Revelation 1:1-9-20 “Seeing Great and Good Jesus”

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The Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.

Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

Just a few minutes before that, new deacon Stephen had been preaching the good news of Jesus.

Now he was being stoned to death.

What was it that enabled Stephen to stand firm?

To speak up?

To suffer boldly and faithfully?

It was seeing Jesus.

Not everyone in the early church was facing martyrdom like that.

But whether it was their Jewish neighbors who were upset with these new Christians,

whether it was their Roman rulers who were wanting to keep them in line and loyal to the Caesar alone,

all of the Christians were facing tough challenges.

John was no exception.

Once among Jesus' 12 disciples, now he is probably in his 80s and God is not through with him.

I hope that's a great encouragement to many of us.

In his 80s, in fact, he needs to see Jesus afresh too.

That's what he needs because he is in exile on an island that is like Alcatraz but with even more water surrounding it

for political prisoners of Rome.

And Jesus appears to him.

Jesus gives him the revelation of himself that is for John and for all of his people.

Listen to how this happens in Revelation 1 at verse 9.

He writes,

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.

I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day and I heard behind me a voice like a trumpet

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.

John writes what he sees to these representative churches,

to all of God's people, including us.

And what does he say?

He says, look, I'm with you.

Brother, partner, tribulation.

It's hard.

Suffering for the sake of the kingdom.

Needing patient endurance because it's tough.

And Jesus' voice calls to John and says, look and see and then write it down.

Share it with my people.

What is it?

Share what?

What is it that Jesus wants them, wants us to see?

Remember when we started the book of Revelation just last week,

we said it's going to show and tell us God wins.

Grace prevails.

Jesus reigns.

It's a revelation and unveiling of Jesus by Jesus.

Now, why is that so important?

See, the early church every day, over and over, was surrounded by reminders of Roman power,

Roman prestige, Roman prestige, Roman success everywhere, the buildings and the roads, the neighbors and the officials,

the money and the temples.

They shouted that Caesar was the Lord and that the good life was lived with Rome, right?

Like no one else in the world had Rome, had it.

In other words, Christians were facing constant pressure either to give in or to give up.

To give in and compromise their loyalty to Jesus, to live for Roman values, to blend in and get along, you know,

without Jesus or just to give up any hope.

Just be small, insignificant, persecuted people who would be marginalized for sure.

Martyred, maybe.

And then was there anything after that?

Was there any other hope?

So, give in or give up.

Maybe you know some of that pressure in our world.

It's a little bit different, but maybe your heart this morning is heavy for loved ones in Nigeria or India or somewhere else

who may suffer real physical harm any day now simply for their commitment to Jesus.

Maybe you have a really smart professor whose arguments you just can't keep up with and he hates Jesus.

Maybe you have a boss who keeps belittling you and reminding you who really has the power around here.

Maybe you just, you really want to be with a different group of friends and you want to get in with them,

but you know that to get in with them, you're going to have to change some things about yourself.

Like how you talk or how you dress or how you act.

Maybe you're one of so many in our church family facing health crises this week.

It's been remarkable.

Many very unexpected.

And maybe this, on top of everything else you're dealing with already,

just, you're just overwhelmed.

You're just feeling alone and hopeless and how can I handle another thing?

And we're tempted in those moments to give up or to give in, right?

Where's Jesus getting me anyway?

How's this working out?

I mean, it's the people who lie and focus on their bodies and make lots of money.

They're the ones having all the fun.

They're the ones with all the power.

They seem to have life figured out.

Give in.

Give up.

Or, what does Jesus want us to see

that might totally change our perspective on all of that?

That might completely change our lives?

Let's read the second section.

What's Jesus going to show John in this moment?

What's he going to show his church then?

What's he going to show us right now?

Verse 12.

Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me.

And on turning, I saw seven golden lampstands.

We're going to find out in a little bit.

Those lampstands represent those seven churches that John is writing to.

All of the churches.

And in the midst of the lampstands, right there in the midst of the churches,

one like a son of man,

clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest.

The hairs of his head were white like wool,

as white as snow.

His eyes were like a flame of fire.

His feet were like burnished bronze refined in a furnace.

And his voice was like the roar of many waters.

In his right hand, he held seven stars.

From his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword.

And his face was like the sun shining in full strength.

Jesus says,

John, I want my people to see me as I really am

in all of my glorious greatness.

I want them to see me.

Now in case you're confused as we read through the vision,

it's not trying to help us have a detailed physical description of Jesus.

