The Revelation of Jesus Christ

Revelation 1

This is the Revelation of Jesus Christ is the subject. It is a Revelation of Him.
It shows us what must soon take place

Jesus is described as:
*The Faithful Witness
He showed us the Father, He spoke the truth, He is perfect.
You can depend upon what Jesus has said. You can depend upon Him.
More and more our lives ought to be built and based upon Him. In all we do!

*The Firstborn from the dead, He was the first to rise in the Resurrection. He is the Resurrection and the Life.
Others were brought back to life. Jesus was the only one placed in the grave and given a glorious body which will never die. Even Lazarus died eventually.
We will receive a new body.

*The Ruler of the kings of the earth. He is in control as we have seen in Daniel. He is the King of kings. Even now God is in control. The Book of Revelation is Him telling His servants what will soon take place. He knows the outcome! The gates of hell will never against that church prevail!

We are told twice that He was and is and is to come. (vs.4,8)



1. Jesus Christ has inextricably connected Himself to His Church.

v.4 This chapter is written to the seven churches in the Province of Asia
These were actual churches.
These could be periods of time in the church as well.
These could be stages an body of believers goes through.
These could be conditions the church can find itself in at any point in its history.

v.5 Jesus purchased the church with own blood.
We were bought with a price!

I Corinthians 6. 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

I Corinthians 7. 23 You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.
Each time we take the LORD’s Supper we should think about that!

It by His blood that we have access to God, the Father. We kpet by His blood, covered by it and it cleanses us continually.
Our relationship to Jesus Christ is the strongest of any- it is based on His blood and His righteousness.

v 11 Each church is listed by name of the city it is in. Each city had one church- still does! He doesn’t see a bunch of churches in Bay Shore- He sees one! He see His Body, the church around the world. The church’s finest moments have been when there is unity in the Body of Christ and we live according to it.

2. Jesus when He is revealed to us first in Revelation is walking among the churches v.12-16

I love this. I believe He is walking among us today! We have fellowship with Him!
He holds us together. We walk with Him. One of my favorite post resurrection appearances is on the road to Emmaus. That account in Luke’s gospel of the two disciples walking with Jesus on that road sums up the life of the believer. We are to walk with Him. We are to listen to Him open the scripture to us. Our hearts should burn when this happens.

He is here to help. Jesus has not left the church on its own. He helps us as we call and lean upon Him.

He is here to defend. He will protect the church. We are His Bride.

He is here to listen.

He is speaking His Word to us! v.16

3. Jesus put His Hand on His servants and speaks comfort to their souls. v.17-18

We have all felt the hand of the LORD upon us. Think back of the time in your life when you were going through some difficulty, some time of decision, a time of suffering. Jesus came to you in a beautiful way and you felt His Hand upon you.

In answers to prayer. Every answer to prayer is His Hand upon us. He is taking care of us. He is watching over us. He can turn events and change things for us. He gives us grace when what we are asking for is not part of His plan.

In providing for us.

In bringing peace and strength.



4. He has the church in His Hand! v.20

He told us that the gates of hell would not prevail against the church Matthew 16.18
There is nothing that hell can throw at us that Jesus can’t overcome. Hell’s best strategies (and they have some wicked ones!) Will not bring the church down.

He told us that no one could pluck out of His Hand John 10.27-30

5. There is no way to get around the futuristic aspect of this Book, nor should we seek to!

While this is the Revelation of Jesus Christ. It is to show us, His servants, what must soon take place.

The Blessed Hope we have is not that the world is going to get better. We have seen this past week evidences of that! The Blessed Hope we as believers have is spoken of in Titus 2.11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12 It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 Who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

Over the next few weeks we’ll look at the churches. We’ll look at what is right and what is wrong with them according to Jesus. We’ll see how He looks at the church- our church! He will show us what we need to do to correct ourselves (which is all about looking to and leaning on Him!) as well as commending us where we are right.

Search me O God and know my thoughts, test me and know my ways. See if there be some wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.

Be encouraged we will win the war and every battle is the LORD’s!