Jaw-dropping Jewels about Jesus
Rarely does Jesus, God the Son, do exactly what we expect of Him. It seems odd that He so frequently surprises us, given that He never changes. Hebrews 13:8 makes this absolute statement: “Jesus the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Still, though He is blessedly consistent in His goodness, Jesus does unforeseen things. Even when He does what is expected, He does not always do it in the way that we anticipate. Let us join with Jesus on a jaw-dropping journey. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ” (1:1) reveals that He “loved us” (1:5), loves us, and will continue to love us. In fact, the love of Jesus accounts for this revelation. The Apostle John wrote this book (1:4), but it was not from him. No, it was “from Him [Who] is, and [Who] was, and [Who] is to come; and from the seven spirits [Who] are before His throne; and from Jesus Christ” (1:5-6). “God gave” (1:1) this book to John, and God is Triune. Thus, God the Father (“Him [Who] is, and [Who] was, and [Who] is to come”), God the Holy Spirit (“the seven spirits [Who] are before His throne” – this reference is not numerical but refers to the completeness and fullness of the Spirit; for a compelling exposition of this usage, read Isaiah 11:1-3), and God the Son (“Jesus Christ”) work in perfect harmony to provide the book of Revelation – and, of course, the entire Word of God (II Timothy 3:16-17). This revelation, then, is not a man’s insight. John did not know the future; he really did not know the present. He was writing to seven churches on the mainland of Asia Minor from his imprisonment on “the isle that is called Patmos” (1:9). Even if these churches sent letters to John, the information would have been partial at best and not up-to-date. Yet, chapters 2 and 3 are deeply detailed, demonstrating a knowledge that only God could have. He is the One “declaring the end from the beginning” (Isaiah 46:10), and that is exactly what He is doing in the book of Revelation. We need this precise information, and out of His comprehensive love God provides it.