Who is Jesus Christ Today?
Revelation 1:9-20
Message #2
In our first message, we introduced our Revelation study “What’s Revelation About?” – get that message. And so, today, still in Revelation Chapter 1, verses 9-20. And then we’re going to focus on just one major point – Who is Jesus Christ TODAY? What image of Jesus can I get in my heart and in my mind today?
This book is the Revelation of
WHO Jesus Christ absolutely IS – Today
WHAT God is absolutely DOING – Today
When John received the Revelation, the Church was under substantial persecution. They needed to know who Jesus Christ truly was. They needed to know that they could have confidence in the One to whom they had entrusted their lives. And we need to know the exact same thing today, and the Book of Revelation will absolutely give us that confidence, and it begins with Who is Jesus Christ today?
Today, starting in verse 9, John explains how the Revelation of Jesus Christ began.
Revelation 1:9 (NLT)
9 I, John, am your brother and your partner in suffering and in God’s Kingdom and in the patient endurance to which Jesus calls us. I was exiled to the island of Patmos for preaching the word of God and for my testimony about Jesus.
First, notice those words “brother and partner in suffering.”
John was the highest-ranking official in the Church:
The only survivor of the original twelve
Previous leader of the Jerusalem church
Overseer of all the churches in Asia Minor (Turkey)
Survivor of incredible persecution
And he says, “It’s me, your brother and partner in suffering.” No “elevated church leader” stuff. No “kiss the ring – I’m special,” none of that.
John was honored to be our brother and our partner
in suffering
in God’s Kingdom and
in patient endurance Jesus calls us to
And we should be honored to be brothers and sisters with one another in those SAME things. What would happen if we felt like it was an honor to be one another’s brothers and sisters in Christ? It was an honor to be part of the family. It was an honor for us to partner with others in their suffering and in God’s Kingdom and in the work of the Kingdom, and in patient endurance. If we felt it was an honor, then there would be a little less of the bickering between us. If we felt like it was an honor to serve one another, to be part of the family, we would let some of that small stuff go. And really, it’s pretty much all small stuff that really causes trouble in the Church.
Revelation 1:10 (NLT)
10 It was the Lord’s Day (Sunday), and I was worshiping in the Spirit. Suddenly, I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet blast.
There are four places in Revelation where John writes he was “in the Spirit” and each one of them marks a significant transition in this Revelation of Jesus (This is the first one). John was “worshipping in the Spirit” when he begins to receive the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
And John suddenly hears behind him a loud voice like a trumpet blast. There are a lot of “likes” in Revelation, and this is one of the keys to understanding the book. When John says “like,” he is often trying to describe the impact or the intensity of what he’s seeing (or hearing). Or he is referring to something that has already been written in the Old Testament or in previous letters that would become the New Testament, and so John hears a voice like a trumpet.
Revelation 1:11 (NLT)
11 It (the voice like a trumpet, who IS Jesus) said, “Write in a book everything you see, and send it to the seven churches in the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”
These seven churches were all in present-day Turkey. They were the seven main churches that John was the overseer of in this area. And so, Jesus says, let’s start with your church. Let’s start where you’re at. Let’s start right where you serve me. And that’s true still today – it’s true in our lives. When God calls us to something, he first calls us to the church we serve. And so, God is using us in a number of ways far away from here, but it all starts here. And this is where I will be first accountable to God.
So, the Lord says, let’s start with the seven churches you oversee because they are a perfect picture of the Church at large, and they are also a perfect picture of the Church in our world today. And we’ll see what the Lord says to each of those churches in Chapters 2 and 3.
But right now, we are coming up on our primary focus today. The title of the message is “Who is Jesus Christ TODAY?” And we’re about to answer that question.
Revelation 1:12 (NLT)
12 When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands.
Now, right here, we have a great example of the best way to interpret the Book of Revelation. Here in verse 12, John sees seven golden lampstands, right? Now, just glance down at Revelation 1:20; the last line in verse 20 says, the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
Now, please hear me very closely.
When God wants you to know something perfectly clear – he writes it perfectly clear in the Bible.
And sometimes, when we don’t need to know something perfectly clear, God does not write it perfectly clear in the Bible.
So, let’s be perfectly clear on what is perfectly clear in the Bible, and let’s be okay not knowing perfectly clear when something is not made perfectly clear in the Bible. If we will commit to these basic interpretation rules as we go through the Book of Revelation, there will be much less debate and disagreement and much less confusion and craziness.
