THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
REVELATION 1:5
Revelation 1:5, “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,”
Acts 2:36, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
Introduction:
Jesus gives a picture of Himself in this verse. Look at the Savior as the Spirit of God reveals Him in the Word of God.
I. THE FAITHFUL WITNESS
A. He is the Faithful Witness of His Father.
1. He is the Only Begotten of the Father, John 1:14, “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.”
2. He has DECLARED the Father, John 1:18, “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.”
a. He has declared that He is the WAY to the Father, John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
b. He has declared how the Father is to be worshipped, John 4:23-24, “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”
1) We worship Him in Spirit.
This is in opposition to all carnal conceptions of him, as if he was a corporeal being, or circumscribed in some certain place, dwelling in temples made with hands, or was to be worshipped with men’s hands; and in distinction from the carnal worship of the Jews, which lay greatly in the observation of carnal ordinances: and this shows they should NOT worship with their bodies only, for bodily exercise profiteth little; but with their souls or spirits, with their WHOLE hearts engaged therein. —John Gill’s Exposition.
2) We worship Him in Truth, Joshua 24:14, “Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.”
c. He has declared that He is ONE with the Father, John 10:30, “I and my Father are one.”
d. He declared that He is EQUAL with the Father, John 5:18, “Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.”
B. He is the Faithful Witness of the Promises of the Word of God, Romans 15:8, “Now I say that Jesus Christ was a MINISTER of the circumcision for the truth of God, to CONFIRM THE PROMISES made unto the fathers:”
1. To minister to man, Matthew 20:28, “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”
2. As Priest He is the MINISTER of the TRUE TABERNACLE, Hebrews 8:2, “A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.”
II. THE FIRST BEGOTTEN OF THE DEAD
A. The FIRSTBORN of the dead, at the head of those who rise from their graves, Colossians 1:18, “And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.”
B. He has risen to die NO MORE, 1 Corinthians 15:20-22, “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”
1. He is the HOPE of our great future, 2 Timothy 1:12, “For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.”
2. God raised Jesus from the dead that we might HOPE IN GOD, 1 Peter 1:21, “Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.”
III. THE PRINCE OF THE KINGS OF THE EARTH
1. Jesus by his resurrection won LORDSHIP over the kings of earth, Revelation 17:14, “These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.”
2. Satan had offered this if He would bow down to the Devil, Matthew 4:8-9, “Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
3. Jesus is the RIGHTFUL OWNER of the title, Revelation 19:16, “And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
B. Jesus our Prince LOVES His people, John 13:1, “Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.”
C. Jesus WASHED US in His own blood, Hebrews 9:14, “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”
1. His blood has cleansed us from ALL SIN, 1 John 1:7, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
2. His blood has SAVED US FROM the WRATH to come, Romans 5:9, “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”
3. Through His blood we have REDEMPTION and FORGIVENESS of sins, Ephesians 1:7, “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;”