A Revelation of Jesus
Sermon Notes
Today we’re continuing our teaching series on a book of the bible called Revelation. It’s a series that’s all about finding peace in a world of chaos. The reality is we live in a chaotic world, and many people aren’t at peace. Both skeptics and believers have days where we aren’t at peace, and it’s because we often have present and future things we’re dealing with in life. We often have present and future events we’re concerned about, and it’s robbing us of peace. Revelation is a book of the bible that addresses past, present, and future events in history. But it’s also a book that can help us find peace, for every chaotic event in history. It can help us find peace, in a world of chaos. What we’re talking about specifically today is finding peace, when it comes to our afflictions. So let’s turn to Revelation ch 1 and get into it. You’ll find Revelation in the back of the bible, it’s the last book of the bible, and we’ll be in Revelation 1:9-20. Title of the message is A Revelation of Jesus, and the big idea is that Jesus is greater than our greatest afflictions...Jesus is greater than our greatest afflictions...
Here’s your context. The book of Revelation can be broken down into four major visions, and right now we’re studying the 1st vision, which is a vision of Jesus and the Churches. Last week we studied vs 1-8 and learned the purpose of revelation is to teach us some things about Jesus, and to teach us some things that’ll soon take place at the end of history. The author John is sharing with us a vision of Jesus coming back to restore his creation from the destruction that Satan and sin have caused our lives and world. Simply put, this is a book about the 2nd coming of Jesus, and what will happen at the end of history when he returns. Now in today’s text we’ll learn three things: The Affliction, The Vision, and The Power. We’ll learn about the affliction John and the 1st century Christians were experiencing, the vision Jesus gives them to encourage them, and the powerful effect this vision has on them. It’s the affliction, the vision, and the power. Let’s check it out.
Revelation 1:9-20 states, “I, John, your brother and partner in the affliction, kingdom, and endurance that are in Jesus. I was on the island called Patmos, because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.” Okay so this is the 1stthing we’re learning about. We’re learning about The Affliction...The affliction John’s talking about is the persecution Christians were experiencing in the 1st century because of their faith in Jesus. John says he’s a partner in these afflictions, meaning he’s experiencing these afflictions too. By the end of the 1st century the Roman Empire started to despise Christianity. They despised them politically, because Christians refused to acknowledge Caesar as their ultimate authority. They despised them socially, because Christians taught we should treat people with equal worth, value, and love, which threatened the hierarchy structure of Roman society where the elites received special privileged status. They also despised them economically, because Christians wouldn’t participate in Roman pagan festivals, theaters, sacrificial offerings to Caesar, which affected local merchants and businesses that profited off those pagan activities. So by the end of the 1st century Christians started facing heavy persecution and afflictions for their faith in Jesus, and John was facing those afflictions too. He’s writing this letter as an old man roughly in his 90’s, and all the other Apostles have already been martyred and killed for their faith in Jesus. He’s the last apostolic leader, the last of the original 12 disciples of Jesus, and the Romans put him in exile on the island of Patmos, which is their version of Alcatraz.
Now historically we know Nero was one of the first Roman emperors to start persecuting Christians, and by the end of the 1st century the Roman emperor Domitian unleashed even worse persecution. He demanded Christians to worship him as Lord, and when they refused, he increased their persecution. It was a very brutal period of suffering where they impaled Christians, ripped their arms off using horses, drilled holes in their skulls to pour molten led inside, even burned them alive using them as streetlights in the night. I hate being so graphic, but it’s some of the afflictions John’s talking about. It’s a historical fact that Christians faced brutal afflictions in the 1st century. But it’s also a historical fact that Christianity still survived despite those afflictions. Christianity still survived because 1st century Christians refused to stop worshiping Jesus as Lord. They’d rather suffer and die than stop worshiping Jesus as Lord. They probably had moments where they were discouraged and even felt abandoned by Jesus as they were facing these afflictions, just like we sometimes get discouraged and might feel abandoned when we’re facing afflictions. But the vision Jesus gives John to record in the book of Revelation is meant to show them and us that he hasn’t abandoned us. It’s meant to encourage them and us as we’re facing afflictions. It’s meant to bring hope and peace to anyone who puts their faith in Jesus. So picture John writing this while he’s sitting in exile on the island of Patmos. He’s writing this while suffering Roman afflictions and separated from his home by the ocean waters, but he isn’t separated from the love of Jesus...He’s suffering and separated from his home, but the vision he receives proves he isn’t abandoned and separated from the love of Jesus...He receives this vision from Jesus, as he’s facing affliction.
