Focus: In the midst of an anxious world, we welcome the blessing or secure embrace of Christ as Almighty King.
Function: To encourage the people that our future and lives are in the hands of our triune God, who in Christ, is Almighty King.
Our world seems to be spinning out of control: the civil war in the Sudanese region of Dafur, the senseless violence among the Sunnis and Shiites in Iraq, the endless conflict between radical Palestinians and anxious Israelis, this week’s assassination of an anti-Syrian Christian member of the Lebanese parliament—all these make your head and heart spin. Will it never end?
Add to this litany of anxiety the threats of a nuclear North Korea, a nuclear-ambitious Iran, and the ghost-like terrorist attacks of radical Islamic groups such as Al-Qaeda—and you wonder: Are we on the threshold of a world gone mad? How do you face the future and stay emotionally balanced and hopeful and confident in such a world? The answer comes to us in Revelation 1, where we see the Lord Jesus as Pantokrator—Ruler over all, Almighty King.
Today, we have come to the end of the Christian Year; it’s Christ, the King Sunday. The Christian Year began with Advent and Christmas; we noted in particular the birth of Jesus, an extraordinary child; this child grew and revealed himself as a suffering servant, who proclaimed the coming of the Kingdom of God; He died on a cross; but God raised him from the dead; he ascended into heaven, where Jesus is crowned as King.
Next week, we begin another cycle of the Christian Year; on the first Sunday of Advent, for example, we take note of the coming of Christ, the King. Today, however, we pause and draw strength from the revelation that God has given to us—a revelation that drives home the sovereign rule of Christ, the Almighty King.
Today we see that our future is in the hands of our triune God, who in Christ Jesus, rules over all. And today, in the midst of an anxious, unstable world, we welcome the secure embrace of Jesus. This is Christ’s world; and he is Almighty King.
It is true that the book of Revelation is a challenging book to understand. But you don’t have to be a genius to understand the passage that we read today. It begins with an introduction: (vs.1 and 2) “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.” In this introduction, then, we learn that the revelation originates with God the Father, is given by the Father to his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, in turn, gave it to the apostle John. And we learn that Jesus is at the center of God’s revelation, because the text tells us that it is “the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
Following the introduction, we encounter a blessing: (vs.3) “Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.” So, since God is eager to bless all who wish to take to heart his revelation, there is no reason to fear or walk away from this passage or book.
In fact, enter the revelation and its wondrous visions and sights, and you’ll be richly nourished in your pilgrimage of life and faith.
The rest of the passage (vs. 4-8) forms a unit. For example, at the beginning of this unit, in verses 4 and 5, we find a Trinitarian greeting: “Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the earth.” And in verse 8 we hear a Trinitarian voice: “’I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.’”
And within this unit of Trinitarian greeting and voice, we hear the dominant thunder echoing in our ears that God is Almighty King. In Christ Jesus, God is “the ruler of the kings of the earth” (vs. 5a). And God, in Christ, is the Pantokrator, “the Almighty” (vs. 8).
Listen to that divine thunder in this passage, for it helps us to stand in awe, and fear, and reverence. For God reveals himself as the ever-present God (“who is, who was, and who is to come”); and as the all-embracing God of all creation (“the Alpha and the Omega”). In Christ Jesus, God Almighty reveals himself. Brace yourselves!
GOD’S SELF-REVELATION
Many evangelical, Protestant churches are familiar with this Sunday school picture of Jesus: long, flowing hair, piercing, upward-lifted eyes, Caucasian skin, white-robed, and sandals on his feet. Usually, children surround him. Such a Jesus seems safe and approachable. But when we explore the book of Revelation we encounter a different Jesus.
Look at this picture of Jesus, for example: (vs. 12ff) “I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone ‘like a son of man,’ dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a shard double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.” This is not the picture of a wimpy king. This is a picture of royal terror or holy awe.
Here’s another picture of God revealing himself as Almighty King—a picture taken from the throne room of God: (4:2ff) “At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian.” This picture of Christ, the King unfolds in chapter 5 further. (5:4ff) “I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. Then one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals. Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.”
