Big Idea: Because Jesus Christ is the king over all things..including sin and death..we should stop being afraid and confidently live our lives as God’s priests in this world.
Questions
How much fear and anxiety have you experienced in recent months?
In what ways has your experience of fear and anxiety been tied to the current political and economic situation? How satisfied are you with the current leaders in our world, nation, and community? How much do you yearn for powerful and effective leaders?
What issues were forefront in your mind in the recent presidential election? How confident were you that either one of the candidates had what it took to lead this country? When you think about the candidates - what personal characteristics of stuck out for you and which influenced your vote the most?
Under what circumstances do you find yourself most likely to support authority figures? Under what circumstances do you find yourself most likely to rebel against authority figures?
Read though Revelation 1:1-22 [show]Revelation 1
[1:1]The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants(1) the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant(2) John, [2]who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. [3]Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.
[4]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, [5]and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood [6]and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. [7]Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail(3) on account of him. Even so. Amen.
[8]"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."
[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. [10]I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet [11]saying, "Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea."
[12]Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, [13]and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. [14]The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, [15]his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. [16]In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.
[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, [18]and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. [19]Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this. [20]As for the mystery of the seven stars that 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. (ESV)
Footnotes
1. [1:1] Greek 'bondservants'
2. [1:1] Greek 'bondservant'
3. [1:7] Or 'mourn'
and pay attention to the images of Jesus Christ- which ones do you find most challenging? Confusing? Comforting?
A priest is one who called offer sacrifices at the altar, and who acted as mediator between men and God. The priests taught the people of Israel about sin, forgiveness and worship. Jesus was the true and better priest, indeed he is our great high priest who offered himself up as the perfect sacrifice for sin (Hebrews 4:12-16 [show]Hebrews 4:12-16
[12]For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. [13]And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
[14]Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. [15]For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. [16]Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (ESV)). What do you think about the fact that Jesus has made us a kingdom of priests? Does the kingship of Christ and the fact that he has made you a priest in God’s Kingdom make you less fearful and more confident? Why or why not?
How will you exercise your priesthood this week? In what ways can your service, worship, prayers, and praise of God draw others to acknowledge God’s greatness and and mercy?
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