daniel records, “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And 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 one that shall not be destroyed” (Daniel 7:13-14, ESV).

God says, “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn” (Zechariah 12:10, ESV).

And at the Ascension, we read:

“And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven’” (Acts 1:9-11, ESV).

The point of reading these verses from the Old and New Testament is to show that there is agreement about this issue regarding the return of Jesus:  Jesus will return with the clouds just as He ascended to the Right Hand of the Father, and when Jesus returns, every eye in heaven and on earth throughout all of the created order will see His return, and those who pierced Him on that day, and those who pierced Him in never believing that He is God the Savior, all of these from every nation will wail and weep – not in repentance – but in anger:  “How can it be You?!  I hate You!  How dare You place demands on me?!  You deserved to die!”

And John writes, “Even so. Amen.”  “Even so” and “Amen” mean the same thing, “so it will be.”  This is something that must be.  So, the meaning is repeated twice, and we know that repetition indicates emphasis.  So, these things must really, really take place.  The ones who never believe will see Jesus’ return and understand that they will receive the full Wrath of God, and they hate Him.

So, we see that Jesus loves all those who believe throughout time and space from eternity past through eternity future, and today.  He became our Substitute before the Father and took our place in receiving the Wrath of God for our sin, so we are forgiven.  And Jesus will return as He was received to His throne at the Ascension, and He will come to the anger and horror of all those who never believe.

This section ends with one of the only statements by God the Father in the book of Revelation:

“’I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.’”

Isaiah quotes God, “Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he” (Isaiah 41:4, ESV).

“Alpha” and “Omega” are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet.  If God is the first and the last, He is sovereign over everything throughout all of history.  From the beginning to the end and in the new heavens and the new earth, everything is under the sovereign control of God – everything is following God’s Sovereign Plan.  Even the devil – who is not in control of this world – can only act as God wills and gives permission.  The devil has no authority or power over God.

          And again, God states His Sovereignty over all things saying that He is now, He was from before all thing, and He is to come to set up His kingdom on earth.  He is the Almighty.  He has all power.  He is Sovereign over every molecule and the greatest kingdoms that will ever be.

          In that day, Christians were suffering torture and death at the hands of the Romans.  “Renounce this Jesus, or we will flay you, or burn you alive, or decapitate you, or stone you, or crucify you.”

          As this text is read and heard and obeyed, the answer Christians ought to give is, “No, this Jesus Who loves me, took my place, suffered and died for me and has made me right before God.  He is Sovereign over all of history. And He is returning to bring us into glory and to punish the wicked.”

Paul, who suffered at the hands of Jews and Gentiles, writes, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18, ESV).

Knowing that John is recording a message of hope and comfort to the Christians of the first century – and to all those who believe – until the return of Jesus, remember that Jesus is He Who loves us.  Jesus loves all believers.  Jesus loves you.  Jesus loves me.  No matter what is happening now, Jesus loves us now, and He is bringing us into the fulness of His Kingdom.

Let us pray:

Almighty God, from day to day, we forget that the Triune God gives us grace and peace.  We forget the Jesus, our Savior, loves us right now, and He saved us by His blood and has made us His – to serve and worship and praise the Triune God. Forgive us for doubting You and Your Sovereignty.  Cause the Holy Spirit to make us truly believe that no matter what we endure – even being put to death by the government – the glory You are bringing us into is greater than our suffering.  Your plan is coming to pass. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.