Who Jesus Is - Week 1 - Study Notes

English

Who Jesus Is

Revelation 1:9-18

Last week, Our LAC Business Administrator and I went to visit Anne Ortlund. Anne and her husband Ray, our former Sr Pastor, served us at LAC for 20 years. We don't have "saints" at a congregational church like they do in some religions, but, if we did, Anne would be our saint. (I sometimes call her St. Anne.) She is 89 now but is still vibrant and alive intellectually and spiritually – though she has some physical challenges. I asked Anne what she would like us to pray for. And she said, "Greg, would you like to know what I long for the most? I long to see Jesus face to face. I long to see Jesus even more than I long to see Ray!"
When she said that, I began to think: When Anne sees Jesus, what will he look like? What will she see? What do you think? How do you picture Jesus now? In fact, let me ask you this: If you were to draw a picture of how you think Jesus is now for me to show Anne, what would you draw?
When most churchgoers in America envision Jesus, they see him in one of two ways:
#1: Jesus crucified – Our Pastor to Elementary Students told me that this is the one thing about Jesus that our Sunday School children think of first. She said, "For them, 'Jesus-died-for-my-sins' is almost his name!" And a crucified Jesus is certainly a big part of who Jesus is and what he did. But is that the way Jesus is now?
#2: Jesus meek and mild – Christian publications often contain pictures of a gentle Jesus – often blonde and mingling with children. When the late African American Pastor, Tom Skinner, (who grew up in Harlem in New York) first started going to church and saw these kinds of pictures of Jesus, he thought, "This kind of Jesus wouldn't last a day in my neighborhood." And, of course, Jesus is kind and was gentle in the way he welcomed little children and marginalized people. But, does that picture capture who Jesus is fully?
This question of who Jesus is now, leads us into our first message in the book of Revelation. As this remarkable book opens, its author, the Apostle John, was an old man in exile on the prison island of Patmos (much like Alcatraz in our state). He was there because he was faithful to give witness to Jesus Christ as the savior of the world. And, John was closely connected to seven local churches in Asia – each of whom was facing persecution, financial challenges, temptations in their pagan contexts and all the challenges we face when we seek to live for God in the world. Being a Christian was hard for them.
One day, in spite of his afflictions, John was worshipping "in the Spirit" on the Lord's Day when he heard a voice behind him. When John turned, this now old man, who had personally seen 1) Jesus meek and mild and 2) Jesus crucified when he was much younger, then saw Jesus in a new way. Hear his words in Revelation 1:9-18: The Scripture will be read here.

This is the picture of Jesus that is meant to guide and encourage John in his difficult situation. This is the picture of Jesus that John was to pass on to the churches in Asia that were experiencing trouble. These Christians in the seven churches were struggling with a variety of things: oppression from the Roman government, temptations from the pagan society in which they lived, pain and death in this fallen world... They needed to know Jesus what Jesus is like – they needed to know if he was worthy of trust -- if they were going to be faithful to him. And, I'm convinced, we need to see Jesus as he is just as much as they did.
Notice that Jesus says to John in v. 11, "Write what you see!" It is easy to write words that you hear. But it is not easy to write in words glorious things that you see with your eyes. But that's what John was to do. And, I can imagine the churchgoers complaining about this: "Why does John get to see Jesus and we only get words about what Jesus is like? If we had a vision like this, we would never sin – we would never get discouraged. John gets a visions and we only get a book!" And you might be thinking the same thing now.
So, let me say these two things to you. First, history teaches us that visions and wonders do not always have a lasting impact. Sometimes, we begin to wonder whether they were real – just a dream or a coincidence. And then we want another vision! Jesus did countless miracles when he was alive and yet he said, "This generation only wants signs and wonders – not God." And when a rich man in Luke 16 begged God to send someone from the dead to his family so that they would obey God, God said, "If they will not hear the words of the Scriptures, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead!"
Second, in many ways words written in a book are better than visions. We can go back to those words again and again. We can hear the preacher in church talk about them. We can meditate on them and find life in them. Jesus knew what he was doing when he told John, "Write what you see!" We still have his words.
So, what I want to do is talk about what he wrote about what he saw. And, I'll use my own words combined with a couple of pictures to do this. This vision of Jesus was given so that we could look at him and find direction for our lives, comfort for our pain, and hope for our future. So what did John see?

