1. Jesus reveals Himself fearfully
2. Jesus reveals Himself peacefully
3. Jesus reveals Himself clearly
REVELATION 1:17-20
I think that very few people would disagree with me when I say that one of the most influential people in America today is Oprah Winfrey. Every week, her TV show reaches 46 million people. She launched the most successful magazine in recent history with a circulation of 2.3 readers each month. Her website has 70 million hits per month. On that website, she has a new interactive classroom that has over 10 million people registered. Her following is so loyal and so devoted that if she endorses something, they buy it. And that’s where her book club comes into play. Oprah’s book club is the largest in the world with over 1 million members. If Oprah endorses a book, it’s guaranteed to become an instant best-seller. Within the past few weeks, three of the top four hardback books on the New York Times bestseller list were books that Oprah endorsed. And each one of them was New Age. One of them is by a man named Deepak Chopra. It’s called The Third Jesus. Here’s what this book says. It says the first Jesus is the historical Jesus. According to Chopra, we can’t really know anything about Him because we don’t really have any accurate historical accounts of Him. So the first Jesus doesn’t do us any good. Then there’s the second Jesus. According to him, that’s the Jesus that was made up by His disciples and the church. He says that the church made the second Jesus up and wrote the New Testament about Him to suit their needs. That’s the Jesus that’s intolerant and judgmental. That’s the One who claims to be absolute truth and the only way. He’s so intolerant and exclusive—He doesn’t do us any good either. So Chopra has come up with this third Jesus. He’s the one that’s some sort of New Age universal spirit. Something that we create in ourselves to all become at one with everything. Just because something carries the name of Jesus, doesn’t mean that it is Jesus. This week I saw video clip after video clip of women who claimed to be Christian. Women who said they were faithful church members. Women who were testifying as to how their eyes were now opened as to who the “real” Jesus is. Women who were walking headlong into the lies of these false prophets and saying they now really saw Jesus. Well, I’ve got news for you. If they were to see the real Jesus, they would know it. In our passage this morning, John sees the real Jesus. Verse 10 tells us that John was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day. And as he was in exile, there on the island of Patmos, Jesus showed him some things. He showed him and told him to write them down. Jesus showed John how he is intimately involved in His local churches by walking in their midst. He also showed him how He personally protects His local churches. But now notice what happens. John records the vision just like Jesus told him to. He fulfilled his responsibility. But that’s not where his focus is. His focus is on Jesus. This man who had daily walked with Jesus for at least three years. This man who had seen Jesus in a glorified state on the mount of transfiguration. This man who had seen the miracles. Who had felt his touch. Who had heard His voice. Who had even watched Him die. This man who had been one of the first to see the empty tomb. Who had seen the post-resurrection appearances. Who had watched Jesus ascend back into heaven. Who had been there on Pentecost and seen the promised giving of the Comforter. John had seen it all. He had seen it all so intimately close up that he called himself, “the one whom Jesus loved.” John had seen it all, but he had seen nothing like this. Now he gets to see Jesus in His glory. I want us to see Jesus here this morning. I want us to get rid of all our made-up images of Jesus and really see Him this morning. We won’t see Him in a personal vision like John did. But if we open our eyes, we will catch a glimpse of His glory. And we will see Him. We’ll see Him because He reveals Himself personally to us. Not in a vision like he did with John. He reveals Himself to us clearly and personally in His Word. In our passage this morning, we’re going to look at three ways that Jesus personally reveals Himself to His local churches. The first way is that He reveals Himself fearfully. Look at the first part of verse 17.