That's not what he's after.

That's not what's most important.

That's why there's so many likes in there, right?

John is just trying to describe it, right?

He wants us to understand his character,

his power, his unique glory

that can hardly be captured in words.

Just think about the vision as a whole, right?

That's what is going to hit John

and is going to hit you maybe as you read through it.

It's overwhelming, right?

You can't even piece all of these things together

into an image in your mind probably.

It's just like nothing you've ever seen.

You can't take it all in.

But John tells us up front,

before he gets into some of those details,

that this one he's looking at

is one like a son of man.

That phrase immediately takes us back to Daniel chapter 7,

Daniel 7 · chapter mention

where one like a son of man,

in other words,

appearing to be human,

but then there in Daniel,

seated with the ancient of days,

with God himself.

This is more than a mere man.

That's what they're telling you.

Listen to who this figure is.

It's a remarkable description.

To him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, right?

That can only be talking about God himself.

That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him.

His dominion is an everlasting dominion.

His kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.

This is who you're looking at.

That's who we're talking about and seeing here in Revelation 1.

Let's just look for a minute at the vision,

but don't get lost in the details, okay?

Who is Jesus for his church who needs him?

He's got clothes on,

a long robe and golden sash.

He's a royal high priest

who most effectively brings us in to the presence of God.

So you're not alone.

You're not too small for God to notice, right?

He has white hair,

like the great ancient of days in Daniel.

This is an unparalleled divine ruler

who is full of wisdom.

He's been around longer than any Caesar

or any other ruler.

This guy has been there.

And maybe we've lost a sense of this in our culture.

But age is meant to be full of dignity,

meant to be full of wisdom,

to be honored.

See, your difficult situation

will not leave him confused.

He's been there, seen that, done that.

The two most helpful things I've heard this week

came from people with white hair.

What a gift that is.

Eyes like a flame of fire.

He can see everything, right?

Even judging the depths of hearts,

even the secret struggles in your life

that you think nobody knows,

he sees them.

Even the places that you haven't invited him in.

He can go there,

and he can meet you there,

and he can transform you.

So don't limit this guy's power

to see and to work anywhere.

Feet like bronze,

standing firm,

absolutely purified in the fire.

In his judgments, they're pure.

But he is utterly immovable.

No one is knocking him down.

That's why it's an everlasting kingdom,

an everlasting dominion.

He is not going to get weary.

He's not going to need a rest.

He's not going to fail to be there for you,

exactly where you need him.

And then something you hear,

his voice.

It's like a roar of many waters.

Have you ever stood under a waterfall?

Like a big waterfall?

Maybe you saw one of Pastor Derek's videos

from Iceland a few weeks ago online.

Pastor Derek says lots of wonderful things in the video.

You know how many of them you can hear?

None of them.

Because you hear the roar of the waterfall

just drowning out every other noise, right?

He drowns out even the yelling and shouting

of all of the voices around you.

There's power, there's priority

in what he says that must be heard.

And he holds seven stars in his right hand.

This may be my favorite part of the image,

this vision.

Some of you know much better than I do

the size of a star.

So I'm going to just leave it at that.

A star in his hand.

What superhuman strength it would take

to hold even one star

with the nuclear fusion that's going on,

creating this extraordinary energy

in your hand.

No one can hold it.

And he holds seven

in one hand.

We found Roman coins

from this time in history

that show the emperor's son

who had died

playing with seven stars.

It was a way of trying to picture

that he lived on

controlling the heavens.

You know, this

is the omnipotent,

true son

of the true God

holding the stars.

Greater is he who is in you

than he who is in the world.

Right?

A two-edged sword

coming out of his mouth.

It's a strange one,

but that's the word of God.

Right?

Powerful both to judge

and to save.

Every time he speaks,

we must listen.

And finally, his face,

like the sun

at full strength.

Just imagine,

you know what happens

when you're looking at something

and it's like the sun

at full strength.

What this is saying, really,

is that there's this

shining, radiating glow

going out from him.

There's purity

and power,

but I think what John's

trying to communicate is

Jesus is too much

to take in.

As he gets to the end

of the vision,

it's certainly too much

to approach.

Right?

He dwells in unapproachable light.

You can't even look him

in the eye

without wincing.

Right?

You've tried that before.

This is the glory,

the weight of Jesus

coming through.

That when you see Jesus,

you realize that he is

the big rock

that when placed

in the middle of the stream,

all of the water

has to flow around him.

Right?

He's the big one.

His glory,

his weight.