Picture #1: Jesus, Happy and Sad -- Jesus loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood (1:6). I died but behold I am alive evermore (1:18).
I use this phrase "happy and sad" because it's the title of a rather profound picture a 4 year old girl named Maura Cronin painted when she heard that the Jesus who loves us also had to die because of our sins – and that the same Jesus who died for our sins was not defeated by its pain and injustice but defeated it by his resurrection. Maura seemed to grasp intuitively a big part of what Jesus was saying to John in this meeting in Revelation 1. Her painting captures what Hebrews tells us in words, "Contemplate Jesus, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross... (Hebrews 12:2)."
What is Jesus "happy and sad" about? A part of it is very personal to all of us.
I want you to know that Jesus is happy when he sees people. Jesus loves people. We are made in his image you know. Jesus loves the world and gave his life to rescue people in this world. Whatever we people do in this world, the love of Jesus for us does not change. He delights in what he made us to be – in what we can be if we bring him back into the center of our lives. As John wrote in v. 4, Jesus has "set his love on us."
But, he is sad when he sees people like us leaving him out of our lives and living in ways completely destructive of the way he created us to live. The beginning of sin that we read about in Genesis 3 was when people's decision became based on what "I want to do" instead of what God created us to do. Bottom line: On a personal level, Jesus is sad when he sees you and me sinning. He knows this destroys our own lives, those around us and the world we are in. This same Jesus who loves us so much he died for us is the one who has "eyes of fire" (v. 14) that can see into our hearts and lives. Jesus knows what is there inside us – and much of it is offensive. More than that, Jesus has a mouth with "a sharp two-edged sword." He will judge the sin that destroys our world and us. Like a parent who knows he must discipline a child who does wrong or that child will have no hope, so Jesus is both the one who loves us and wants the best for us and the one who promises that evil in our world will be judged.
And Jesus is sad when he sees the affect of centuries of sin on the world he made – poverty, addiction, abuse, injustice... Read the accounts of Jesus in places like the Gospel of Luke. He always stepped in and helped when people like a woman caught in prostitution came to him. Or, when a man filled with leprosy came to him. Or, a man like Zacchaeus came and wondered whether he could be forgiven of a terrible past. He would never condemn them for their pasts but he would not leave them living in sin either.
So, though our sin brings sadness to our Lord, our return to him brings him great joy. If you today know there is sin in your thinking, your attitudes or in behavior, let me tell you that this is a serious matter for this powerful Jesus that John saw. He will judge sin. But, at the same time, this holy Jesus who is pure "like white wool, like snow" (v. 14) has found a way to judge our sin and, at the same time, to declare us right with God. Jesus bore our sin on the cross. He died in our place.
Secular people often try to say there is no judgment for evil in this world. But, they really don't want that. When awful things happen in our world, they say, "That ought not be. Someone should do something about that." Isn't this the very thing the world is wrestling with this week as we learn that leaders in Syria have used chemical warfare to kill their own people – including little children? We say, "That cannot be ignored." But who will judge the evil sufficiently? Should the USA do it? The United Nations? You see – some say they don't think judgment is good but then they demand judgment in the very next breath! There is no justice if evil is not judged.
And some conservative people say, "Oh, judgment is real. Judgment Day is coming so you people out there had better start being really good – really good!" This comes across as self-righteousness and just makes people angry.
But the Bible says, "The One who made us and who will be the Judge at the end of time entered this world at the middle of time (into Bethlehem) and he alone lived as we were made to live. More than that, he was willing to take upon himself the punishment we deserve. He took our judgment himself. And he offers forgiveness and new life to all who will turn from sin, believe in him and follow him. He says, "So, did you go to church and Preacher Waybright point out that you have some things in your life that must be judged? He's right. But you don't have to be afraid (v. 17). I was dead. I died for you. I went to hell for you so you don't have to. I was judged for you. Believe in me. I have keys to unlock death and hell (v. 18).
And, of course, when we grasp this and embrace it, it changes our lives. When it's real to us, we cannot be the same. We can live no longer for ourselves but we long to live for this Jesus who died for us and rose again. What we do is that we begin to live as John lived. We give witness to Jesus even if we end up being imprisoned for doing it. When we see people hurting because of the affects of sin in this world, we show the kind of love to people that Jesus has lavished on us. We are happy and sad. We weep when we see people active in gangs or addicted to drugs or trapped in trafficking. And we use whatever God gives us to help people. People who know Jesus have always been a blessing to the people in their neighborhoods. If our teachers have no funds for basic supplies, we say, "God has put us in this neighborhood with you. You are not alone. We are compelled by the love of Christ to love and serve as Jesus loved and served."
And when good things happen – and especially when people join us in following Jesus – we are filled with joy. We are happy and sad. This picture of Jesus in Revelation 1 is of the Son of God who is happy and sad. He says, "I love you! But, shape up!" "Believe in me. Listen to me. Then, hear and obey me! You'll love it."

