"Grace and peace to you ..."
Eighteen (18) times... we hear this exact greeting... or a variation of it... in the pages ...of the New Testament
It is used as the opening sentence ... from our service ... of Morning Prayer:
These words should be familiar: Hear God's Word to the Believers in Phillipi: BIBLE "Grace to you and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ" END (Philippians 1:2)
So, ...we often read and hear ... this greeting of ... "Grace and Peace".
Yet ...what does it really mean?
Why is this ...the favored greeting .... of the apostles?
Let us take a look ... at the Apostle John's form of this greeting ...as it was given today ......from the Book of Revelation:
BIBLE "Grace to you ...and peace 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, ...the faithful witness, ...the firstborn of the dead, ...and the ruler of the kings of the earth... To him who loves us... and freed us from our sins ......by his blood, " END (Revelation 1:4-5)
John is writing not to the lost.
He is writing to the Christians ...who are facing severe persecution ...for their faith... in Christ Jesus.
John is writing to followers of the Christ ... facing imprisonment ... Death..., temptation..., and severe trials.
He is writing to Christians ...who are being pressured .... to compromise ...their faith.
And Beloved... we too are feeling many of these same birth pangs ... in our society today.
How do these Christians ...overcome?
How do these Christians... persevere?
(Slow) How do these Christians ... finish the race laid before them ... and finish well?
Beloved they do it...through "Grace and Peace", through the Grace and Peace ... that is showered ...upon every believer.
The Apostle John later in this book ...shares what trials ... these Christians Churches ... were facing.
The Christians in Smyrna ... are facing imprisonment. (Revelation 2:10).
The Christians in Pergamen (Per-ga-mum) ... are facing death. (Revelation 2:13)
The Christians in Thyatira (Thy-a-tir-a) ... are being tempted with evil. (Revelation 2:20)
The Christians in Laodicea have ... allowed their faith to turn ... lukewarm. (Revelation 3:15)
They can persevere ... They can overcome ... they can remain faithful ... through the spiritual infilling ...of God's abundant ...."grace and peace."
And this grace and peace .... which is available to all believers ... comes from ... the triune God. (Pause)
So let us take a closer look ... at the connection between each person ... of the trinity ... and this glorious gift of ...grace and peace.
John begins by telling us ...that grace and peace (1 Finger) comes from the father: ... Hear John's words to us this day:
BIBLE "Grace and peace to you from him who is, .... and who was, .... and who is to come ..." END (Revelation 1:4)
To understanding the book of Revelation, ... we need to interpret it ... in the light of ... the Old Testament.
In his greeting .... John is calling us to hear echoes ...of God's greeting to Moses ... out of the burning bush.
God said to Moses, "So now, ... go ...I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people ... the Israelite's ...out of Egypt" (Exodus 3:10).
Moses protested. "Who am I?" ...... "Who shall I say sent me?" ...... (God reverses the question Who am I and responds) ...... "I AM WHO I AM" (Exodus 3:14).
Now, listen again ...to John's greeting this day: "Grace and peace to you from him who is, ... and who was, ... and ... who is to come".
Grace and peace come from the ... God Who is.
Grace and Peace from the great ...... "I AM,"
I AM ... Who is ... the source of ... all life.
Grace and peace ... comes from God the Father who is always present, ... Who is ...eternally present.
And We need to stand on this promise ... when we are under attack.
We need to stand on this promise ... when we face opposition.
We need to stand on this promise ...when we are the target of hostility.
When we are pressured ... to compromise ... the faith.
The "I AM" ...Who brought Israel out of Egypt... is with us.
And He is showering us ...with his ...... grace and peace. (Pause)
Did you notice the two unique features ...that John shares about ...God the Father?
First and foremost, ...what John is saying ... seems to be ... out of order.
John states ..."him who "is"...... the Present, ...and who was ... the Past ... and who is to come... The Future"
Present, Past, Future!