So, verse 20 tells us the lampstands are the seven churches which are representative of all the Church.
And then, we read this in the beginning of verse 13.
Revelation 1:13 (NLT)
13 And standing in the middle of the lampstands (the churches) was someone like the Son of Man . . .
Who is Jesus Christ TODAY? We are about to see him with John. When John sees the glorified Christ – Jesus is standing in the midst of the churches, and right now, the glorified Jesus Christ is standing in the midst of his Church.
In the midst of our Sin
In the midst of our Self-centeredness
In the midst of our Self-focus, our Pettiness, our Complaints
In the midst of our Criticisms and our Ridiculousness
The risen, ruling, glorified Christ is standing in our midst, and only because he is the God of grace, and mercy, and love does he continue to be standing in the midst of the Church today.
And as Jesus is standing in our midst, what does he look like? Most often, we imagine Jesus as he looked when he dwelt in a tent of flesh on earth. But Jesus is not in that tent of flesh anymore. The answer to the question WHO is Jesus Christ TODAY? Starts right here when John turns around and sees Jesus standing in the midst of the Churches.
As I read verses 13-16, I’m going to say the word “like” six times. John uses symbolism, and he uses the word “like” because there are no words in Greek (or English) to truly describe the glory of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 1:13–16 (NLT)
13 And standing in the middle of the lampstands (the churches) was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest.
14 His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire.
15 His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves.
16 He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance.
Verse 13 standing in the middle of the lampstands (the churches) was someone like the Son of Man
This is Jesus’ favorite title for Himself – Son of Man
He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest.
these are the Priestly Garments
they represent Righteousness and ROYALTY
Verse 14 His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow.
White like wool/snow is a picture of Holiness
Tho our Sins were scarlet, He made us White as Snow
And his eyes were like flames of fire.
With those eyes, Jesus penetrates into the deepest part of our soul
Hebrews 4:13 (NLT) - Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.
Verse 15 His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace,
Bronze Refined in a Furnace is always a picture of Judgement
And Jesus has MADE a WAY for you to ESCAPE the Judgment
AND – Jesus is coming Back AS the Judge of the World
and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves.
This is a Niagara Falls on steroids ROAR
Psalm 29:3–4 (NLT) - The voice of the Lord echoes above the sea. The God of glory thunders. The Lord thunders over the mighty sea. 4 The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic.
Verse 16 He held seven stars in his right hand,
These are the messengers (or leaders) of the 7 Churches – the Right hand is the place of Authority and Power – and that’s where Jesus holds His churches
and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth.
This is the Weapon of God
and IN Revelation, we’ll see this 2-edged sword of the WORD of God – coming from the mouth of Jesus – in judgement
(And Finally) And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance.
John could not look into the Glory of the Face of the Lord
Revelation 21 says there is no sun/moon in the Heavenly Jerusalem because the Lord IS its light – (The Brilliance of His GLORY)
This is a magnificent overwhelming, jaw-dropping Revelation of WHO Jesus Christ is TODAY. The word Revelation means “the unveiling,” and this is the first unveiling of who Jesus Christ truly IS. It’s like the curtain is pulled back for the first time, and John sees the real Jesus.
The Book of Revelation shows us a partial glimpse of the true glory Jesus “set aside” when he came to earth as a man to conquer sin, and death, and the grave on our behalf, when Jesus Christ set aside this glory and came to earth to save us.
Isaiah 53:2–3 (NLT)
2 . . . There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him.
3 He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care.
Guys, we need to understand (as much as possible) the glory that Jesus “set aside” in order to save us from sin and death.
Jesus radiated the glory of God before he came to earth as a man, and Jesus returned to radiate the glory of God after he conquered sin and death on our behalf.
Even Isaiah, who wrote so perfectly about How Jesus came the first time (in the verses we just read) he said first in Isaiah Chapter 6,
Isaiah 6:1–4 (NLT)
1 . . . I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple.
2 Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings . . .
3 They were calling out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!”
4 Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations . . .
THAT is who Jesus Christ truly is TODAY!! He is the Lord of Heaven and earth, and his full and complete glory is indescribable.