#2: Jesus, Above Us and Among Us – "His face was like the sun shining in full strength (1:16)." "In the midst of the lampstands was one like the Son of Man (1:13)."
I have to summarize way-too-briefly something that is beautiful and powerful about the way John wrote about what he saw in Jesus. Almost all his words come out of the book of Daniel in the Old Testament. The words used to describe Jesus are words used only of the Almighty Creator God himself in the Scriptures. What John is saying is that Jesus as he now is does not have the limitations we have. Ungodly governments? They seem powerful but Jesus is over them. Sickness in the family? Jesus promises someday there will be no sickness. Temptation seem unconquerable? Jesus can give you more than enough power to change. He's greater than natural disasters like fires in Yosemite. He can shake or bring stillness to the entire universe so earthquakes are under his sovereignty. That's what John saw. This is what gave him hope.
John had seen Jesus do some amazing things during their three years together. But, now John sees that Jesus is more than he ever could have imagined. Jesus is the Lord of the universe. This Jesus can do whatever he intends to do. CS Lewis tried to capture this in his children's book, Prince Caspian: Return to Narnia. When a young girl Lucy returned to the land of Narnia she met a powerful lion named Aslan she had known before. But, somehow the lion was different: Aslan" said Lucy "you're bigger". "That is because you are older, little one," answered he. "Not because you are?" "I am not. But every year you grow, you will find me bigger". In a much greater way, John is saying that Jesus is capable of doing anything. He truly is almighty. He is transcendent and not limited as we are limited.
In addition, here in Revelation 1, this Jesus is not just a God who is distant and out there letting things happen in the world. He is present and involved in the world. Jesus placed his right hand on the imprisoned John in v. 17 and said, "Fear not. I am in control. I know what I am doing and it will be good when my work is done. I am with you until my work is complete."
Even if you don't know the Bible well, you may know the story John refers to in v. 13. Jesus was among them like a "son of man". That phrase is from Daniel 7b when three young men were thrown into a fiery furnace by the king simply because they were faithful to God. Notice this: God didn't take them out of that fire. But, in the midst of it, God was there. Nothing harmed them eternally.
This teaching from Jesus is what theologians have called the transcendence and immanence of God. Jesus is transcendent. He is not limited as we are limited. He is holy and not sinful as we are. He created the world so he is outside of the restrictions of things like time and space. But, at the same time, he is immanent. I believe this with my entire being. Moreover, I know that grabbing hold of this truth is the thing that brings us hope in this world. Still, when we believe it, we have to wrestle with a huge question: Why does a God who has no limitation and who is present and at work allow so much of the pain we see?
So, I want to end my message by saying a few words about this huge problem that this truth about Jesus' being both above as and among us brought up for the Christians in Bible times and brings up for us today. Something happened to me when I was on vacation recently and I want to tell you a bit about it.
A man I played tennis with was an airline executive who was vacationing with his partner. When he discovered I am a pastor and that I was open to talking about things with him, he really opened up his life and the many questions he has about God and about churches. This successful man (who also was a great tennis player) had grown up in a very conservative Pentecostal home. His parents were leaders in the church. But in spite of appearances and outward religiosity, what this man experienced as a boy was severe abuse both at home and in his religious setting. And his question was the same question I have often asked, "How can God be the God the Bible says he is and allow this kind of suffering and pain to happen? If he is real, why doesn't he step in when abuse happens to children, when killings happen as have in many of our schools, or when dictators gas their own people?"