Vs. 10, “I was in the Spirit, on the Lord’s day, and I heard a loud voice behind me like a trumpet 11 saying, ‘Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.’ 12 Then I turned to see whose voice it was that spoke to me. When I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was one like the Son of Man,, dressed in a robe and with a golden sash wrapped around his chest. 14 The hair of his head was white as wool—white as snow—and his eyes like a fiery flame. 15 His feet were like fine bronze as it is fired in a furnace, and his voice like the sound of cascading waters. 16 He had seven stars in his right hand; a sharp double-edged sword came from his mouth, and his face was shining like the sun at full strength.” So this is the 2nd thing we’re learning about, which is The Vision. The 1st thing was the affliction, but now we’re learning about the vision Jesus gives to encourage John and these 1st century Christians as they’re facing those afflictions. The vision starts with Jesus appearing to John in such an incredible way, that John has to use illustrations to try to capture what he’s seeing. He uses the word like six times, doing the best he can to illustrate and describe in human words this incredible heavenly appearance of Jesus, and each description has symbolic implications. He describes his hair as white as snow, symbolizing Jesus has infinite wisdom. He describes his eyes as fiery flames, symbolizing Jesus has infinite insight. He describes his feet as bronze, symbolizing Jesus has infinite strength. He describes his voice as cascading waters, symbolizing Jesus has powerful words that have infinite eternal implications. He describes his face as bright as the sun, symbolizing Jesus has infinite radiance and glory. What John’s describing in all this is an incredible glorious view of Jesus. He’s saying “What I saw in Patmos during this brutal period of afflictions, is far greater than human words can describe. What I saw is that Jesus is far more powerful than we ever realized. He's far greater, than our greatest afflictions!” This vision is so powerful, it causes John to collapse in fear.
Vs. 17, “When I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man.” This is the 3rd thing we’re learning about, which is The Power...We learned about the affliction, the vision, and now we’re learning about the power. When Jesus appears to John, he appears in such a powerful way, it causes John to fall at his feet. It causes John to completely collapse in fear over how great and powerful Jesus is. His legs became weak, and he collapses like a dead man collapses to the ground. What’s so interesting about this is that John’s known for being extremely close with Jesus. In fact John’s often referred to as the one whom Jesus loved. In the original Greek it translates as the one whom Jesus kept on loving, meaning despite all his faults and failures Jesus kept on loving John. So they had an extremely close friendship, but when John sees Jesus here, it causes him to collapse in fear. If you had a best friend you haven’t seen in years, you wouldn’t suddenly collapse at their feet in fear like this. Instead you’d be excited to see them! You’d shake their hand, hug them, one arm shoulder bump them, be like dab me up bro, because you’re excited to see them! What you wouldn’t do, is collapse at their feat in fear...John hasn’t seen Jesus in years, he hasn’t seen Jesus since he resurrected and ascended into heaven, so why is he collapsing at his feet in fear? It’s because he's never seen Jesus like this before. He’s never seen Jesus in this great and powerful state he’s in now. When John was with Jesus on earth, when he saw Jesus in the past, Jesus had to conceal some of his power and glory because people wouldn’t have been able to handle his presence. But he’s now unveiling, revealing more of his power and glory to John, and it’s so great it causes John to collapse at his feet in fear. So Jesus has to calm his fearful heart, which he does next.
Again vs. 17, “When I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man. He laid his right hand on me and said, ‘Don’t be afraid. I am the First and the Last, 18 the Living One. I was dead, but look—I am alive forever and ever, and I hold the keys of death and Hades. 19 Therefore write what you have seen, what is, and what will take place after this. 20 The mystery of the seven stars you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.’” Jesus tells John that the 7 lampstands are a symbol of the 7 churches, and next week we’ll see what Jesus says to these 7 churches. But for now I want you to notice that Jesus is calming John’s fearful heart. John sees Jesus in such a great and powerful state, that Jesus places his hand on John’s shoulder to calm his fearful heart saying don’t be afraid...He says don’t be afraid, and he gives John the assurance that he’s the Alpha and Omega of history like we discussed last week. He’s the Alpha and the Omega of history, the First and the Last, the one who holds the keys to heaven and hell. The reason Jesus gives John this vision, the reason Jesus appears to John like this instead of like John knew him before, is so John can see he’s greater than John’s greatest afflictions. He’s saying “John, I know you and others are facing afflictions. But I came to warn you and the world that more afflictions are coming. I came to warn you and the world that it’s going to get worse before it gets better. But I also came to offer a promise to everyone who puts their faith in me, and it’s that a time is coming when I’ll fully release my power and glory in a way that’ll obliterate all afflictions forever. So don’t be afraid...Don’t be afraid, because I’m greater than your greatest afflictions...” He tells John to write all this down so others can know they don’t have to be afraid either, because he’s greater than their greatest afflictions too. It's this revelation of Jesus, this great and powerful appearance of Jesus, that helped John and these 1st century Christians to keep their faith while facing brutal afflictions. The only way you’d be willing to endure the kind of afflictions they faced, is if the vision is true. The only way you’d be willing to endure the kind of afflictions they faced, continue writing the things John writes about Jesus, is if it’s all true. Remember John was a partner in these afflictions, yet here he is still writing about Jesus even while living in exile. He’s known for writing more about the love of God, the love of Jesus than any other biblical author. He writes things like:
· John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, so that whoever believes in him will not perish but shall have eternal life.”