And we need to be able to stand up and say,
This is WHO my Lord is and
This is WHAT he looks like today
Some time ago, I watched a professional athlete apologize publicly for saying that he agreed with God’s Word on a certain “politically sensitive” issue. And he had to make this public apology because a woke sports complex barred him from competing there because they didn’t want to support a person who publicly stood with Jesus Christ. Listen, if I see in my mind Jesus Christ in his Revelation glory standing next to the most powerful person in the world today, I see the Lord of Glory standing next to a whining baby in a diaper that needs to be changed.
If we see Jesus Christ correctly as he is today, we will have no problem standing with him no matter how much pressure our anti-Christ culture puts on me.
And that’s why we need a clear vision of who Jesus Christ is today so we can stand firm IN him and stand firm WITH him, and that’s exactly what the believers needed in the first century when John wrote this revealing of Jesus Christ – to them.
And then, the Apostle John, the Disciple whom Jesus loved, the Disciple who rested his head on Jesus’ chest at the Last Supper, when he sees WHO Jesus Christ is TODAY – he does just what you and I should do.
Revelation 1:17(a) (NLT)
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead . . .
If the Apostle John responds at that level of awe and reverence, how much more should we?
But then, in the second half of verse 17, along with verse 18, says this.
Revelation 1:17(b)-18 (NLT)
. . . But he (Jesus) laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last.
18 I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.
John does get a little more “accustomed” to the revealing of WHO Jesus Christ is today, but I want to have his first response the first time I see the glorified Christ.
And so, now Jesus is going to commission John for one last massive calling in his life.
Revelation 1:19 (NLT)
19 “Write down what you have seen—both the things that are now happening and the things that will happen.
the things that are now happening (first 3 chapters)
and the things that will happen (chapters 4-22)
This is the commissioning that brings for the entire Book of Revelation.
And then we see again, when Jesus wants to make something perfectly clean, he makes sure John writes it perfectly clear.
Revelation 1:20 (NLT)
20 This is the meaning of the mystery of the seven stars you saw in my right hand and the seven gold lampstands: The seven stars are the angels (messengers) of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
And that is where Jesus is going to pick up in Chapter 2 next week.
We have got to see Jesus Christ for who he is today, and if we will see him for who he is today, then we will be able to say, I am on the right side of this battle for sure! The Church in the first century needed to know they were on the right side of the battle, and you and I need to know we are on the right side of the battle today.
And the way to know that, without question, is to have a correct view of WHO Jesus Christ is TODAY.
He is . . . The KING of Heaven
The Lord of Creation
The King of Glory
The King of All Believers
The King of all kings
And you want to be on his side.
This book is the Revelation of
WHO Jesus Christ absolutely IS – Today
WHAT God is absolutely DOING – Today
When John received the Revelation, the Church was under substantial persecution. They needed to know who Jesus Christ truly was. They needed to know that they could have confidence in the One to whom they had entrusted their lives. And we need to know the exact same thing today, and the Book of Revelation will absolutely give us that confidence, and it begins with Who is Jesus Christ today?
Today, starting in verse 9, John explains how the Revelation of Jesus Christ began.
Revelation 1:9 (NLT)
9 I, John, am your brother and your partner in suffering and in God’s Kingdom and in the patient endurance to which Jesus calls us. I was exiled to the island of Patmos for preaching the word of God and for my testimony about Jesus.
First, notice those words “brother and partner in suffering.”
John was the highest-ranking official in the Church:
The only survivor of the original twelve
Previous leader of the Jerusalem church
Overseer of all the churches in Asia Minor (Turkey)
Survivor of incredible persecution
And he says, “It’s me, your brother and partner in suffering.” No “elevated church leader” stuff. No “kiss the ring – I’m special,” none of that.
John was honored to be our brother and our partner
in suffering
in God’s Kingdom and
in patient endurance Jesus calls us to
And we should be honored to be brothers and sisters with one another in those SAME things. What would happen if we felt like it was an honor to be one another’s brothers and sisters in Christ? It was an honor to be part of the family. It was an honor for us to partner with others in their suffering and in God’s Kingdom and in the work of the Kingdom, and in patient endurance. If we felt it was an honor, then there would be a little less of the bickering between us. If we felt like it was an honor to serve one another, to be part of the family, we would let some of that small stuff go. And really, it’s pretty much all small stuff that really causes trouble in the Church.
Revelation 1:10 (NLT)
10 It was the Lord’s Day (Sunday), and I was worshiping in the Spirit. Suddenly, I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet blast.
