Turn on Timer! Happy Resurrection Day! He is risen!! [Slide 1] Today, I am going to be sharing an Easter message from a unique angle from the Book of Revelation. I don t think I ever heard of an Easter sermon from the Book of Revelation. Anyway, we are going to be doing that today as we kick-off a new series entitled,. This is going to our major series for the year. So, that means we are really going to spend some time digging into this. I know that a lot of people make Revelation into a crystal ball for the future, and speculate on who the anti-christ is, whether so and so is the beast. It s not about that. Revelation was written to the churches that were being persecuted, it was written to people who felt like God was far away, to people who felt like God was not answering their prayers. It was written to tell them, and to tell us, that reality is more than what we see with our eyes. The word revelation is Greek translation of the word, Apocalypse, which means unveiling. This book is about unveiling reality that we don t see in midst of hardship. It is an unveiling not just the future, what is to come, but also the present, what is going on now, SO THAT we can find comfort in God, SO THAT we can rest in God, SO THAT we can continue to be faithful to God even in midst of hardship, SO THAT we can overcome. So, this book is radically important to us. We can t ignore it. Today, I want to go straight to the first vision that the writer, Apostle John, has of Jesus, because today is Easter. We will go back to the introduction to the letter next week. Have you ever wondered what Jesus is doing now? What does he look now after the resurrection and ascension? Well, we are going to find out through the vision that John had of Jesus. So, title of the sermon today is [Slide 3] Vision of the Resurrected and Ascended Jesus. Today s sermon closely tracks the actually text of the passage. So, I want to encourage you to open your Bible or smartphone to the text and follow me throughout the sermon. We are going to start from :9-20: [Slide 4] 9 I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of 1
the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 On the Lord s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, 11 which said: Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. [Slide 5] 12 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, u dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. [Slide 6] 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. [Slide 7] 17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. [Slide 8] 19 Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. 20 The mystery of the seven stars that 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. [Slide 9] I. Suffering of the Church John introduces himself as your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus. In order to understand what he means we have to look at the historic context. It s now about AD 96. John, the beloved disciple of Jesus is really old, probably in his 80s. He is exiled in an island called Patmos because of his loyalty to Jesus. Patmos was a prisoner s island. Life was hard for the followers of Jesus. In AD 67, Emperor Nero was feeding Christians to lions. Apostles 2
Paul and Peter were crucified during that period. In AD 92, things got worse. The Emperor at that time was Domitian. He was known to be profoundly insecure. He was constantly worried that he was going to get overthrown. To compensate for his insecurity, Domitian demanded that all of his subjects through the empire worship him as Lord and God (Domine et Deus). In the ruins of Ephesus, in modern day Turkey, one can still see the remains of the temple of Domitian, one of the places where people were required to worship the emperor. For most Romans, this was no big deal. They were polytheists, and adding one more god was no big deal. But, for John, this was a big issue. He would respect the Caesar. He would pay taxes to Caesar. But, worship him? No. For John, there was only one Lord, Jesus Christ. And he was not going to bend his knees to worship the emperor. Because of his refusal, he was considered an atheist and troublemaker. Worship of the emperor was the glue that held the empire together. We know that in AD 92, Domitian had some 40,000 Christians killed. Timothy was beaten to death during that time. But, John was somehow spared and exiled to Patmos. John knew that the reign of terror of Domitian got worse for churches he left behind. That s the context in which this letter is written. I know our daily struggles are not at par with the sufferings of these Christians. Yet, they are very real to us. We deal with physical pain and disease. We face the pain of our own and that of our loved one. It s not persecution, but it s painful. We deal with violence. Just this week, a woman named Quartney Yochum, a transgender woman living in Skid Row was shot to death in Skid Row. We held a prayer vigil yesterday to remember her and pray for her and her family, and the healing of the community. There is so much racism and homophobia in our country. For many of us, it feels like the system is against us. There is so much brokenness everywhere. Our relationships are falling apart. There is so much pain, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. In the midst of these pain, we cry out to God. Where are you God? Why does it seem like evil is winning? [Slide 10] II. John s Prayer in the Spirit 3