· 1st John 4:8-9, “God is love. 9 God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him.”
· 1st John 4:10, “Not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atonement for our sins.”
John writes about God’s love more than any other biblical author, despite facing brutal afflictions. You don’t endure the afflictions he endured, continue risking your life to tell others about the love of Jesus, if none of this ever happened. But the reason John and the 1st century Christians were able to endure, the reason they couldn’t stop talking about the love of Jesus, is because it’s all true! It’s because John saw Jesus live, die, rise again, and ascend into heaven for the forgiveness of our sins. But then he also saw Jesus come back again in such great power and glory, that it turned his fearful heart into a faithful heart that was able to endure some of the most brutal afflictions in Christian history. He writes Revelation to warn us that great afflictions are coming, but also to give us hope and peace in the promise that Jesus is coming back in great power and glory. He’s coming back as the Alpha and the Omega of history, and when he flexes, he’ll obliterate all our afflictions forever. John shares this vision with us because he wants us to know that Jesus is greater, than our greatest afflictions...Jesus is greater, than your greatest afflictions...
The big idea of the message is that Jesus is greater than our greatest afflictions...Jesus is greater than your greatest afflictions...The good news of the gospel is that Jesus used his great power to die for our sins on the cross, and to rise again on the 3rd day so we can enjoy eternal life in heaven with him. He used his great power to prove even our greatest affliction of sin and death, can’t overcome the power of his death and resurrection. If he was willing to use his great power to eternally save you on the cross, then surely he won’t abandon you in the afflictions of your life. If he didn’t abandon you on the cross, then he won’t abandon you in life. I mean think about all the afflictions John and these 1stcentury Christians were experiencing, yet Jesus didn’t abandon them in their afflictions. In fact history proves Jesus didn’t abandon them! The historical facts are that when people living in the 1st century saw the afflictions that Christians were experiencing, they thought Caesar was king and the Roman Empire was in power. But in the 21st century we see that Christianity’s still alive, it’s the largest and longest lasting empire in history, and all Caesar has left of his empire is a pizza company...It isn’t even called Big Caesars, it’s called Little Caesars!...
So the historical facts are that Caesar and the Roman Empire are dead, but Jesus and the Christian Empire is alive! In the 1st century people thought Caesar was king and the Roman Empire was in power, but it’s really Jesus who’s King and his Eternal Empire that’s in power. We need to learn from the testimony of John and these 1st century Christians telling us to put our faith in Jesus, to find our strength, hope, and peace in Jesus, because he really is greater than our greatest afflictions! He’s the one and only true King with an Eternal Empire, and the day is coming when he’ll wipe out all our afflictions. He wiped out Caesar and the Roman Empire, and the day is coming when he’ll wipe out all your afflictions. Your afflictions hurt now, but they won’t hurt forever...Your afflictions hurt now, but they won’t hurt forever, because a day is coming when Jesus will make all your afflictions just a footnote in history! He didn’t abandon John and these 1st century Christians, and he won’t abandon you. He won’t abandon anyone, who puts their faith in him.
Communion is a reminder of this. It’s a reminder of the gospel, which is that Jesus used his great power to die for our sins on the cross, so we can enjoy eternal life in heaven with him, free from all our afflictions. If you don’t believe that Jesus died for your sins, please refrain from taking communion so you don’t go through the motions of this. Instead use this time to reflect on the message, and consider asking Jesus to be Lord and Savior of your life. For those of you who put your faith in Jesus we’ll have three stations, so just go to the station closest to you, and if you have a gluten allergy all the bread we’re serving at each station is gluten free. Now when you come forward we’ll give you a piece of bread, as a symbol of the body of Christ broken for your sins. You’ll take that piece of bread and dip it in the chalice of juice, as a symbol of the blood of Christ shed for your sins. After that you can eat, drink, and head back to your seat to reflect and pray before we close in worship. So at this time let’s have those of you serving Communion start heading to your tables, as we prepare to remember the good news of Jesus.
On the night Jesus was betrayed he took some bread, gave thanks for it, and broke it saying “This is my body which is to be broken for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. As often as you eat it, do so in remembrance of me, in remembrance of who I am and what I’ve done for you.” When supper ended he took the cup, blessed it, gave thanks for it, and said “This is a symbol of my blood which is to be shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. As often as you drink it, do so in remembrance of me, in remembrance of who I am and what I’ve done.” Respond to this good news, by coming forward and remembering Jesus didn’t abandon you on the cross, and he won’t abandon you in life. Respond to this good news, by coming forward and remembering to receive his grace for your life again. Come forward as you feel led.