There are four places in Revelation where John writes he was “in the Spirit” and each one of them marks a significant transition in this Revelation of Jesus (This is the first one). John was “worshipping in the Spirit” when he begins to receive the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
And John suddenly hears behind him a loud voice like a trumpet blast. There are a lot of “likes” in Revelation, and this is one of the keys to understanding the book. When John says “like,” he is often trying to describe the impact or the intensity of what he’s seeing (or hearing). Or he is referring to something that has already been written in the Old Testament or in previous letters that would become the New Testament, and so John hears a voice like a trumpet.
Revelation 1:11 (NLT)
11 It (the voice like a trumpet, who IS Jesus) said, “Write in a book everything you see, and send it to the seven churches in the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”
These seven churches were all in present-day Turkey. They were the seven main churches that John was the overseer of in this area. And so, Jesus says, let’s start with your church. Let’s start where you’re at. Let’s start right where you serve me. And that’s true still today – it’s true in our lives. When God calls us to something, he first calls us to the church we serve. And so, God is using us in a number of ways far away from here, but it all starts here. And this is where I will be first accountable to God.
So, the Lord says, let’s start with the seven churches you oversee because they are a perfect picture of the Church at large, and they are also a perfect picture of the Church in our world today. And we’ll see what the Lord says to each of those churches in Chapters 2 and 3.
But right now, we are coming up on our primary focus today. The title of the message is “Who is Jesus Christ TODAY?” And we’re about to answer that question.
Revelation 1:12 (NLT)
12 When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands.
Now, right here, we have a great example of the best way to interpret the Book of Revelation. Here in verse 12, John sees seven golden lampstands, right? Now, just glance down at Revelation 1:20; the last line in verse 20 says, the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
Now, please hear me very closely.
When God wants you to know something perfectly clear – he writes it perfectly clear in the Bible.
And sometimes, when we don’t need to know something perfectly clear, God does not write it perfectly clear in the Bible.
So, let’s be perfectly clear on what is perfectly clear in the Bible, and let’s be okay not knowing perfectly clear when something is not made perfectly clear in the Bible. If we will commit to these basic interpretation rules as we go through the Book of Revelation, there will be much less debate and disagreement and much less confusion and craziness.
So, verse 20 tells us the lampstands are the seven churches which are representative of all the Church.
And then, we read this in the beginning of verse 13.
Revelation 1:13 (NLT)
13 And standing in the middle of the lampstands (the churches) was someone like the Son of Man . . .
Who is Jesus Christ TODAY? We are about to see him with John. When John sees the glorified Christ – Jesus is standing in the midst of the churches, and right now, the glorified Jesus Christ is standing in the midst of his Church.
In the midst of our Sin
In the midst of our Self-centeredness
In the midst of our Self-focus, our Pettiness, our Complaints
In the midst of our Criticisms and our Ridiculousness
The risen, ruling, glorified Christ is standing in our midst, and only because he is the God of grace, and mercy, and love does he continue to be standing in the midst of the Church today.
And as Jesus is standing in our midst, what does he look like? Most often, we imagine Jesus as he looked when he dwelt in a tent of flesh on earth. But Jesus is not in that tent of flesh anymore. The answer to the question WHO is Jesus Christ TODAY? Starts right here when John turns around and sees Jesus standing in the midst of the Churches.
As I read verses 13-16, I’m going to say the word “like” six times. John uses symbolism, and he uses the word “like” because there are no words in Greek (or English) to truly describe the glory of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 1:13–16 (NLT)
13 And standing in the middle of the lampstands (the churches) was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest.
14 His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire.
15 His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves.
16 He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance.
Verse 13 standing in the middle of the lampstands (the churches) was someone like the Son of Man
This is Jesus’ favorite title for Himself – Son of Man
He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest.
these are the Priestly Garments
they represent Righteousness and ROYALTY
Verse 14 His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow.
White like wool/snow is a picture of Holiness
Tho our Sins were scarlet, He made us White as Snow
And his eyes were like flames of fire.
With those eyes, Jesus penetrates into the deepest part of our soul
Hebrews 4:13 (NLT) - Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.
Verse 15 His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace,
Bronze Refined in a Furnace is always a picture of Judgement
And Jesus has MADE a WAY for you to ESCAPE the Judgment
AND – Jesus is coming Back AS the Judge of the World
and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves.
This is a Niagara Falls on steroids ROAR
Psalm 29:3–4 (NLT) - The voice of the Lord echoes above the sea. The God of glory thunders. The Lord thunders over the mighty sea. 4 The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic.
