Articles
Revelation 1
Today’s reading is Revelation 1.
John sees Jesus walking among the lampstands and falls on his face as though dead. Jesus lays His hand on John and says, “Fear not.” What a great kick off to this book. Obviously, Jesus is addressing John’s fear in the presence of His own divinity. However, this is also a summary of the book. Jesus is the first and the last. He is the Living One. He lived, He died, but now He is alive forevermore. And that sets the stage for everything Jesus is going to reveal to John. A lot of things were going to happen to Christians that were pretty frightening. Frightening in the same sense that being unjustly arrested, tried, and crucified is frightening. However, though Jesus died, He was still victorious and is now alive forevermore. In like manner, John has nothing to really fear from anything Rome, Jerusalem, name the enemy of your choice, would do to Him because no matter what it looks like, Jesus always wins. Whatever else you get out of reading Revelation this time, get this. Sure, death may be coming. But, for us, even death is the pathway to victory. We have nothing to fear. Praise the Lord?
A Word for Our Kids
Hey kids, if you’ve read Revelation with us before, you know what you are getting into. If this is your first time, buckle up. It’s a bumpy ride. Let’s just say it right at the beginning: Revelation is a different kind of book than any other we’ve read in the New Testament. It is full of word pictures and symbols. But stick with it. As confusing as it may be at some times, if you keep today’s reading in mind, you’ll be able to make it through. Each time you do, you’ll understand it better and better. Just remember that the main goal of every scene in this book is to tell us that no matter what it looks like, in the end, Jesus always wins. So, keep reading. It will be worth it.
Edwin Crozier