We would expect him to say, "him who "was"... (Past) ...and who is... (Present) ...and who is to come. (Future) "
We would expect him to state Past ... Present ... Future.
Yet He has the order... Present, Past, Future!
It is always good to ask why?
So ... Why this inversion?
I am convinced ... that John's focus is not on God and His attributes ...... that is ... on God being eternal.
Rather, ... John's focus ... seems to be pastoral .... that the eternal God is present at this very moment... with His people.
Beloved ......He is the God ...who is!
Right now, ...in the present ... at this very moment .... God is showering grace and peace ... over His people.
Beloved ......We can take heart in God's promise...that he is .... that he is a God of the present ... That he will never leave you ... or forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5). (Long Pause)
Yet ... there is another unique feature in this passage.
We would expect John to say ... "Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who "Shall Be."
Instead of who... "Shall Be" John states... "who is to come."
Why does John use this statement ... "who is to come"?
Let us go back again ... and visit ... the burning bush.
God...The "I AM" ......basically tells Moses ... "I have come."
He has come to deliver His people... and to destroy His enemies.
As we read through the Old Testament ... through the law and history, .... through the writings, .... and through the prophets, .... we see God described again and again ...as the God ...Who is coming.
He is coming! .......... He is coming ... to save His people.
He is coming ...to defeat ...and to judge His enemies.
And we are aware that Triune God in the form of Jesus will be coming again.
And As we "today" ... await the second coming ... God gives us what we need to persevere, ... to overcome ... and to endure until that day.
He gives us ... he showers us ... with His ... grace and peace.
(1 Finger) Grace and Peace Comes from the father and
(2 Fingers) .... Secondly ... Grace and Peace comes from The Spirit
John now directs our attention to the Spirit.
Hear again God's Word BIBLE "Grace and peace to you ... from the seven spirits before his throne." END (Revelation 1:4)
This expression, ......"The seven spirits before his throne," ...is found only ... in the book of Revelation.
What does it mean?
Why seven spirits?
Well ... later in Revelation John tells us... that the seven spirits ...are seven lamps.
John is revealing to us ... that the Spirit gives God's people light.
He gives them the light they need ...as they fight the darkness.
God gives us the light ...to do what ... to fight ... to fight the darkness.
Not only to fight the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12)
But to also fight the darkness ...of despair ... of persecution, ... of trial, ...death ... compromise, ... temptation.
God's Spirit .... showers God's people with ..."grace and peace."
Yet why seven spirits?
John explains this ...a little further... in his Revelation.
The Spirit ...and the provisions of the Spirit ...are given to each of the seven churches, ...that he is writing too.
Each church ...receives from the Spirit ...the grace and peace they need ...to finish the race, ... to endure ... and to overcome.
The Scriptures are clear ... the Church perseveres .... overcomes .... endures, by and through the provision... of the Spirit.
Not by the might of man.
Not by military might.
Not by political intrigue.
But by the Spirit who gives us ...the grace and peace ...we need. (Pause)
(1 Finger) Grace and Peace Comes from the Father
(2 Fingers) .... Grace and Peace comes from The Spirit
(3 Fingers) and Grace and Peace comes from our Lord Jesus Christ.
John directs our attention ...to the Lord Jesus.
Hear God's Word BIBLE "Grace and peace to you ... from Jesus Christ, ......who is the faithful witness ... the firstborn from the dead, ...... and the ruler of the kings of the earth." END (Revelation 1:4-8)
We have seen that grace and peace comes from the eternal, ever-present, Father.
Grace and Peace ...comes from the all sufficient Spirit.
And.... Grace and Peace...comes from Jesus himself.
John identifies Jesus with three names.... three titles: the faithful witness, .... the firstborn from the dead .... and the ruler ... of the kings ... of the earth.
All three names are taken from Psalm 89.
And Psalm 89, in turn, is a piece of poetry based upon 2 Samuel 7.
And ... In 2nd Samuel ...God makes a covenant with King David:
God promises David ...that his throne ...will endure forever.
