“AN INTRODUCTION TO JESUS CHRIST”
(4). John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; (5). And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead,and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood. (6). And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
(7). Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and all they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. (8). I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is to come, the Almighty.
REVELATION 1:4-8
The first chapter of Revelation gives a compact description of the Lord. In verses 4 to 8, John condenses the wonder of Jesus Christ to the bare but beautiful essentials of who He is:
Jesus Christ is the faithful witness. Jesus came to earth to more fully reveal the character and ways of the Father. The miracles He performed validated His claim to be the Son of God.
Jesus Christ is the first-born from the dead. The Savior bore our sins and died on the cross, was buried, and rose again on the third day. His resurrection proved that eternal life is possible for us, too, as Jesus taught in John 11:25: “…he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.” Jesus Christ is the ruler of the kings of the earth. It is the Lord who raises men to power, just as it is He who removes them (see John 19:11); Meanwhile, believers have access to a higher authority. In God’s throne room, we can beseech Him on behalf of our nations and lay claim to His promises.
Jesus Christ loves us and released us from our sins by His blood. Note the change of tense in John’s writing. The Lord’s love is ever-present, but He has freed believers from their past. Both the penalty and power of sin have been broken.
When people ask you about Jesus, introduce Him by guiding them through this mini-biography. In just a few sentences, John describes Christ’s character, divinity, and authority. The disciple was not timid about proclaiming the Lord.
We shouldn’t be shy, either, when we serve so great a Savior!
-IBC
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