Verse 16 He held seven stars in his right hand,
These are the messengers (or leaders) of the 7 Churches – the Right hand is the place of Authority and Power – and that’s where Jesus holds His churches
and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth.
This is the Weapon of God
and IN Revelation, we’ll see this 2-edged sword of the WORD of God – coming from the mouth of Jesus – in judgement
(And Finally) And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance.
John could not look into the Glory of the Face of the Lord
Revelation 21 says there is no sun/moon in the Heavenly Jerusalem because the Lord IS its light – (The Brilliance of His GLORY)
This is a magnificent overwhelming, jaw-dropping Revelation of WHO Jesus Christ is TODAY. The word Revelation means “the unveiling,” and this is the first unveiling of who Jesus Christ truly IS. It’s like the curtain is pulled back for the first time, and John sees the real Jesus.
The Book of Revelation shows us a partial glimpse of the true glory Jesus “set aside” when he came to earth as a man to conquer sin, and death, and the grave on our behalf, when Jesus Christ set aside this glory and came to earth to save us.
Isaiah 53:2–3 (NLT)
2 . . . There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him.
3 He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care.
Guys, we need to understand (as much as possible) the glory that Jesus “set aside” in order to save us from sin and death.
Jesus radiated the glory of God before he came to earth as a man, and Jesus returned to radiate the glory of God after he conquered sin and death on our behalf.
Even Isaiah, who wrote so perfectly about How Jesus came the first time (in the verses we just read) he said first in Isaiah Chapter 6,
Isaiah 6:1–4 (NLT)
1 . . . I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple.
2 Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings . . .
3 They were calling out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!”
4 Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations . . .
THAT is who Jesus Christ truly is TODAY!! He is the Lord of Heaven and earth, and his full and complete glory is indescribable.
And we need to be able to stand up and say,
This is WHO my Lord is and
This is WHAT he looks like today
Some time ago, I watched a professional athlete apologize publicly for saying that he agreed with God’s Word on a certain “politically sensitive” issue. And he had to make this public apology because a woke sports complex barred him from competing there because they didn’t want to support a person who publicly stood with Jesus Christ. Listen, if I see in my mind Jesus Christ in his Revelation glory standing next to the most powerful person in the world today, I see the Lord of Glory standing next to a whining baby in a diaper that needs to be changed.
If we see Jesus Christ correctly as he is today, we will have no problem standing with him no matter how much pressure our anti-Christ culture puts on me.
And that’s why we need a clear vision of who Jesus Christ is today so we can stand firm IN him and stand firm WITH him, and that’s exactly what the believers needed in the first century when John wrote this revealing of Jesus Christ – to them.
And then, the Apostle John, the Disciple whom Jesus loved, the Disciple who rested his head on Jesus’ chest at the Last Supper, when he sees WHO Jesus Christ is TODAY – he does just what you and I should do.
Revelation 1:17(a) (NLT)
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead . . .
If the Apostle John responds at that level of awe and reverence, how much more should we?
But then, in the second half of verse 17, along with verse 18, says this.
Revelation 1:17(b)-18 (NLT)
. . . But he (Jesus) laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last.
18 I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.
John does get a little more “accustomed” to the revealing of WHO Jesus Christ is today, but I want to have his first response the first time I see the glorified Christ.
And so, now Jesus is going to commission John for one last massive calling in his life.
Revelation 1:19 (NLT)
19 “Write down what you have seen—both the things that are now happening and the things that will happen.
the things that are now happening (first 3 chapters)
and the things that will happen (chapters 4-22)
This is the commissioning that brings for the entire Book of Revelation.
And then we see again, when Jesus wants to make something perfectly clean, he makes sure John writes it perfectly clear.
Revelation 1:20 (NLT)
20 This is the meaning of the mystery of the seven stars you saw in my right hand and the seven gold lampstands: The seven stars are the angels (messengers) of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
And that is where Jesus is going to pick up in Chapter 2 next week.
We have got to see Jesus Christ for who he is today, and if we will see him for who he is today, then we will be able to say, I am on the right side of this battle for sure! The Church in the first century needed to know they were on the right side of the battle, and you and I need to know we are on the right side of the battle today.
And the way to know that, without question, is to have a correct view of WHO Jesus Christ is TODAY.
He is . . . The KING of Heaven
The Lord of Creation
The King of Glory
The King of All Believers
The King of all kings
And you want to be on his side.