Are you seeing Jesus?

He's so great.

He's central.

Right?

Everything works around him.

His overwhelming power

and might

would intimidate

even the strongest person.

In fact,

what happens to John?

When I saw him,

I fell at his feet

as though dead.

When you get a clear vision

of Jesus,

okay,

it overwhelms you

to the point

of trembling worship,

of speechless awe,

of humble reverence.

Right?

Maybe you can remember

a moment like that

when Jesus just

overwhelmed you.

If you think

you're seeing Jesus

and your response

is short of that,

you're not seeing

the true,

powerful,

awesome,

pure Jesus.

Okay?

Don't get confused

and think that Jesus

is some teddy bear.

Some grandfather figure.

Some genie in the sky.

When Daniel got

a similar vision

in chapter 10,

he tells us

what happened to him.

He said he had

no strength left.

His whole appearance

was changed

and he retained

no strength

and he fell on his face

in a deep sleep

with his face

to the ground.

Sounds like

what's happening

to John, right?

Listen,

when we come

to worship Jesus,

when we pause

to pray to Jesus,

even before a meal,

for a few seconds,

when we slow down

to contemplate Jesus

and who he is,

his greatness

ought to stop us

in our tracks.

Everything else

should stop moving.

His greatness

ought to grab

our complete

and undivided attention.

It has to.

And as we get

overwhelmed

by his greatness,

it ought to prompt

one burning question

from us

over and over.

Are you on my team?

Are you on my side,

Jesus?

I can still remember

a cartoon

that I saw

as a kid.

I don't even know

what it was called,

but there's a lot of them

like it so that the details

aren't that important.

But there was a little boy

who was being attacked

by dragons.

It was a little scary.

The dragons were much

bigger and stronger

than he was,

maybe five times

his size.

They were certainly

about to catch him

and crush him.

And they were

just getting close

to him in the chase

and all of a sudden

the boy and the dragon

stopped where they were.

And they turned to look

because there was a sound.

There was a booming sound

of a huge giant

coming across the fields.

Ten times bigger

than the dragons, right?

This giant comes

lumbering over

smashing trees

and tossing cars

and knocking tall buildings

off of their foundations.

And as this giant

comes over,

the look on the boy's face

was like,

are you going to eat me

or rescue me?

Are you on my team?

And it was really clear

that the greatness

of the giant,

his size,

his power,

the way he entered

the scene,

you knew

that the answer

to that question

was going to determine

the end of the story.

Well, what happened

was his arms

started swooping down

and the first hand

that came by

grabbed the little boy

and the second hand

just swept the dragons

out of the way

like little toy animals

and he picks the boy

up in his hand

and he smiles

and he says,

you're my friend.

Moments before,

the boy was hopeless

and ready to give up

or maybe if he had

anything left,

it was just to give in

and join Team Dragon.

Maybe if they'd let him

come along

and save his life

because they were clearly

the ones winning.

They must be the ones

in charge.

Maybe I'll just

be a dragon.

To rescue him

from hopelessness

or from compromise,

the boy needed

that giant

to be great

and good.

Great

and good.

We're going to see this

often in Revelation

where Jesus is both lion

and lamb.

Strong and kind,

merciful and mighty,

holy and gracious

at the same time.

When we confront Jesus,

we need to realize

he's a lion

who has swallowed up

girls and boys,

women and men,

kings and emperors,

cities and realms.

Thank you,

C.S. Lewis.

It is hard to feel safe

drawing near someone

so great.

But we must draw near

and find him

to be the fountain

of goodness

or else we will

die of thirst.

There's no other life.

We're hopeless

apart from him.

That's what David learns

in Psalm 62

when he's attacked

and he's waiting

for God

with no other refuge,

no other hope.

He learns two things

from God.

That power belongs

to God.

God, you are great.

And that to you,

O Lord,

belongs steadfast love.

God, you are good too.

Let me say this

one more way.

I don't know,

that's half dozen or so,

but this is an important concept.

kids, you know the song,

maybe you don't sing it anymore.

It was from when you were really little.

He's got the whole world

in his hands.

You know that one?

I'm embarrassed

that I sang it too.

When I sang that as a kid,

what I used to picture

in my mind

was Jesus' hand

with like the whole globe,

the whole earth

in his hand.

Do you ever picture it that way?

Right?

And that's true, right?

Because he is so big.

He holds the entire universe

in his hand.

But you know,

we sing some other things,

don't we,

in that song.

We sing,

he's got you and me

and the tiny little babies

in his hand.

