Jesus comforts John
“17 …But he laid his right hand on me, saying, ‘Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. ” (Revelation 1:17-18–ESV)
Fear not
We have already viewed the first words of Jesus: Do not be afraid, with the point being to unstartle John. More meaning can be assigned to these words though. “It is not in vain that you wait” might well be a message for John. Jesus had said that he would return again and take his disciples to be with him. Perhaps John was in some manner, strong or weak, assaulted with doubt over these words of Jesus.
To wait upon the Lord is the duty and blessing of his servants. God will not fail to do what he says. Suffering for the gospel was not abnormal. Did John fear the impact of suffering on fledgling Christians? Was he tempted to fear that safety would woo people toward the Roman deities rather than Jesus.
I am the first and last
Jesus’ went on to say that he still encompassed all things. He was the bookends on project-man. He preceded all things and will be present after the conclusion of all things. No control was lost. The ultimacy remains squarely with Jesus Christ.
The Roman Empire with its pomp, circumstance, military might, and geographic spread could never reach beyond the encompassing of Jesus. There were times when it might seem so, but the way things seem often diverge from the way things are. John would do well and presumably did well by taking this reminder of his Lord, savior, and friend to heart.
We need to write this lesson of Jesus upon the walls of our hearts. They will be a comfort to us. Those reminders will give us a grip when our faith is being tested. Jesus encompasses our world as well. Modern issues can never overwhelm the reality of Jesus. When tempted to think otherwise we can look to the Roman Empire. Neither it nor its anti-Christian stance lasted, both falling in their time, but Jesus did not.
I am alive
John had been the first to believe this. He was not first into Jesus’ tomb, but he was first to connect the dots. He saw the cloths folded on the burial stone and he recalled the words of Jesus and believed. John received a reminder of what he knew and had previously believed. Jesus recalled those memories.
Recall the words of Jesus to Thomas. “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”1 You and I are not likely to be blessed by a personal arrival of the King of kings: King Jesus, but there is the blessing of faith that Jesus told Thomas. John himself had recorded this. We do not know or need to know if John faltered on Patmos or had faith on Patmos. We do well to take the reminder of Jesus to John for our own belief.
I died
Statements of God usually address many sides of an issue. They are beautiful mixtures of grace and peace to those who need them. When Jesus told John that he died it could be merely a statement of fact or a foundation for Christian doctrine, but it seems likely that it was a statement of more, much more.
John was suffering on Patmos. Jesus suffered on the cross. This could be a reminder to John–an encouragement. It also could be a rebuke to him. Jesus’ suffering went all the way. Recall again that we do not know if John won the struggle with his temptation to doubt. Did he sink and need raised back up? Did he grit his spiritual teeth and hang on even if barely doing so? It does not matter too much what the outcome was. The important thing is that Jesus came and ministered to John’s moment, and he did so from a personal vantage point.
“For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15–ESV)
Whether or not John sinned by doubting Christ is irrelevant. Jesus came and Jesus encouraged. We do best when we hold on with all of our might calling upon the sympathy of God for his help in our weakness.
There is of course the strongest doctrine here. Jesus is reporting on the reality of the atonement. Sin separated. The wages of sin are death. Jesus paid that penalty. It was not fake, no swoon of sort-of-death here. Jesus died, but see the next section for how it all turned out.
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