Beholding Christ in Miami
November 7, 2008
I write this article from Miami, where I am attending a pastor’s conference with some dear brothers, most of whom are African-American. The conference is focusing on the seven letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2-3, which delights my heart as we as a church read Revelation this month.
Last night Ken Jones, who pastors in Compton, CA, provided an introduction to the book of Revelation, and I was particularly struck by the opening greeting of the book that he drew to our attention. The typical greeting for Christian letters involves some variation of “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” But when John comes to reference Jesus in his greeting, he expands the Galilean carpenter’s identity beyond “Lord” and “Christ”–which are massive to begin with–to “the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth” (Revelation 1:5).
Pastor Jones pointed out that this threefold description of Jesus was exactly what tempted, persecuted Christians needed to hear in the first century. As they sought to be faithful witnesses to Jesus Christ, they needed to know him as the one who has already proven his faithfulness and thus could enable them to be faithful as well. As they were called to be “faithful unto death” (2:10) they needed to see Jesus Christ as the firstborn from the dead, whose resurrection assured them of their own resurrection, come what persecution may. And as these believers were in a milieu of emperor worship and other temptations to bow to earthly power, they needed to be reminded that Jesus Christ is the ruler of kings on earth. This threefold portrayal is doubtless a timely word for us today.
In other words, for all its fantastical images and smells and sounds, the aim of Revelation is the same as the aim of the gospels, Acts, and the epistles of the New Testament: to point us to Jesus Christ. My heart is being encouraged as I am being exhorted to behold Christ in his full splendor here in Miami, and I pray that as you continue to race through Revelation this week that your hearts will be strengthened as you contemplate the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.
Looking to Christ with you,
Pastor Chris