Our passage for today is Revelation chapter 1 verses 17 and 18.
We believe that the whole Bible is given by God's inspiration, breathed out by the Holy Spirit of God.
But he did this using men, using these scribes who were eyewitnesses and who were prophets and were writing down what God has done, what God has enacted in human history.
And he's preserved it by his power in the Bible, in his holy word.
Jeremiah read for us the account of how the disciples gathered around the cross and Jesus promised to meet them.
One of the disciples that was very close to Jesus was John.
And by this point in the first century church, John is most likely the only disciple still alive.
Tradition has it that John had been tortured though.
He had been put in a vat of boiling oil so he would have been physically deformed and he was exiled to an island called Patmos all alone.
And here we are joined by brothers and sisters in the family of God sharing in our faith together.
And he had the worst type of torture perhaps on this island which was solitary confinement away from the church all alone.
And the Lord ministered to this disciple John.
He gave them a vision.
He brought them spiritually, brought John spiritually into heaven, into the presence of Jesus Christ.
And this is what he writes down for us in Revelation chapter 1 verses 17 and 18.
When I saw him, this is Jesus Christ risen from the dead in glory with God.
John says,
Amen.
And I have the keys of Hades and of death.
The word of God for the people of God.
Thanks be to God.
Please be seated.
Oh Lord, please speak to everyone that you've brought here, Lord.
By your power, for your glory.
Please turn our eyes upon Jesus.
That the things of earth may grow strangely dim.
In the light of his glory.
In grace we ask for the sake of Jesus, Lord.
For the sake of your name.
And for his work that he accomplished.
Amen.
Well brothers and sisters and dear friends.
A very simple invitation for you today.
For each of us.
And it's this.
Behold the living Jesus Christ.
That word behold.
It's an older word in English.
But it's used 1,326 times in all of the Bible.
An example is John 1 29.
John the Baptist preaches behold Jesus Christ.
The Lamb of God.
Who takes away sin.
To behold.
According to Noah Webster's dictionary of 1828.
It's to lock the eyes upon something.
To see with attention.
To observe with care.
To put all that you have in attending to a thing.
To direct and to fix your mind on a subject.
To behold.
I call you to behold the living Jesus Christ with all of Scripture.
But we do this not by sight physically, but by faith.
Faith is to know something is true, even though you can't see it.
And in this way, by the power of the Spirit,
let's pray together that God will cause us to behold the living Jesus Christ,
to gaze at Him, to ponder Him, to contemplate Him.
In an undistracted meditation,
I'll invite you to behold Jesus Christ in four ways today.
And as we behold Jesus, we behold the glory of God as He's revealed it to us.
The first way I invite you to behold with eyes of faith today,
Jesus Christ is in His love.
Behold the love of God to us in Jesus Christ,
to you who will receive it.
Did you notice in Revelation 117,
John says,
When I saw, when I beheld Jesus,
Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God,
who took upon Himself our nature with all that makes us human
and all of our common infirmities.
Yet He did this without sin.
This is who John beheld.
It's the same man that He walked with on earth.
Him, Jesus Christ, now in glory, the King of kings in heaven.
The same Jesus, as we read, who wore a crown of thorns for sinners.
Him, Jesus Christ, the Word of God,
that breathed this world into existence, the Creator of all,
who then became for sinners a man of sorrows,
mocked, humiliated, esteemed not, despised, tortured, killed,
and even buried to pay the price of the sins of His people.
And now John saw Him, Jesus Christ,
that He had seen crucified and buried in His full splendor,
fulfilling His office, the God-man,
exalted in His resurrected and glorified body.
John beheld Jesus.
Did you notice His reaction?
Look at verse 17.
I fell at His feet as dead.
John's natural reaction is a paralyzing terror.
John was experiencing this physically,
but he's describing his body.
I'm sorry, describing this spiritual encounter
while his body is on the island of Patmos,
but it was still his body being thrown down.
Can you imagine your cheeks and your eyes pushed into the dirt
at the feet of the resurrected Jesus?
Some within earshot today may have been so far from God
for so long
that even hearing the powerful name of Jesus Christ,
the living Jesus Christ,
so many times in a row like this,
it may be striking you with the same terror.
The same terror as John.
You feel like you need to run away
or just throw yourself down on the dirt.
If you're like me,
in our flesh and our weakness,
you can hear the accusations of your own conscience
and of Satan,
the accuser condemning you.
It's terrifying to behold Jesus Christ in glory.
Maybe you're telling yourself,
God sees right through you.