REVELATION 1:17a
Jesus personally reveals Himself fearfully to His local churches. Now, what kind of fear am I talking about? Some people are afraid of spiders. Some people are afraid of heights. I’m afraid of snakes. There was one little boy who was afraid of the dark. His dad told him to go down into the dark cellar and get the broom that was down there. Of course the boy was terrified and started to cry. So his dad tried to comfort him. He said, “Son, you don’t have to be afraid. Jesus is everywhere. That means that He’s even in the cellar. Even in the dark.” Well, the boy dried his face off. He kind of bucked up and headed for the cellar door. His dad was so proud. Then he watched as the boy opened the door, stuck his hand out and hollered, “Jesus, since you’re already down there, can you hand me the broom?” You’ve got to feel for that little boy. He was truly afraid of the dark. But is that the kind of fear that comes when Jesus personally reveals Himself? No, not even close. That kind of fear can’t hold a candle to the kind of fear that comes from standing in the presence of Jesus. Does that surprise you? If it does, it’s because of the horrible way we’ve distorted the infinite love of Jesus into some sort of a milquetoast vision of who He really is. Yes, Jesus is infinite love. He is a love that we can’t even begin to imagine the depths of. But look through Scripture at what happens when people stand in Jesus’ presence. All throughout Scripture, whenever a person is confronted with the holiness of God—be it God the Father, God the Son, or God the Holy Spirit. When a person is in the presence of God, they are completely and totally overwhelmed. Being in the presence of the glorified Jesus doesn’t give you a little tingly warm-fuzzy feeling. Standing in Jesus’ presence doesn’t lead to a voluntary act of worship. The presence of Christ demands complete and total awe-struck worship. When God spoke with Abraham in Genesis 17, he fell on his face. Exodus 3:6 tells us that Moses hid his face from God because he was afraid. In Numbers 22:31, Balaam fell flat on his face. Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshipped. Both Gideon and Samson’s father Manoah cried out fearing they would die. Isaiah said, “Woe is me for I am undone.” Ezekiel fell on his face. Daniel became as a man with no strength. In the New Testament, Peter, James and John fell on their faces and were greatly afraid when they saw Jesus glorified at the Mount of Transfiguration. And don’t forget about Paul. Back when Paul was still Saul of Tarsus. When he met Jesus there on the road to Damascus, what did he do? He fell to the ground and was blinded by only the glory of Christ. If anybody tells you that they’ve had a vision of Jesus, ask them what their reaction was. If it wasn’t complete and total awestruck fear… they might have seen something, but it wasn’t Jesus. We sing the hymn that says, I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarine. Well, when we stand in the presence of Jesus, we will be more than amazed. We will be exposed and humbled and awestruck. Just like John was. Now, why is that? Why did John fall down at Jesus feet like a dead man? Because Jesus is God. And as God, He is completely pure and holy. And standing in His presence exposes our complete and total unworthiness. See, the fear of God is different for different people. For the one who is lost, the fear of God is sheer terror. It is the terror of eternal judgment and utter lostness. But for the believer, the fear is different. The fear of God highlights our utter helplessness and unworthiness. And at the very same time, when we stand in the complete awestruck fear of being in the presence of Jesus… as believers, that will be the first time we truly grasp the fullness of grace. And that’s what John went on to experience. Jesus not only personally reveals Himself fearfully to His local churches, He reveals Himself peacefully. Look at the rest of verse 17 and 18.
