Scripture
Vs 1 The revelation of Jesus Christ … to His servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ …
VS 4 … who is and who was and who is to come …
Vs 5 …, Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.
Vs 6 … to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Vs 8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Vs 9 I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance
that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
Vs 17 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 …
Vs 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.
Observation
John’s introduces Revelation by declaring Whose Revelation it is: “The Revelation of Jesus Christ”
And by declaring who John is first: “His servant”
John’s emphasis in his introduction is the overwhelming immensity and authority and majesty of Jesus Christ:
“who is and who was and who is to come”
“the ruler of kings on earth”
“glory and dominion forever and ever”
“the Alpha and the Omega”
So, first John introduces Jesus and John’s role to him: “His servant”
Then John introduces who he is to his readers: “your brother and partner”
What a strikingly humble posture to take here.
He is the one seeing Jesus and delivering the words of Jesus firsthand, yet he is the “brother and partner”, not of Jesus, but of his readers and fellow believers.
John states first he is “bore witness to the word of God and testimony of Jesus Christ”.
And states he is now in exile “on account of the word of God and testimony of Jesus Christ”.
Yet, this is not something to lift his own status.
It is a mere recognition of the infinite lifting of Jesus’ status.
And even a lifting of our status, his readers, that of “partner and brother” of John!
And we can live this because Jesus is the “living One” … the One who “died and is alive forevermore”!
Application
To have a proper perspective of anything, I must see Jesus as over everything!
When I do this, I see properly how to be John’s “partner”.
What is it that I am “partnering with john in?
“the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance”
If I do not see Jesus as “ruler”, will I “partner in tribulation”? Not likely.
If I do not see Jesus as “the One who is, who was, and is to come”, will I “patiently endure”? Not likely.
But when I see Jesus as having “dominion over the rulers of the earth”, I can embrace the invitation to “partner” in the “kingdom”.
And only in this way will I “Fear Not”! … Because He is “alive forevermore” with the “keys to Death”.
Prayer
Thank you, God, for your Word and testimony
Help me to “Fear not”
Thank you that I can be a brother and partner in your kingdom
In Jesus name,
Amen