Right?

In other words,

Jesus is so big

that the whole world is there,

but you are not so small

that he can't see you

and hold you

and care about you.

Right?

Jesus is great

and he's good.

He knows you.

He sees you.

He loves you.

He cares about you.

So,

he's bigger than you can imagine

and he holds you

and he smiles at you

and he calls you friend.

Amazing

that both of those are true.

I want you to keep thinking

about that powerful hand

for just a minute, okay?

The big hand

in which is the whole universe,

it holds the world.

Back here in Revelation,

his right hand holds what?

Seven

stars.

Seven

full,

all of them.

The whole universe.

And now,

flat on the ground

before the awesome power

of this Jesus,

John is nearly

dead.

He needs to know

one thing.

What does he need to know?

Is Jesus on his team?

Is Jesus there for him?

And Jesus has one more thing

that he wants his people

to see.

So,

that powerful right hand

does something else.

but he laid his right hand

on me

saying,

fear not.

I am the first

and the last

and the living one.

I died

and behold,

I am alive forevermore

and I have the keys

of death

and Hades.

Write,

therefore,

the things that you have seen,

those that are

and those that are

to take place

after this.

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' same hand

that has the power

to hold the stars

reaches out

to touch us

tenderly.

It is vital for us.

What does Jesus

want to make sure

that we see about him

so that we get

the full picture

of who he is?

He wants us to know

that he's also good,

that he is for us,

that he's on our team.

Fear not.

He says,

don't you love that?

That Jesus understands

that you have much

to be afraid of

until you're scooped up

in his hand

and then he can say stop.

He wants his people

to know

that he is putting

all of his powerful might,

all of his incomparable greatness

to work for them

on their behalf,

for their blessing

and rescue

and salvation.

Look, John,

I am the first

and the last.

I'm the living one.

See,

before Rome was,

I am.

After Rome falls,

I will be.

And right now,

even while Rome

seems to rule,

I live.

In fact,

Rome sought to silence me

by crucifying me,

but I am alive

forevermore.

And so it's not just Rome

that I'm in charge of.

I hold the keys

of death

and Hades.

The gates of hell

will not prevail

against me

and my church

because I've got the keys.

Think how vital

this would have been

for the early church

and then for us.

For those who

were every morning

facing the imminent

possibility of death,

watching loved ones,

their brothers

and sisters in Christ

time and again

brutally martyred.

They need to know

the one

with the keys,

don't they?

Otherwise,

there's just no hope.

Death looms

as an enemy

larger than we know

how to handle,

right?

But our gentle giant

knows how to handle it.

He has trampled

sin and death

and the grave,

knocked them aside

like little toys

and captured the keys

and he holds them.

He's in charge.

Nothing else

and no one else.

So if you're trapped

in a dark building

and the doors

are all locked

and you don't know

how to get through

any of them,

what do you do?

You stay near

the one with the keys,

right?

Don't be stupid.

Stay near the guy

with the keys

and some days

death still feels

like that.

Like it has us trapped

and stuck

and there's darkness

all around

and we're confused

and afraid

and Jesus says,

stay near the one

with the keys.

When I walk through

the valley

of the shadow of death,

the only way

that I won't be afraid

and won't fear

any evil

is that you

are with me,

my good shepherd,

the one with the keys.

I may or may not

be able to get

through this next part

but last Sunday

our dear Betty Murray

got news

that her heart

could not be treated

and she was being moved

to hospice care.

Later that day

I knelt by her bedside

and asked her

if I could read her

Psalm 23.

I thought,

we talked about this,

she loved Psalm 23

and her face

kind of got this

uncertain look on it

and I thought,

oh no,

maybe I suggested

the wrong one.

I said,

is there one you like better?

Lots of choices,

right,

in Psalms.

Maybe Psalm 23,

not a favorite after all

and she said,

oh no

and then she paused

and a smile came over her face

and she just said,

the Lord is my shepherd.

I shall not want.

He maketh me

lie down in green pastures.

He leadeth me

beside still waters.

and 93 year old Betty

kept going

the whole way.

Betty has beautiful

white hair,

by the way.

We should heed her wisdom

that in the moment

where she just heard,

maybe death

has the upper hand.

she said no.

She remembered

and stayed near

the one

with the keys.

She saw

Jesus

and pointed me to him.

That was one of the deep griefs

of the season of COVID

a few years ago,

wasn't it?