REVELATION 1:17b-18
Jesus personally reveals Himself peacefully to His local churches. What a picture of comfort and peace. Go back to that little boy who’s afraid of the dark. When the power goes out and he’s in a dark room by himself, he’s terrified. But while he stands there crying in the dark, what will comfort him more than anything? The touch of his father’s hand. As soon as his daddy says, “Take my hand, son,” all the fears melt away. And that’s exactly what happened with John. Jesus reached out his nail-pierced hand and touched him. Remember—that’s the same right hand that verse 16 told us securely holds the pastors of the seven churches. Jesus had already shown John that picture of protection and security and comfort. And now He placed that same right hand on him. But not only did Jesus place His hand on John, He spoke to him. He spoke to him in that same voice of authority that had the sound of many waters. After all, isn’t that what really brings comfort? Isn’t that what really brings peace? The reason the little boy is no longer afraid of the dark when he holds his daddy’s hand is because he still thinks his daddy is Superman. But the reason that Jesus is the only One who can truly give peace is because He is the Prince of Peace. He is the only One who truly has complete authority. He created all and is in control of all. Because of that He is the only One who can truly say “Fear not.” He can say that because He is the first and last. Before all things were, He is. After all things will pass, He is. He willingly left the glories of heaven. He was born of a virgin. He lived a sinless life. He gave Himself to die an atoning death. And He arose victoriously from the grave. And He is alive forevermore. He has the keys of death and the grave. That’s authority. The older CJ gets, the less like Superman I am in his eyes. But the more mature we are in Christ, the more authority and power we see that He has. And because of His infinite power and authority, He can say, “Fear not.” He can calm the stormy seas. He can still fears. He can bring faith and assurance where there is doubt. The problem comes when we look for our peace in other ways. When we look to people or things or activities or ideas for peace. When we look to our husband or wife or kids or parents. When we look to our job or our home or our bank account or even our country. What authority do those things have? I’ll tell you right now, if you look to me for peace, I’ll let you down. It won’t take long before you realize I’m not Superman. But if we look to Jesus. That’s where we’ll find true peace. Because He’s the only One who has the authority to deliver peace. Jesus personally reveals Himself fearfully and peacefully to His local churches. He also reveals Himself clearly. Look at verses 19-20:
REVELATION 1:19-20
Jesus personally reveals Himself clearly to His local churches. One of the most awful things about that New Age Third Jesus that Oprah is peddling is this… There’s no way to really know him. See, the whole idea is that he’s not really a person. He’s just some type of impersonal universal force. And if he’s an impersonal universal force, we find ourselves back in Acts 17 with the men of Athens building an altar to the unknowable god. How awful. How empty. How meaningless. But our God doesn’t work that way. Our God is a personal God. Hebrews 1:1 says, “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.” God is a personal God. And as a personal God, He speaks. He spoke creation into existence. He spoke a covenant to Abraham. He spoke the Law to Moses. He spoke another covenant to David. He spoke through all the patriarchs and the prophets. And they wrote it down as Scripture. And then God spoke through His Son. John 1:1-3 says: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” And John 1:14 says, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” God is a personal God who speaks. He speaks through His written word—the Bible. And He speaks through His living Word—His Son. Just like He did here to John. He told John to write down what Jesus was showing him. Write down God’s written Word as it is shown you by God’s living Word. But notice that Jesus didn’t just leave it as some high and lofty thing that John couldn’t understand. That’s what verse 20 is about. In verse 20, Jesus explains to John what he saw back in the previous verses. The way God personally reveals Himself is amazing. He reveals Himself so simply that even a child can understand. Jesus loves me this I know. For the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong. They are weak but He is strong. God’s Word is that simple. But at the very same time, it is richer than any diamond mine you can imagine. The more you dig and the more you mine its depths, the deeper and richer it becomes. Yes, Jesus personally reveals Himself plainly and clearly. But He never reveals Himself completely and exhaustively. The more I study and learn about the person of Jesus, the more I realize I don’t know much at all. But I know that Jesus loves me. And I know that Jesus loves you. I know that when I see Him face to face, I will fall down at His feet as dead. But I also know that He will lay His right hand upon me. And He’s going to say, “because you trusted me as your Savior, fear not.” What’s He going to say to you? Have you trusted Jesus as your Lord and Savior? If you have, He’s going to tell you, “fear not.” Are you faithfully doing the work that He’s called you to do? If you are, He’s going to tell you, “well done my good and faithful servant.” What a glorious day that will be. But what if you haven’t trusted Jesus as your savior? What if all you’ve trusted in are your good works? What if all you’ve trusted in is being a good person? Then you’re going to hear the most frightful words you can imagine. As you grovel there before Jesus, on your face like a dead man, you’ll hear these words: “Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” Are you ready for the day that you’re going to meet Jesus face to face? You can be. All you have to do is trust Him today. Turn from your sins and turn to Him in faith believing. Follow Him in believer’s baptism. Use your gifts He’s given you in the local church He calls you to. Trust Him. Obey Him. Serve Him. Cast your fear aside and look full in His wonderful face today.
