What reaction do you have to those statements?
I ask because today, especially in Western culture, many think that Jesus is a perpetually peaceful, gentle, meek, smiling man. We fancy that He never frowns, always speaks softly, and is a dedicated pacifist. Although God raised Him from the dead, we think Jesus is still gentle and meek and mild today, and that He always will be.
We who think of Jesus merely in these terms are wrong.
The Apostle Paul rebuked the church at Corinth for failing to respect Jesus' authority demonstrated through the Apostle Paul:
I have previously said when present the second time, and though now absent I say in advance to those who have sinned in the past and to all the rest, that if I come again I will not spare, since you are seeking for proof of the Christ who speaks in me, and who is not weak toward you, but mighty in you.It is definitely important to realize that Jesus died for us, and that at one time He refused to show His strength so that He could save us.
For indeed He was crucified because of weakness, yet He lives because of the power of God.
For we also are weak in Him, yet we will live with Him because of the power of God toward you.
(2 Corinthians 13:2-4)
But it is also important, I think even more important, to realize and believe that He did not remain dead, and that today He is revealed to us as incomparably strong.
We believers should know that our Savior is not just the Lamb who gave His life for us; He is also the Lion. He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
His coming again should strike deathly fear into the hearts of unbelievers and motivate those of us who believe in Him to live pure lives in submission before Him.
If we look in the book of Revelation, we can see Jesus as He is today, and as He will be in the near future. This book was written by a man named John, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ. It is the Revelation of Jesus Christ (Rev. 1:1).
Look with me at how John describes Jesus:
John to the seven churches that are in Asia:
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 released us from our sins by His blood — and He has made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father — to Him, the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him.
So it is to be. Amen.“I am The Alpha and The Omega,” says the Lord God, “Who Is and Who Was and Who Is to Come, The Almighty.”
I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, like of a trumpet, saying,
“Write in a book what you see, and send to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me.
And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; and in the middle of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash.
His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire.
His feet, like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice, like the sound of many waters.
In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength.
When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man.
And He placed His right hand on me, saying,
“Do not be afraid; I am The First and The Last, and The Living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.
"Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things."As for the mystery of the seven stars which 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."
(Revelation 1:4-20)
This is hardly the meek and humble Jesus we are accustomed to hearing about.
No, this Jesus has eyes, "like a flame of fire" and "feet, like burnished bronze." His voice is "like the sound of many waters," and "out of His mouth comes a sharp two-edged sword." His face is "like the sun shining in its strength."
And His authority is immense. He holds authority over the angels of His churches, and over the churches themselves. He is "The Ruler of the Kings of the Earth." Not only that, but He has "the keys of death and of Hades."Jesus is "The Living One." Jesus is "The Alpha and The Omega." Jesus is "The Almighty."
"To Him, the glory and the dominion forever and ever!"
Yes, it is this mighty Jesus who is "coming with the clouds." Even the ones who pierced Him will see Him, and "all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him." When Jesus returns, all will see Him, not in weakness and humility, but in glorious power and authority.
John saw Jesus, and he "fell at His feet like a dead man."
But this passage also shows us Jesus' love and mercy. Although He is The Almighty, He also knows how to keep His power under control. Here, He comforted John, placing His right hand on him. Then He let John know that he had a job to do: To write the Revelation of Jesus Christ so that we, His bond-servants, would receive and heed the testimony (Rev. 1:1-3).
As we close, notice again John's words at the beginning of this passage: "Grace to you and peace" — to whom? Not to unbelievers, but to believers — "to the seven churches that are in Asia." For those who are not in Christ, who have not been "released from" their "sins by His blood," there is no grace, nor peace, but only judgment and wrath.
If the Lord Jesus wills, we will continue this series in the near future.
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Browse this series: PART 2
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Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB).
All boldface emphases are mine.
Added (italicized) words in the original NASB text have been omitted.
Some punctuation and capitalization has been altered from the original NASB text.
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