Monday, July 13, 2009

Reflections (so far) on Revelation 1-3


Last week we started a new series at DSF (the evening service at South Delta Baptist Church) - The Jesus Letters: Revelation 1-3. This section of scripture is so interesting and intriguing on so many level. I intended the series to cover one church, of the seven, per night/sermon but realized as I worked on the material that there is too much rich theology and practical instruction here; that we need to take our time on these letters. So the first message was, The Cosmic Jesus, covered Revelation 1.9-20 - the amazing presentation of Jesus Christ as the Son of Man. 

Among the many things that came out of this (watch here / listen here) - was the idea that this presentation of who Jesus is (the son of man dressed in a robe, a golden sash, fiery eyes, white hair, feet of bronze, two-edged sword, face like the sun) is the presentation of who Jesus is now. That in John's situation of pressure and tribulation and persecution and temptation the Jesus of the Gospels would have been helpful: the one who change water into wine, and calmed the seas etc., - but that is not what God gives him here - that in addition to that portrait of Jesus, he, and we, need something else - So when God pulls the curtain back to reveal reality as it now is in the heavenly/spiritual we see Jesus in this amazing vision and we realize that this is Jesus Christ as he is now

Cosmic Jesus: Continuity/Discontinuity 
Jesus is different now than he was, but in many ways, he is of course the same. The continuity is that he is the same person, and that he will now be human forever, limited in that sense, which is important when we think of the eternal cost of the incarnation. He will, many think, still have the marks of the crucifixion on his hands and side when we see him in glory (though that is not mentioned here, reflection on Revelation 4 may hint at it). But there is a discontinuity between this Jesus and the one who ministered around Galilee as well. Here he is fully sovereign (holding the seven stars in his right hand), he is resting in his finished work (sash around his chest), his eyes are blazing fire. In fact there is a scandal here as well: the images and description of YHWH and the Son of Man from the Old Testament get fused together and applied to Jesus here. In Dan. 7 YHWH has white hair but now "the son of man... his head and hair were white like wool, white as snow" (Rev. 1.14). This is Jesus as he now is: triumphant Jesus, the cosmic ruler of the universe - this is what the church needs to hear both in John's day and ours. 

Wicked Men
As I read, prepared for and preached Revelation 2.1-3, in the second message of this series, I was struck by one encouragement to the church in Ephesus in particular: "you cannot tolerate wicked men" (v.3). Jesus is congratulating them that there lives and heart and minds are progressively more and more saddened and frustrated and grieved by the evil actions of the world around them, and that this is a sure sign of their sanctification; their growing in Christian purity and maturity. Can we cry out with the Psalmist: "My eyes shed streams of water, Because they do not keep Your law" (Ps. 119.136). He is pained by the disconnect of God and humankind. He is so close to God that when someone works against God and his purposes it pains him, like if someone offends a spouse or friend we are pained. Is this our experience?

The flip side is true as well however: if we do not find ourselves becoming more and more upset, and saddened, and maddened by the evil around us, the sin, the idolatry; then maybe we are not growing at all. If we are not more bereaved now then we were two years ago, than maybe we are not becoming more holy, more other, more set apart unto God and his purposes in our lives, but we are staying the same. This is not good. This is not what we were meant for as humans - we are never static, we are always growing one way or the other. There is no neutral ground, Lewis pointed out, and its true. 

The balance to keep is this: be upset by the evil, be upset and saddened by the sin - but we have to find ways to engage it - we can't leave it unto itself to just continue being evil - evil men are evil because they have not been touched by the light. Followers of Jesus can never forget this. As John Stott pointed out years ago you never blame a room for being dark - when you walk in to a dark room you ask one question: Where is the light? 

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Appreciation to my father who stated to me on the topic of this website, this weblog is
genuinely awesome.

Also visit my homepage; best Los Angeles video making

Anonymous said...

I'm more than happy to discover this page. I want to to thank you for your time for this wonderful read!! I definitely really liked every part of it and I have you saved to fav to check out new things on your blog. I wanted to share with you that, I bookmarked Blogger: In My Opinion at Reddit so my coworkers may read it as well. May I also reveal a tip. Getting fantastic video marketing could well be fairly tricky. I find it most constructive to talk to a a Great Probate Attorney San Diego. Our staff of Bankruptcy Lawyers San Diego are right here to assist with all your legal specifications.

Look at my homepage - Estate Planning Lawyers San Diego