He Has Risen!

It’s Easter! If you have not already read “Why Jesus Died”, I urge you to read that first and then read about the Risen Christ. Our Scripture for this blog is Revelation 1:12-20 – “Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this. As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.”

It might surprise you that I took you to the book of Revelation to talk about the resurrection. You may have anticipated Matt 28, Mark 16, Luke 24 or John 20. You may have thought of Isaiah 53 as the text I might share, however, these verses demonstrate the very meaning of the resurrection. In John 17:24 Jesus prays, “Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.” Here Jesus is petitioning the Father for us to see His glory and in our main text above, John sees His glory and writes it down that we might “see” His glory as well. Here Jesus appears to John revealing to John and us all that He is. Consider what is revealed concerning Jesus Christ in just a few short verses (Rev 1:12-20): 

• He is the Son of Man - One who is fully God and fully man and he is standing in the midst of the churches
• He is clothed in a long robe - Representing the High Priest whose sacrifice is the only acceptable atonement for our sin
• He has a golden sash about His chest – Signifying His deity, majesty and holiness
• His hair is white like wool and snow – Testifying of His immeasurable wisdom and purity
• His eyes are like a flame of fire – All consuming fire able to pass righteous judgment
• His feet are like bronze – Ready to crush anything that may oppose Him
• His voice is like the sound of many waters – Resembling the sound of a mighty army marching into battle
• He holds the seven churches in His right hand – Showing He has the right to rule and the power to secure
• Out of His mouth comes a two-edged sword – Dividing the soul and spirit and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart
• His face was like the sun shining in full strength – Nothing is hidden from His face, everything is transparent to Him
• He is the first and the last – He was not created nor will He cease to exist
• He died and is alive forevermore – He endured the wrath and lived again
• He holds the keys to Death and Hades – He is the One who determines who will or will not enter

To this amazing sight, John can do only one thing; fall on his face as dead. Who is able to stand in the sight of the One True God? For John, every fiber of his person stopped as if he were dead. Scripture does not say that he cried out nor that he worshipped; just silence in the presence of the risen Christ. Are you able to stand in light of this revelation? This is why the resurrection is so dear to me. Jesus’ sacrifice was fully accepted by the Father as the payment for all sin; even the sins to come. We know that His sacrifice was acceptable by what we see in this revelation of Christ. If this were not so, you would not see Jesus taking on the attributes ascribed in Scripture to the Father. He took on human form by becoming a man, He became our High Priest by offering an everlasting sacrifice, He endured the wrath by rising again, He displayed His deity by sitting on the right-hand of the Father, He held the churches in His right hand and now He holds the keys to Death and Hades. No one can do that lest he is God.

My friend, I sure hope that you carefully consider what you have read. If you had any different response than that of John concerning this revelation, you may want to reconsider whether you are saved or not. This is the Son of God risen, glorified and standing right before you. This is Easter! Praise God!