Read 2 Chronicles 1 and Revelation 1.
This devotional is about Revelation 1.
John, the disciple of Jesus who wrote the Gospel of John and the letters we call first, second, and third John, outlived the other apostles of Jesus. He may have been the only one of the Twelve who was not martyred for his faith.
Though John died of natural causes, he suffered much for his faith as all the apostles of Jesus did. We see that here in Revelation 1:9 which says, “I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus….” He went on in verse 9 to say that he was “on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.” Patmos was a prison colony, so John wasn’t enjoying a sunny vacation there. He was there with other prisoners of the Roman Empire. In John’s case, however, he was there because he was preaching the gospel, as the phrase “because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus” in verse 9 indicates.
While on Patmos, John had the vision that he recorded here in the book of Revelation, as we read in verses 10-11. Although John was suffering as a prisoner for Christ, he opened this chapter with words of joyful praise. The end of verse 5 and verse 6 say, “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.”
These words remind us of what God is doing in our lives and through our lives as Christians. If we think about what John wrote, it can help focus us on what our lives mean. So let’s walk through these phrases together.
First, John talks about our salvation at the end of verse 5 when he wrote, “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood….” This is about the death of Christ for us. Jesus came into this world and died. But he died because he “loves us” as the first phrase says and he died for a purpose because his death “freed us from our sins by his blood,” as the end of verse 5 says. This is why we know God and why we have assurance of an eternal future with Jesus Christ. He loved us by dying for our sins to free us from the slavery of sin.
But verse 6 goes on to talk about our united purpose as the people of God. Verse 6 says, “6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father….” First, John said that Christ “…has made us to be a kingdom.” This refers to the reign of Christ over us, the church, which will culminate in the establishment of his eternal kingdom on earth where we will live forever and rule with the Lord Jesus Christ. John is going to see a lot about that in the vision to come recorded here in the book of Revelation. And that is our hope, too! No matter whether we die in faith or live until Christ’s return, we have been given in our salvation, citizenship in the kingdom of Jesus Christ.
But verse 6 goes on to say that Christ made us to be “priests to serve his God and Father….” These words describe what we are still doing on this earth, instead of reigning with Christ in heaven. Priests in the Old Testament offered sacrifices but there are no more sacrifices to offer because Christ’s sacrifice for our sins put an end to animal sacrifices. But, like the priests of the Old Testament, we are priests in this world in the sense that we can tell people about how Christ has been sacrificed to take away their sin. Like the priests in the Old Testament, we are teachers of God’s word to the world that needs to know him. So, this is why we are here! This is our mission on this earth while we wait for Christ’s kingdom to come to this world. We are here to teach the world about Jesus and tell them that he died for their sins to give them entry into the kingdom of God.
Finally, verse 7 ends with these words: “to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.” The gospel, our evangelism, and the kingdom of Christ are for his glory. And he is glorified in us as we worship him, witness for him, and wait for him to return.
Let these words encourage you today! John was suffering for his faith but he was praising God because he knew what God was doing in the world despite his suffering. So, too, should we remind ourselves that this world and its troubles are temporary and that Christ will not fail to accomplish what he has prophesied in this book called Revelation.
Until he comes, remember our role as priests in this world and look for ways to tell others what Christ has done to save them. God is glorified in all of this. May he glorify himself through us today.