You're exposed.
Run away.
Hide from Him.
But notice next
how God,
the living Jesus Christ,
is so gentle
and He's so patient
with John
and with you
and with me.
He is long-suffering toward all,
desiring that none should perish.
While John says,
I fell at His feet
as though dead.
He,
Jesus Christ,
laid His right hand on me,
saying to me,
do not be afraid.
Do you notice
it's this repetition
from His account
of the resurrection?
The women that gathered
and saw,
they fell down
and they were
holding on
to the feet of Jesus.
And these same words
come from heaven
like they did
from the angel.
Now from Jesus Himself,
do not be afraid.
Be unafraid
when you are with Jesus.
Jesus,
how is this possible?
It's not because
John or you or I
deserve to be
in God's presence.
John knows
what we all need to know.
We cannot survive
by our own merits
in God's presence.
No one can as a sinner.
But Jesus commands John
and He commands you and me.
Putting His right hand
touching you.
You can feel the warmth.
He's alive.
That same hand
that had the nail go through.
it.
Touching those
He's calling.
Don't be afraid.
Why?
On what basis?
He says,
I am
the first
and the last.
It's who Jesus is
that makes us
not live
in fear
and even to be
in His presence.
Jesus is
the loving God Himself,
the great I am.
Behold,
with eyes of faith
today
this glorious,
loving God
and the person
of Jesus Christ
for you and me
who will receive Him.
And I pray that you will today.
Number two,
behold with eyes of faith
today
the victory
of Jesus Christ
for you who love Him
because He first loved you.
Behold His victory.
notice what He says next
in verse 18.
Don't be afraid, John.
I am
He who lives
and was dead.
Behold,
I am alive
forevermore.
Amen.
Amen means
let it be so.
What He has spoken,
receive it with His authority
and affirm it.
Him,
Jesus Christ,
fulfilling
this office
God has given Him
to redeem,
to be a mediator,
to be the one
who will pray
for His people
pleading for us.
The one who so loves us
even though
we've rejected Him
for so long.
He says to you and me,
I am
the first
and the last.
Jesus Christ
is the
only begotten
Son of God,
the brightness
of God's glory.
He is the true
and eternal God Himself.
Jesus is the Alpha
and the Omega,
the beginning
and the end.
He says,
I'm the first
and the last.
This is a figure
of speech
where two opposites
are used
to encompass
everything in between.
And Jesus is claiming
here the name
of God Himself
from the Old Testament.
God is the one
who says,
I am always alive.
I am the living one.
Isaiah 44 verse 6,
God says,
I am the first
and the last.
Besides me,
there is no God.
The living Jesus Christ
is God
who came to save.
I am He
who lives
and was dead.
Don't be afraid, John.
You understand
what has happened here.
I,
God the Son,
am alive
and I was dead.
I truly did that.
I accomplished
your salvation.
Jesus Christ,
He truly
was crucified
and died
and on the third day
He has risen
from the dead
with the same body
in which He suffered,
with which He also
ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand
of His Father,
living to intercede
for His people,
to pray for them.
1 Corinthians 15,
7 and 18 says,
If Christ is not risen,
your faith is futile.
You are still
in your sins.
Then also,
those who have fallen asleep
in Christ
have perished.
Do you see?
Christ truly died,
but we don't need
to be afraid anymore
because He died
to bury our sin
and the Lord
rose from the dead
to prove that His life
and His death
satisfied
the holy requirements
of a just God.
Think about this.
If our debt
had not been paid
on the cross,
then Jesus,
as our substitute,
would have never
been permitted
justly
to come out
of prison
of the grave.
The resurrection
of Christ
is the great
discharge,
someone wrote,
the public acquittal
of the believer.
It means you are
truly pardoned,
truly set free.
And because Christ
rose from the dead
in His same
resurrected body,
God calls Him
the first fruits
of a great harvest.
The first fruits
are given to God.
They're holy,
they're consecrated,
they're set apart
for God.
And so will
the whole harvest be.
This is where
our hope comes.
Because Jesus lives.
All who know
life in Jesus now
will also
live with Him.
See,
the resurrection
of Jesus Christ
is like an earnest
or a deposit
of what comes next
for each of us
that trust in Him.
It's the morning star
of the great resurrection
of all those
He saved.
As surely as
Jesus,
the head is risen,
so surely
shall the members
of His body
follow along.
Acts 2.24
tells us
it was not possible
that Jesus
should be held
by death.
Romans 6.9
says,
we know that Christ
having been raised
from the dead
dies no more.
