CHRIST UNVEILED

 

Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man….  (Revelation 1:12-13a)

Artists through the years have tried to capture the image of Jesus Christ on canvas.  The Bible never tells us what the Carpenter of Nazareth looked like then, but we know what He looks like now—for John saw Him and was overwhelmed.  In the first chapter of Revelation we behold Christ unveiled.

Consider His WORTH (v.11a).  Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet.  He is the first and last letters and all those in between.  Twenty-six letters are used in the English language to form all our words.  That's all you need—Jesus is all you need.  His worth is also suggested in Rev.1:13 where He is "girded about the chest with a golden band."  Gold is a precious metal, the symbol of riches.  John falls, deeply sensing his own unworthiness in the presence of One so worthy.

Hear His WORD.  Throughout the text, stress is laid upon what the Eternal Word of God is saying.

He speaks with A TRUMPET VOICE (v.10).  One cannot read this without thinking of 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 where the trumpet of God sounds.  Just as He cried with a loud voice before the tomb of Lazarus, "Lazarus, come forth!" so the saints who slumber will arise.

It is also A THUNDEROUS VOICE (v.15b).  John heard the thundering waves dashing on the rocks of Patmos.  The voice of Christ drowned out the surf.  “John, these waters may separate you from human companionship, but your Heavenly Companion will never leave you, nor forsake You!”

His is A TESTING VOICE (v.16b).  The test of true faith is the Word of God.  "He who rejects Me, and does not receive my words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day."  (John 12:48)

However, it is also A TENDER VOICE (v.17b).  I am most grateful.  These are words of grace that dispel all fear.

Christ speaks with A TRIUMPHANT VOICE (v.18).  Keys stand for authority. Acts 2:24 says, "And God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power." The hymn expressed it,

Death could not keep its prey, Jesus my Savior;

He tore the bars away, Jesus my Lord.

Up from the grave He arose, with a mighty triumph o'er His foes.

He arose a victor from the dark domain, and He lives forever with His saints to reign.

Note His WALK (v.13a,20; 2:1).  He walks among His people.  It is a walk where He is sifting us and evaluating us.  His feet are as brass in a furnace (v.15a).  This is a picture of judgment.  He is going to confront His churches in chapters 2-3.

Observe His WORK. 

He is THE INTERCEDING PRIEST (v.13).  His robes are those of the High Priest who went into the temple and stood before the golden lampstand, and so we see Jesus in an even greater way.  He ever lives to intercede for us.

He is THE INTERROGATING JUDGE (v.14-15).  Here are the piercing eyes of the Ancient of Days. You can't pull the wool over those eyes!

He is THE ILLUMINATING LIGHT (v.16b).  He is the Light of the world.  

He is THE INVINCIBLE KING (v.18).  He holds the keys of authority as King of kings and Lord of lords!

THE NEW COVENANT

 

But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.  (Hebrews 8:6)

Marriage is a covenant.  A man and woman enter into a commitment to love each other exclusively for life.   God entered into a covenant relationship with Israel.  He promised to bless them, if they would obey Him.  They agreed.  But, because of their sinful hearts, they proved unfaithful.  God still reached out and promised a New Covenant.  This covenant would be provided by His Son, Jesus Christ.  It would be superior to the Old Covenant.  Hebrews 8:1-13 tells us why.

There is a better ministry based on a superior priesthood (v.1-6).  “He has obtained a more excellent ministry” (v.6a).   In this section, we get to “the main point” (v.1).  At the heart of this message is that Jesus is our Great High Priest.  The writer is showing the folly of those who were tempted to turn back to Judaism.

Christ’s ministry is superior in His seat (v.1).  The Levitical priests never sat down.  They couldn’t sit down because their work was never finished.  But, when Jesus did His redeeming work, He cried out from the cross, “It is finished!”  Then, He arose from the grave and ascended to glory—and took a seat!

Christ’s ministry is superior in His sanctuary (v.2).  The Old Testament tabernacle was a tent—manufactured, transported, and erected by men—temporary, and has ceased to exist long ago.  Yet Christ ministers in the splendor of the New Jerusalem above—the eternal dwelling of God!

Christ’s ministry is superior in His sacrifice (v.3).  Sacrifices were offered repeatedly by the Old Covenant priests because their virtue was only symbolic and temporary.  But, Jesus offered Himself—the Lamb of God once and for all atoning for sin and it will never need repeating.

Christ’s ministry is superior in His sphere (v.4).  The Levitical priests were men and ministered on earth.  Jesus is God and ministers in eternity.

Christ’s ministry excels in His standard (v.5).  The Hebrew sanctuary was patterned after the Heavenly sanctuary.  It would be like having a replica of Michelangelo’s statue of Moses on your bookshelf.  It could not compare in value and glory to the original.  

All this points to His supremacy (v.6). Hebrews proclaims the supremacy of the Savior in His person—greater than angels, greater than Moses, greater than Joshua; in His priesthood—greater than Aaron; greater in His provision—the grace and mercy in the New Covenant!