So we would play two tennis games and talk – then play two games and talk... I tried to help him see how absurd the world would be if God did what he wanted God to do, i.e, step in and stop us or judge us each time we do something wrong. Can you imagine it? Each time you have a bad thought, then – Zap! God stops it or judges you for it. Imagine God doing this for every person in the world! I kept trying to help him see that God respects that we are made in his image so that it matters what we do. Our lives actually make a difference in this world. But, that wonderful reality brings with it the awful fact that human wrongs harm the world. In his wisdom, God does not always step in immediately to right the wrongs that happen. But this does not mean that God will not judge evil!
And, I tried to speak of the message of Revelation. In Revelation 19, all evil will be judged thoroughly and appropriately. The abuse done to him will not go unpunished. God promises that.
And, in Revelation 21-22, all will be made right. Tears will be wiped away. Injustices will be righted. The affects of sin and evil will have been overturned. I tried to say to him what I have sought to embrace myself: When we see the end, we will say, "As bad as that pain was, it was necessary for God's plan to be accomplished." We surely will know that God has always been worthy of our trust."
You see – this was why John began his book with a vision of Jesus. Unless we know that this kind of Jesus is real – that he is in control and that he is involved in turning even a cross into the means of our re-making – then we will have no hope. John saw him. And Jesus left him in his imprisonment. I don't know why but I believe Jesus did. And I have chosen to trust him. And, as strongly as I can, I call you to trust him to. I want you to listen to what he says – and then to obey – and tell you he promises that someday you will see that he is who he is. What makes us sad makes him sad. He hates evil and poverty and death. But, he is sad and happy – for he knows that what he accomplished through his life, death and resurrection will eventually lead to all things being made new.
This is what I tried to say to the man on the tennis court. I've just put lots of conversation the two of us had into my words in this sermon. Then, when we parted, I knew he still had serious questions. But, I had sought to give witness. And, I'll tell you that a beginning friendship was established. At least, I hope so. I'll tell you that his questions were real. But they are the very ones we will being seeing again and again in the book of Revelation. And a last word: this man and I can and do continue to communicate.
Can you see how Revelation 1 is so much more than a mere remembering of something that happened to John a long time ago? God wants you to know that the Jesus John saw is in our midst. He is not far away in time or space. He moves among his "lampstands", trimming the wicks and carving wax, breathing life back into flickering flames. LAC is one of his lampstands. Jesus is here this morning. He is eager to see you find new hope. He wants you to know him and trust him and tell others about him.
When you see him, you know you can persevere through your affliction. When you seek him, you know you will find wisdom to face life's complexities. When you walk with him, you will know that you can say no to temptation. When you see this one who died but is now alive, you will know that even in the face of death, there is hope. There is always hope. For I long for you to hear Jesus say to you, Fear not, I am the first and the last. I am the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore! And, I have the keys of Death and Hell."

To His glory,

Dr. Greg Waybright
Senior Pastor