Death no longer
has dominion
over Him.
And this is what
Jesus preaches
to John
and to you
and me.
I am
the living
one.
This is more
than just saying
I'm alive.
It means that Jesus
combines in His
one person
these two
contrasting titles.
He is the slain
Lamb of God
and at the same time
He's the living
Lord.
A pastor
from a long time ago
named John Flavel
wrote this,
when Christ
was laid in the grave
death
seemed
to have the victory
but it was only
that He might
pull out
its sting,
the sting of death.
The grave
which was a prison
is now
for the Christian
a bed
of rest.
Christ has
perfumed
the grave
by His body
and He warmed
it for ours.
He went
into the grave
as our front
runner
and came out
of the grave
as our conquer.
Amen.
Behold
with eyes
of faith
today
the victory
of Jesus Christ
for you
who love
Him
because He
first loved
you and me.
number three
behold
with eyes
of faith
today
the power
of Jesus
Christ
for you
who live
in Him.
Behold
with eyes
of faith
the power
of Jesus
Christ
for all
who live
in Him.
Jesus
says next
in verse
18
I have
the keys
of Hades
and of death.
Jesus
is the key
holder.
In the ancient
Roman world
there was a title
for the holder
of the keys.
The word for key
is clavis
so the
clavicularius
is the key
bearer
and it was a
very high ranking
officer
entrusted
to control
access
into the
emperor's
treasury
or to the
grain
stores
of a city.
To the
first century
reader
death
and Hades
were the
realm
of the
dead.
Some of you
know this
from Greek
mythology
and he's
using this
metaphor
to say
death
and the
underworld
where the
dead bodies
go.
it's like
a fortified
city
with locked
gates
who up
here
from this
realm
can get
in
or get
out.
And Hades
was a
Greek term
used by the
Roman world
as well
and it was
referring to
like a
waiting room
before your
final death
an intermediate
state.
And this
language that
John is using
it's so the
church can hear
every notion
that you've
heard about
what happens
after this
life and
death.
Christ is
the one
who rules
over it
who lives
to intercede
and to bring
his people
out of
death
and spiritual
torment
into heaven
into paradise
with him.
Christ holds
the keys.
It means that
he has invaded
enemy territory
and he has
plundered it.
He isn't just
a survivor
of death.
Jesus is risen
as the master
over death.
1 Corinthians
15 20
and 21
says
now Christ
is risen
from the
dead
and has
become
the first
fruits
for all
who have
fallen asleep
for since
by man
came death
by man
also
came the
resurrection
of the
dead.
This is
the power
of Jesus
over the
grave
that having
risen from
the dead
he's now
enthroned
in heaven
uniting
in his
one
wonderful
person.
The tenderest
sympathies
of divine
perfections
and he's
also qualified
to be
our suitable
compassionate
and all
sufficient
savior.
This is
the power
of Jesus
over death
to minister
to you
and me
who will
trust him
today.
He says
I hold
the keys
of Hades
and of
death.
He has
authority
he has
power.
There was
a Roman
god
a false
god
named
Janus
and he
was
often
depicted
holding
keys
to the
gates
of
heaven
and the
doors
of war
and peace
and Christ
is saying
in this
apocalyptic
language of
John
that Jesus
is the
true
lord
and ruler
of the
afterlife.
He strips
all the
Roman gods
of their
perceived
power
in the
afterlife.
Jesus
claims
to be
the only
one
with the
master
key.
Think
about this
Jesus
doesn't
leave the
key
to life
after
death
in the
hands
of an
angel.
He
doesn't
leave it
in the
hands
of
anyone
else.
He
personally
holds
it
still
and
uses
this
at
his
pleasure.
He
keeps
every
soul
that
belongs
to
him
in
his
own
hand.
This
is our
only hope
in life
and in
death.
This
is the
same
creator
God.
Someone
pointed
out
at
creation
it was
on the
third
day
that
God
caused
the
trees
and the
grass
and the
vegetation
to
flourish.
And we
get in the
New Testament
the language
of a
seed
being put
into the
earth
to die.
And by
the death
of a
seed
springs up
new life.
And this
happened on
the third
day of
creation.
Now the
third day
after being
buried like
a seed
Jesus
risen from
the dead.
The promise
of resurrection
life and
springing up
new creation
creation.
It's been
baked into
God's
plan from
the very
beginning.
This is
our hope
that every
loved one
that we
have had
to bury
in Christ
will receive
a new
glorified body
and live
with Jesus.