That there were people

dying alone

and apart from their loved ones

and I thought a lot

about this vision

of Jesus,

of a God

near to us

and holding us

and holding the keys

of death

and Hades.

Stay near

the one

with the keys

because Jesus lives

forevermore

today

and forever.

He has

the keys.

He is great

and he is

for you

as you trust him

by faith.

No matter what

they go through,

he's holding his churches,

isn't he?

the seven stars

in his hand

are, it says,

the angels

of the seven churches.

Perhaps meaning

human leaders

of those churches.

Perhaps heavenly angels

representing each church.

Isn't that a cool thought?

Regardless,

representing his churches

in his hand

as he walks

among the lampstands,

his churches,

his people,

this is the part

of the vision

that Jesus explains

to us specifically

so that we can't

miss it.

He's with us

and he's holding us.

That will help you.

This vision of Jesus

has helped me often

as a pastor

when I feel small

or when I'm intimidated

by a leadership conflict

I don't know

how to resolve

or when I'm overwhelmed

by grief

that seems too big

for me to be

of any comfort in.

Jesus is great

and good

for his church.

He's with us

and he's holding us.

Many thought

the early church

wouldn't survive

the fires of Nero

or the systematic

persecution

of Domitian,

but it turned out

that the blood

of the martyrs

was the seed

of the church

that grew

as it saw its king

hold them faithfully

even through death.

There have been times

that people thought

the church in China

or the Soviet Union

would be stamped out,

but instead

it has flourished

underground often

where the king

with the keys

still rules there.

Recently,

the church in Iran,

as many of you know,

has grown more rapidly

than ever before

as the threat of death

has come to them

even more fiercely

than ever before,

but many of them

keep seeing a vision

of Jesus.

And there are those

concerned that the church

in the United States

is fading,

compromising

with a culture

of worldliness.

I get it.

Or where it's not,

just being ignored

more and more.

But these churches

continue to prevail

against the gates

of hell,

not because

they've got it all

figured out

and they hold the power

and they're in charge,

but because a strong,

victorious Jesus

full of wisdom

and power

and majesty

is fighting

for them.

He's with us

and He's holding us.

Don't give in.

Don't give up.

And you say,

how?

How am I transformed

because I don't feel that?

How do I get changed

so that I stand firm

and speak up

and suffer boldly?

How does that happen, Jesus?

We see Jesus.

He's stronger

than our enemies

no matter

how they boast,

what it might look like.

He is the one,

not Rome,

not America,

not living for yourself

and your own freedoms,

having it your own way.

He's the one

who knows real life,

true life,

abundant life,

everlasting life.

He holds the keys

of death

and hell

and He is with you

and He is holding you.

Do you see that,

Jesus?

That great

and good

Jesus?

That will change you.

341 years ago,

two godly women

named Margaret

were martyred

in Wigtown,

Scotland

for their commitment

to worshipping

the Jesus

of the Bible.

I've told you

their story before

in case it sounds familiar.

Yep,

that might have been me.

but 70-year-old widow

Margaret

was tied to a stake

a bit out in the ocean

as the tides rose

and her dear friend,

18-year-old farmer's daughter,

Margaret,

was tied closer to shore

to watch her white-haired friend

die first.

Their executioners

thought that the younger Margaret

would give in

and would recant.

Certainly she will

as she watches

one of her heroes

and friends

die.

So as the waters

covered the older woman,

they turned

and asked the younger Margaret

what she saw

and what she thought now.

Can you imagine that?

Standing there

at 18 years old

trying to figure out

how can I stand?

How can I speak faithfully?

How can I suffer boldly?

What would she need?

She looked up and said,

I see Christ.

She was just

wrestling there.

She saw not a failure,

not a defeated loser,

not a friend

who was going under

and would never come up.

She saw a victorious king

with her friend,

holding her friend

who would therefore

not be overwhelmed

by the waters

but triumph over death

because she was held

by the one with the keys.

She said,

I see Christ.

whatever is overwhelming

you today,

whatever you're tempted

to give in,

to give up,

see Jesus.

maybe that sounds,

I don't know,

hard to figure out

but look,

he's not far away from you.

You don't have to wonder

where he is

or what he's like

because it says

he's walking

among the lampstands

and holding the stars

in his hand

which means that great,

gracious giant

has scooped us up

and is now smiling down

at us

just like this,

looking down

at his friends

so you can just

rest there

for a minute

and you can look

at him up close.

He's great

and he's good.

He is strong

to save

and he loves

to save.

He is with us

and he is holding you.

For more information,

visit us online

at southwood.org