January 3: Accepting His Love.
HIS DESCRIPTION.
To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood...to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.--Revelation 1:5, 6
It was overwhelming, standing at the end of the main street of the ancient city of Ephesus, with its amazingly well-preserved ruins and its magnificent amphitheater. I envisioned travelers crowding through the city in the time when John wrote the book of Revelation. I also visited the island of Patmos, where John received the unveiling of Jesus. I tried to imagine how John must have felt on this island, about fifty miles southwest of Ephesus, being shown the final chapter of the world's history and the indisputable announcement: Jesus Wins!
In light of the revelations he received, how would John introduce Jesus to the audience? There are two verbs in John's opening description of Jesus that we will focus on, because they give us assurance from the very beginning of this book. "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" (Revelation 1:4-5). Let's start with the phrase: "who loves us" (verse 5). This present tense verb reminds us of the ongoing love of Jesus Christ for us, right now and forever. The original meaning is continuous: He loves us and keeps loving and loving and loving us. Then comes the second phrase: "And released us from our sins by His blood" (verse 5). In the original Greek, the past tense of the verb "to release" is what is called an aorist participle, which means a completed action in the past. Therefore, here we find two verbs that describe the relationship of Jesus with us: He loves us, continually and unceasingly, and He has purchased our freedom on the cross. These two verbs form the core of the everlasting gospel. Many have not experienced real, unconditional love in this world, yet God's message changes that. The last chapter of the world's history starts with the reminder that Jesus loves us, and that He has freed us. These two realities will sustain us every day until we see Him face to face!
My Response:________________________________________
HIS DESCRIPTION.
To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood...to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.--Revelation 1:5, 6
It was overwhelming, standing at the end of the main street of the ancient city of Ephesus, with its amazingly well-preserved ruins and its magnificent amphitheater. I envisioned travelers crowding through the city in the time when John wrote the book of Revelation. I also visited the island of Patmos, where John received the unveiling of Jesus. I tried to imagine how John must have felt on this island, about fifty miles southwest of Ephesus, being shown the final chapter of the world's history and the indisputable announcement: Jesus Wins!
In light of the revelations he received, how would John introduce Jesus to the audience? There are two verbs in John's opening description of Jesus that we will focus on, because they give us assurance from the very beginning of this book. "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" (Revelation 1:4-5). Let's start with the phrase: "who loves us" (verse 5). This present tense verb reminds us of the ongoing love of Jesus Christ for us, right now and forever. The original meaning is continuous: He loves us and keeps loving and loving and loving us. Then comes the second phrase: "And released us from our sins by His blood" (verse 5). In the original Greek, the past tense of the verb "to release" is what is called an aorist participle, which means a completed action in the past. Therefore, here we find two verbs that describe the relationship of Jesus with us: He loves us, continually and unceasingly, and He has purchased our freedom on the cross. These two verbs form the core of the everlasting gospel. Many have not experienced real, unconditional love in this world, yet God's message changes that. The last chapter of the world's history starts with the reminder that Jesus loves us, and that He has freed us. These two realities will sustain us every day until we see Him face to face!
My Response:________________________________________
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