God promises David ...that one of his descendants ...will rule over the whole earth... forever.
By ascribing these three names from Psalm 89 to Jesus, .... John is proclaiming ...that Jesus ..."is" the promised King ... of Da-vi-dic Line.
The King ...who will rule over the whole earth.
That through Jesus ... David's throne ...will endure forever.
Jesus is ...the "Faithful Witness." ......Jesus is the faithful witness...... to the Father.
Every moment of His life, ...Jesus was a faithful ...witness ... to the Father.
And Beloved.... We are all to be... faithful witnesses.
Faithful witnesses ...... in the face of hostility .... in the face of persecution ... and in the face of temptation and of trials.
We are to be mature in the faith ...... and even in persecution ... remain ... Faithful witnesses.
John also proclaims Jesus as ......the "firstborn from the dead."
This speaks directly ... to Christ's resurrection.
Because ...of His witness ... to the Father, ......Christ was crucified.
God raised Him from the dead, ... never to die ...again.
And In the Ancient World, ...the firstborn ...was the one who was given ...the right to rule, ...The right to reign, ... to have sovereignty.
Jesus as the first born .... has this right.
Paul states this very clearly ... in his letter to the believers gathered in Colossae:
Hear God's Word: BIBLE "And he (Jesus) ...is the head of the body, ...the church; ...he is the beginning ...and the firstborn ...from among the dead, ...so that in everything ...he might have the supremacy." END (Colossians 1:18)
Jesus as the firstborn from the dead...... has "Supremacy".
Jesus ......is also proclaimed in Scripture as "the ruler of the kings of the earth."
Or, as Psalm 89 puts it, ......"the most exalted of the kings of the earth."
Beloved ... Jesus... is the King of kings .... and ... the Lord of lords.
Christ is King ... whose rule ...is acknowledged by the Church ... yet opposed by ......the Devil ...and the forces of evil ...of this world.
But one day Beloved.... One day... we are told Every knee ... every knee shall bow ...and every tongue confess ...that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Jesus is... "the faithful witness, ... Jesus is the firstborn from the dead, ... Jesus is the king of kings ... the ruler of all" (Revelation 1:5).
We are called to bear witness to Christ ...in this hostile world. (Pause)
Knowing the promise of the resurrection ... how can we not help but be faithful in this, ... even in persecution .... even in temptation...even ...unto death.
We are called to follow the path... that Jesus has already trod.
Jesus walked this earth ...and knows our needs.
And He showers us ...with... His glorious ... "grace and peace."
In this life ...we as believers ... as followers of the Christ ... will ... face persecution.
In this life .... We as believers ...will be tempted ...to compromise ... our faith.
(Slow) Beloved ... stand firm in the faith.
Be open to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.
Allow our Lords Grace and peace .... that peace that passes all understanding ... to permeate your very being.
And may John's blessing to the churches be upon each of you who call yourself a follower of the Christ:
(Raise your right hand if ordained a Presbyter -- Or state Hear again God's word if a Deacon or Lay person
"Grace and peace to you ...from him who is, ...and who was, ...and who is to come.
Grace and peace to you ...from the seven spirits before his throne.
Grace and peace to you ...from Jesus Christ, ...who is the faithful witness ... the firstborn from the dead, ...and the ruler of the kings of the earth."
Beloved ... Grace ... Grace and Peace ... to you ...that love him.
Amen!
Help: I retired in November 2017 and am attempting to supplement my income by sharing on Sermoncentral. If this Message has been helpful to you, please consider a nominal gift: Send to The Rev. Jeff Smead 11725 Regent Park Drive Chardon Ohio 44024. Blessed To Be A Blessing.
Dear Reader: So I can better help you, if this Message was not helpful and you rated it low, Please let me know what it lacked or why it was not helpful. You can search by contributor �Smead� (Constructive Criticism is very helpful) and contact me there.
Blessings Jeff.