And we
can trust
this because
Christ is
the one
that has
the key
the authority
to make
this so.
I've
mentioned
to some
of you
and the
songs and
the kings
got to
go to
the
Netherlands
and meet
this pastor
I'm referring
to.
In the
Netherlands
almost everyone
rides their
bicycles
everywhere.
And this
pastor had
come about
two hours
away to
be part
of a
little
conference.
It was
an academic
meeting and
he was
coming to
understand the
teachings of
this old
pastor from
many centuries
ago,
John
Flavel.
And he
asked very
difficult
questions,
was very
sharp.
He was a
pastor in a
different town
and then
afterwards when
it was all
over during
a little
reception,
this pastor
came over
and talked
to me and
his eyes
were welling
up and
he swallowed
hard and
he said the
reason this
topic of
life,
death,
and the
ministry of
Jesus around
the deathbed
is so tender
to him is
because when
his daughter
was I
believe 16
years old,
she was on
her bike and
a bus,
didn't see
her,
turning a
corner and
hit her and
his daughter
died.
And he
had trouble
getting these
words out,
but he says
he thinks of
her every
day and
it helped
him to
appreciate the
love of
God the
Father and
giving his
son,
Jesus Christ,
who would
lay down
his life so
that sinners
like us could
belong to
him and be
brought into
his family.
And the
resurrection of
Jesus is his
only hope that
we will be
around the
throne of
Jesus together.
father, he
said, these
thoughts of
God have
made him more
patient as a
pastor, as a
husband, as a
father, more
tender, more
full of gratitude
for God.
And this
Puritan John
Flavel wrote,
what a hole
that the death of
some children have
made in the
hearts of some
parents which
will never close
up in this
world.
John Flavel
lost children and
a wife too.
that hole will
never be healed
in this life.
It's always
there.
But he wrote,
yet surely
never did any
child lie so
close to a
parent's heart
as Christ did
to his
fathers.
And yet he
willingly parted
with him,
his only son,
the son of his
delights,
and that to
death, a
cursed death
for sinners.
And it's
specifically because
Jesus Christ was
slain.
on the cross
that Jesus
now has this
authority,
this power,
this right
over death
because he
bought it
with his
own life.
No one
gets out of
this world
or enters
into the
next except
through the
permission of
Jesus Christ
and by God's
appointment.
Romans 8,
34 asks the
question,
who is he
who condemns?
Satan wants
to accuse
and attack.
And God
says instead,
no, think
of Christ
who died
and furthermore
is also
risen,
who is even
at the right
hand of God
and who also
makes intercession
for us.
No one
can condemn
you.
Jesus is
alive,
ministering.
Behold,
with eyes
of faith
today,
the power
of Jesus
Christ
for you
and me
who will
know life
in him
today.
Finally,
number four,
behold,
with eyes
of faith
today,
in his
power,
in his
love,
the living
ministry
of Jesus
Christ
to all
who will
hope in
him.
Behold,
with eyes
of faith
that Jesus
lives to
minister
to all
who will
put our
hope in
him.
I want
to take
you back
to the
final words
that Jesus
said.
Behold,
I am
alive
forevermore.
I am
alive
forevermore.
Romans 8
11 tells
us,
if the
spirit of
Christ
raised
from the
dead
now dwells
in you,
church,
you who
believe in
him,
he was
raised
from the
dead,
and so
also he
gives life
to your
mortal bodies
through his
spirit who
dwells in
you.
This is
his living
ministry
because he's
alive forevermore.
His spirit
works powerfully
in us
while we're
still in
these bodies
on earth.
Recently,
a dear
brother
described
how God
melted
his heart
and it
was the
image of
baptism
and of
being
engrafted
into
Jesus.
Jesus
said,
apart
from me
you can
do
nothing,
but I'm
the true
vine.
You are
engrafted
into
Christ.
You're
a branch
brought
into
him
and
the
life
of
Christ
who
lives
forevermore
flows
through
you.
That
melts
our
hearts.
Think
of the
imagery.
Because
we're
buried
with
Christ
in
our
baptism,
we have
the
promise
that
we
are
also
spiritually
raised
to
life
in
Christ
now
and
we
will
be
raised
in
a
resurrected
body
with
him
one
day.
He
lives
forever
more
and
if
you're
alive
in
Christ
you
will
live
with
him
forever
more.
You
don't
need
to
fear
death
anymore.
It
has
no
more
sting.
This
is
the
ministry
of
Christ.
The
living
Lord
Jesus,
the
head
of
his
church.