John says, On the Lord s Day, I was in the Spirit. He was worshipping God one Sunday morning. I am sure he was praying about all that was going on. I am sure he was crying out to God. Lord, why is evil winning? Why are you not hearing the cries of the church? Where are you, Lord? [Slide 11] III. The Response of Jesus And how does Jesus respond? By telling John to organize a political resistance movement? No. By giving new programs for the churches to implement? No. By giving John a vision of taking over the government so that Christian can replace the pagans in public office? No. How does Jesus respond? He unveils reality. He lifts the cover, pulls back the curtain. Jesus responds with a revelation, with an unveiling of the unseen realty of the present. God responds by giving John a powerful vision of who Jesus is. John while he was praying in the Spirit, in verse 10, I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet. Then John said, I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. He turned around to see the voice! And he saw Jesus, the man he had been following and loving for so many years. The same man on whose breast he had leaned during the Las Supper. But, now, he looked so different. [Slide 12] IV. The Unveiling of Jesus [Slide 13] 1. Son of Man He said he saw someone like a son of man. What does he mean by that? This is symbolic language. For John, he knows that Jesus often referred to himself as the son of man. His followers knew what that meant. People who were well versed in the OT knew exactly what that meant. God gave prophet Daniel a vision recorded in [Slide 14] Daniel 7:13-14: 13 In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an 4
everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. So, the son of man refers to the central figure in history, to the one who has authority, glory and sovereign power! One like a son of man refers to the pre-existent, heavenly being who comes to establish the kingdom that cannot be destroyed. This is the name that Jesus most often used to describe himself and this is the vision that John has. He is the son of man! [Slide 15] 2. Among the Lampstands Now, before we go on to see the detailed description of the son of man, let s back up for a second. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man. We find out later in verse 20 that the 7 lampstands stand for 7 churches. In Revelation, numbers have a meaning. 7 is the number of completeness for Jewish people just like 10 means perfection in our culture. So, this means that he is writing to all the churches, not just these 7 churches. There are more than 7 churches in the region that he is writing to. He picked 7 because that means he is writing to all the churches. So, that means he is writing to us. He is unveiling the reality that the son of man is in the middle of the churches. He is not above looking down. He is not outside looking in. He is among them in the middle. Right there is the middle of the churches. That s why, in each of the message to the church that Jesus dictates to the 7 churches, Jesus can say, I KNOW. I know what s happening in and among you. I know your hard work. I know your struggles. I know your fears. I know your pain. I know your emptiness. I KNOW. I KNOW. Jesus knows what you are going through. The risen and living Jesus lives and moves among his churches! He is moving among us right now! That s the unveiled reality! Jesus is no absentee King who withdraws from earth after his ascension to return only at the second coming. He s not out there controlling what s going on with remote control. He is present among the church. He is present right here right now! [Slide 16] 3. The Robe and the Sash 5
John then describes the son of man in our midst. He is dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet with a golden sash around his chest. Clothing is meant to tell us something about who he is. When you see a man wearing a dark blue jacket with a shining star-like badge, you know he is a police officer. What is Jesus telling us about who he is? The robe is a priest s robe, the robe of the High Priest like the one Aaron wore in Exodus. The glorified son of man is the great high priest! Jesus wants you and me to know that he is a priest, a mediator. Priest in Latin is pontifex; it is an engineering term that means bride-builder. A priest is one who builds a bride between two sides of the canyon. Jesus wants us to know that he is the one who bridges the infinite chasm between us and God. How? Through the atoning sacrifice on the cross. The High Priest is the one who offers sacrifices of atonement on the Day of Atonement. The Book of Hebrew tells us that Jesus is our High Priest. [Slide 17] Look at Hebrew 7:27: Unlike the other high priests, [Jesus] does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. [Jesus] scarified for theirs sins once for all when he offered himself. We will see that the major symbol of Jesus in Revelation is the sacrificial lamb. Jesus in his unveiling is showing us that he is the high priest who has made it possible for us to be forgiven and given a new life with God, in his Kingdom. And this son of man who was dressed as the high priest had a golden sash around his chest. The sash is sometimes translated as girdle or belt. When a person wears a belt around his waist, he is getting ready to work. When a belt is worn across the chest, he is resting is the accomplishment of his work. Jesus is telling us that the high priestly work of Jesus is finished. It is finished! Jesus has died for our sins and freed us from the bondage to sin. Jesus has already done everything we need to go from death to life! Have you cross the bridge that Jesus made possible? You don t have to fix yourself; you don t have to get it together; you don t have to redeem yourself; you don t have to make amend first. You need to come to Jesus and cross the bridge to life that Jesus made possible. Life that is not just of this world, but also beyond the grave. [Slide 18] 4. The Hair. 6
Then, John describes the hair of this son of man. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow. What does that mean? What does Jesus mean by presenting himself this way? Jesus knows that John knows his Bible. He knows that those words are the same words used in the vision Daniel had about the Son of Man [Slide 19] Daniel 7:9 says: 9 As I looked, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. Now, what is Jesus saying in Revelation when he presents himself with hair like white as wool? It is the vision of what Ancient of Days looked like. It is the vision of God. Here, as clearly as you can find it, John is saying, and Jesus is saying that he is the Ancient of Days! He is God eternal! [Slide 20] 5. The Eyes There s more that we see of Jesus. His eyes were like blazing fire. Fire illuminates and penetrates. That means that the eyes of the glorified Lord not only look at us, they look through us, and one commentator said, penetrating the masks and veils behind which hide our true being. This is kind of scary; but it s liberating. Jesus can look right through our facades. O Lord. O Lord! Help me to see myself as you see me! O Lord, I see the junk that you see, but I also see how your eyes of flame burn away the junk! His eyes show us how messed up we are because it is penetrating, but his eyes also show us how beautiful we are in his eyes because we have been redeemed by his blood! [Slide 21] 6. The Feet We see his feet. His feet were like bronze glowing in the furnace. This again is referring to Daniel 1 and 2. In a vision given to Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, all 7