These are pictures of Christ that strengthen Christians in an anxious world. These are pictures of encouragement for us. Brace yourself, Christians! Do not be afraid! Brace yourselves, enemies of Christ! Brace yourselves, for your opposition to the Almighty King and all his people will lead to your destruction! Brace yourselves! Christ is Almighty King!
Take another look at this Jesus (in vs. 5 and 6a). There we see Jesus in terms of who he is (his being) and in terms of what he does (his actions). We note that God’s grace and peace come from God the Father (“the one who is, was, and who is to come”), from God the Spirit (the one who sends us his seven-fold Spirit or ‘spirits’ who are before his throne), and from Jesus Christ.
Now note who he is:
“who is the faithful witness” (as witness Jesus was with the Father, when the Father, through Jesus the eternal Son, created the world)
“who is the firstborn from the dead” (that is, by rising from the dead, the Lord Jesus announces the coming harvest of the resurrection from the dead for all humanity)
“who is the ruler of the kings of the earth” (that is, by his ascension in his resurrected, glorified body, the Lord Jesus sits now on the throne of universal government. All powers and authorities are at his command. This is who Jesus is: eternally the Son of God; our hope of the resurrection to come; and our Almighty King.
Now take a look as to Jesus’ actions: (vs. 5b and 6a) “he loves us”; “he has freed us from our sins by his blood;” he has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father.” This is what Jesus is about: loving us, freeing us from the bondage of sin, and forming us into a kingdom of servants of the living God—“to him be glory and power for ever and ever!”
Hold on to these pictures of God Almighty! They give us direction and courage and strength to hold our own as Christians in an anxiety-filled world that is seemingly spinning out of control.
APPLICATIONS
In fact, by giving this self-revelation of Christ, the King, to the apostle John and to us today, God
· Imparts his grace and peace. We receive that grace and peace every Sunday when we meet for public worship, for Christian worship in our church begins with the reminder that Christ is in our midst. He presides over our worship. By his Spirit, he moves us to praise and pray and proclaim good news. And by his role as our mediator, Christ presents our worship to God the Father. And in the process, we receive grace and peace. This is why public worship for all Christians is essential: public worship of Christ the King is a declaration to the world! “And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us, we will not fear, for God has willed his truth to triumph through us. The prince of darkness grim, we tremble not for him; his rage we can endure, for lo! His doom is sure; one little word shall fell him.” (Martin Luther: Ein Feste Burg) Christ is King! Therefore, grace and peace to you.
But that’s not all. By giving this self-revelation of Christ, the King, to the apostle John and to us today, God
· Calls us to praise him. Listen: “To him…be glory and power for ever and ever. Amen” All throughout the centuries, God’s people have received the call to sing, to celebrate, and to praise God for his mighty acts: For saving works long ago (such as Israel’s Passover from Egypt’s slavery to the inheritance of Canaan’s milk and honey). For wondrous acts of renewal (such as Jesus’ coming in the flesh, his death and resurrection); and for God’s present and future work through Christ the King, who is seated on his heavenly throne.
When I was a kid, I would sometimes whistle in the dark, because I was afraid. Well, in an anxious world, where tears, ruin and death are our constant companions, we shall sing and celebrate and praise. Not because we are afraid, but because Christ is King.
One final observation: By giving this self-revelation of Christ, the King, to the apostle John and to us today, God
· Turns our antenna of faith toward the final coming of Jesus. Listen to verse 7: “Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be!
In other words, we shall not despair. Today we are engaged in mob-up battles, in spiritual warfare, in wrestling the dark powers of sin, and in trying to overthrow structures of sin and injustice in our world. Today, we are caught up in the task of declaring good news to a broken world and in making disciples for the Lord Jesus Christ. Today, we struggle, fight, falter, rise; today we proclaim good news, and sigh in the midst of tears; but we shall not loose sight: Christ, the King is coming again. He will make all things new.
So then, turn your antenna of faith toward the final coming of Jesus. Celebrate on this Christ, the King Sunday; and as we enter the season of Advent, get ready for Christ’s glorious coming. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.