Someone
mentioned
that
they've
stopped
by
at
these
open
air
services
for
many
years
now.
Dan
mentioned
it's
now
become
our
little
tradition
and
it's
not
enough
to
stop
and
think
about
Jesus
once
a
year,
twice
a
year,
every
now
and
then.
Jesus
is
ministering
that
you
will
abide
in
him
every
single
day
apart
from
him
death.
He
calls
you
to
be
in
his
family
to
obey
all
that
he's
commanded.
By
the
father's
appointment
he
has
all
authority
and
he
ministers
over
his
church.
God
has
given
Jesus
this
role
now
to
be
the
supreme
sovereign
ruler
and
minister.
He
is
the
one
who
calls
people
to
himself.
He
is
the
one
who
instituted
the
church.
He
is
the
one
who
puts
each
of
our
lives
in
order.
He
is
the
one
who
governs
his
people.
He
ministers
as
the
living
God
with
authority
over
his
visible
kingdom
on
earth.
Local
churches
like
this
one.
Not
only
this
one,
many
others,
hundreds
of
other
faithful
local
churches.
But
this
is
the
living
ministry
of
Jesus
Christ
until
he
comes
again.
It's
through
faithful
churches
!
churches
are the
divinely
ordained
theater
through which
the
holy
God
himself
sovereignly
moves
us
forward.
He
uses the
preaching
of the
word
even
through
earthen
vessels,
the
reading of
the scriptures,
the prayers,
taking the
Lord's
Supper,
celebrating
baptisms
together.
These simple
means that
he's ordained
are the way
he ministers
as our
living
Jesus
Christ
from
heaven.
As
believers
gather
under
the
authoritative
preaching
of
his
word
and
a
biblical
church
to
the
best
of
our
ability,
God
finalizes
his
purposes
in
each
of
our
lives.
It's
not
something
we do
alone,
we do
it
together
as
his
body.
These
are
corporate
means
and
they're
the
primary
instruments
that
the
spirit
loves
to
use
now.
And
as
we're
doing
these
things
that
he's
commanded,
!
and
he's
praying
power
in
the
lives
of
those
he
draws
to
himself.
He
reveals
to
us
in
and
by
his
word
the
mysteries
of
salvation.
He
effectively
persuades
us
by
his
Holy
Spirit
to
believe
him
and
to
obey.
It's
the
living
Jesus
Christ
who
finished
his
work
for
us
and
he
promises
that
he
will
also
finish
his
work
in
us.
It's
his
to
do
for
his
glory.
Hebrews
12
tells us
he's
not only
the
author
but
also
the
finisher
of
our
faith.
He
began
this
good
work
in
us
and
he
will
finish
preparing
each
one
that
he
redeemed
for
eternity
with
him.
He
promises
to
one
day
offer
up
every
one
of
us
that
he
purchased
with
his
own
body
and
blood
perfect
and
complete
before
the
holy
God.
So
we
can
say
in
1 Peter
1
3
blessed
be
the
God
and
Father
of
the
living
Lord
Jesus
who
according
to
his
abundant
mercy
has
begotten
us
again
to a
living
hope
through
the
resurrection
of
Jesus
Christ
from
the
dead.
Behold
him
today.
Don't put
it off.
Go
to
him.
Ask
God
to give
you
eyes
to see
this
living
Jesus
and
follow
him
as
his
disciple.
He
calls
you
see
his
love
and
receive
him
as
your
Lord
in
power.
Let
him
put
your
life
in
order.
Stop
trying
to do
it
on
your
own.
Throw
yourself
like
the
women
like
John
at
his
feet.
Let
his
power
sweep
over
you
and
experience
the
peace
that
passes
understanding
that
can
only
come
from
being
in
his
presence.
Let's
go to
him
in
prayer.
Lord
you
were
lifted
up
on
the
cross
then
you
were
lifted
up
in
glory
and
you
say
the
reason
you
were
lifted
up
is
to
draw
all
men
from
all
nations
tribes
and
tongues
to
you
before
your
throne.
Lord
I
pray
that
your
spirit
will
cause
each
one
here
Lord
to
behold
you
by
faith
to
see
your
glory
your
majesty
and
your
throne
and
I
pray
Lord
that
our
prayers
are
joined
to
Christ
and
that
they
are
powerful
because
Christ
is
the
righteous
one
interceding
pleading
that
sinners
will
come
to
him
please
do
your
work
Lord
for
your
glory
alone
we
ask
for
Christ's
sake
amen