the human kingdoms are represented as a huge statute with golden head, silver chest and arms, bronze belly and thighs, but feet are a mixture of iron and clay, a mixture that cannot bear the weight of those kingdoms. The glorified son of man has feet of burnished bronze; strong, firm, steady feet, already tested and strengthened by fire. All other kingdom of this world will fall because their feet can t withstand the body. But, the Kingdom of God that Jesus inaugurated go on forever! It may seem like the oppression and powers of the Kingdom of this world lasts forever. It may seem like Domitian will last forever. It may seem like death, illness, emptiness, loneliness, poverty, racism, hunger, hate, and violence will last forever. But, it will not. It will crumble. Only the Kingdom of God inaugurated by Jesus will last forever! That s comforting to those who are persecuted. And that s comforting to those of us who are suffering. [Slide 22] 7. His Voice Then, we hear his voice. And his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. The sound of rushing waters is both powerful and peaceful. It is mesmerizing. His words are mighty but peaceful. [Slide 23] 8. His Right Hand And in his right hand he held seven stars. This tells us what Jesus is doing now. John later tells us in verse 20 that the seven stars represent the angels of the seven churches. Remember, seven means complete. So, he is saying that every church has an angel, not just these seven. Isn t that amazing? New City Church has an angel that Jesus is holding in his hand. There is a guardian angel over New City. One star represents one local church. So, this church thing is not just a human gathering. It is something so much deeper. There is a mystery to how much he cares for the local church. He is using his RIGHT hand to hold the stars. This makes me tremble at what he is calling us to be. This makes me tremble at the awesome responsibility I have been given to lead this church. [Slide 24] 9. His Words 8
And vision continues: and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. The word of Jesus cuts through all the nonsense. One commentator notes that the word for sword here is not the long and narrow fencer s blade, but a short sword use for close fighting. When the living Jesus speaks he comes right up to us. He gets real close. And tells us things that penetrates through the center of our being. When he speaks, it goes real deep and personal. [Slide 25] 10. His Face Then, his face. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. Listen to this. This is really important. In the OT, the greatest blessing imaginable was for the face of God to shine upon us. In fact, we still use this benediction very often from Exodus: The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace. This risen and glorified Lord is telling us that his face is shining upon us. Before, when human being saw the face of God, they died because of their sins. But now, our Lord is telling us that the face of God is shining upon us. His blessings, his power, his holiness, his love, his grace, and his peace shine upon us. It is so brilliant that the only way John can describe it is to say that it is like the sun. [Slide 26] V. John s Response to the Unveiling of Jesus And do you know what John s reaction was to this vision of the glorified Jesus? When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. What would you have done? I think if we see the unveiled reality of the glorified Jesus, we can t help but to fall at his feet as though dead. I think John was scared. He saw greatness so great that the only thing he can do is the drop to the ground. [Slide 27] VI. Jesus Response to God But, how did Jesus respond to John? [Slide 28] He placed his right hand on me and said: Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One: I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. I can t but shake at hearing this. Jesus is the First and the Last! He is alive! He is the Living One! He lives forever! And even if we die, he is saying, don t worry. I 9
have the keys to death. This is what he is saying: Stop being afraid. Why? One commentator said: Because Jesus Christ has walked into the gaping jaws of the greatest enemy there is. On the cross he let all the powers that threaten to undo us have their unrestrained way with him. He let death take him captive. And then, he burst out of the prison and carried away the prison keys! The glorified Jesus is telling the church not to fear Neros and Domitians of the world. Even if they kill you, I have the keys! Jesus has stolen the weapon of fear. Fear can keep us from doing what is right. Fear of criticism, fear of rejection, fear of financial loss, fear of pain, and fear of death. Jesus said: Do not be afraid! I am alive and I have the keys! One of the key messages of the Book of Revelation is to encourage us to overcome. And what Jesus is telling us is that we need to see the present in light of the unseen reality of the present. Right now! See what s really going on. If we don t see this Jesus right now, unveiled, we are not going to overcome! Jesus is right here. He is among the lampstands. See him. Fall down in humility. Let him put his right hand on you. And let s live out our lives without fear! For God who is the First and the Last has embraced us! He is the living one! He is risen! And he hold the keys to death. Let s pray. Invite Prayer team. 10