There is better Mediator based on superior promises (v.7-13).   “He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises” (v.6b).

The law could give requirements, but not the resources to meet them (v.7-9).  It could reveal your error but couldn’t remove the evil.  Scales can show you how much you weigh, but cannot make you lose pounds!  The Old Covenant was an external code engraved on stone, while the New Covenant is an internal compulsion engraved on the heart (v.10-11)! 

Jesus has supplied our greatest need (v.12).  We are sinners who need a Savior.  He removes those sins as far as east from west and buries them in the depths of the sea.  

Music technology has changed much in my lifetime—from records to 8 tracks, cassettes to CDs, and now the cloud.  Things become obsolete.  Not the New Covenant—it promises eternal salvation (v.13)!

Are you in this covenant relationship with Jesus Christ?  If you are, then rejoice and tell someone else.  If not—trust in Jesus today!

THE PRIEST KING

 

For He testifies: “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.”  (Hebrews 7:17)

When Jesus read the Bible, it was what we call the Old Testament.  If Peter or Paul took a text to preach, it would be from the Old Testament.  This first-century Hebrew church would have known and understood the quotations, allusions and illustrations, but that isn’t necessarily true of a twentieth-first century audience.  Maybe you are clueless concerning Melchizedek.  By the help of God, we are going to fix that.  We are going to tell you who Melchizedek was—and why it matters—a lot!

There is THE MYSTERY OF THE PRIEST KING (v.1-3) “made like the Son of God” (v.3).  Melchizedek, the “mystery man” steps out of the shadows in Genesis, for a brief moment in the spotlight, and then vanishes until Psalm 110 (quoted in Heb.7:17, 21).  There is a message in the mystery—He is a type of Christ.   The story unfolds in Genesis 14, where Abraham pays a tithe to this man who is both king and priest of Jerusalem.  There the greater man, Melchizedek, blesses the lesser man, Abraham, and the lesser man pays tithes to the greater.  Jesus combines the offices of King and Priest. 

Hebrews 7:3 doesn’t mean that Melchizedek literally had no parents, pedigree, birth or death, but that none is recorded, and as such paints a prophetic picture of Christ, the Eternal Son of God.  Jesus didn't have a Father concerning His humanity.  He had no mother concerning His Deity. 

Jesus is the ultimate King of Righteousness and Peace.  As suddenly as Melchizedek showed up, Jesus will step out of the clouds, onto Planet Earth and seize control.  The greatest of all will bless the world and we will bow before Him!

Next consider THE MAJESTY OF THE PRIEST KING (v.4-10) “how great this man was” (v.4).  We are called to pause and meditate on the greatness of this man.  Abraham was their father, and great example of faith.  To hear someone speak of a greater than Abraham to these Jews was arresting, but it is evident that Abraham so considered him.  The clear focus of Hebrews is that Jesus is superior to all!  The Levitical priests would receive tithes under the law, but Levi paid tithes through Abraham in the genetic connection. 

Then there is THE MINISTRY OF THE PRIEST KING (v.11-28) “He always lives to make intercession” (v.25).  Thus the priesthood of Melchizedek is greater than the Levitical.  Jesus offers a better hope (v.11-19).  The preparatory phase of the Levitical priesthood is representative of the temporary nature of the law.  The law could prescribe righteousness, but could not provide it.  It could bring justice on sinners, but could not justify sinners.  Reconciliation has been accomplished through our Mediator, Christ the Lord.  Christ made a better covenant (v.20-28).  The Levitical priests were installed by virtue of their physical descent.  Jesus was set aside by God’s eternal decree.  When Levites died, their service ended, but Jesus never dies!  There was no one else like Melchizedek in the Old Testament.  We may be sure, that in an infinitely better way, there is no one like Jesus!  He is resurrected from the sepulcher, risen through the sky, and reigning above the stars.  He will be ultimately acknowledged as King of kings and Lord of lords!

Jesus is King and Priest, Master and Mediator—Lord and Savior—He is both.  We must receive Him as both, if we would be His follower.  Have you?

AN ANCHOR FOR OUR SOUL

This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil....  (Hebrews 6:19)

There have been a number of Sunday mornings, I have walked into our auditorium, burdened and weary.  Then, I have looked at a beautiful stained glass window that simply features an anchor.  When the sun shines through in the morning, the image of that anchor glows on the carpet.  I have been reminded that whatever storm I was going through I had an anchor that would hold--and hope flooded my soul, washing away the doubt and fear!  It is a visual presentation of the verbal proclamation that our text makes.  This small church of Hebrews was facing a hurricane of hateful persecution.  They needed reassurance that their anchor was secure.

There is THE SURE PROMISE (v.13-17).  CHRIST’S PROMISE IS IMMUTABLE.  The word means unchanging.  If God makes a promise, you need not doubt it!  It is immutable—unchanging and always true.  It cannot be a deception—a deliberate lie for God is wholly true.  It cannot be a delusion—thinking that He can do something that He cannot—for He is all powerful.  When I go into court and promise to tell the truth, I swear on a Bible—pledging to and dependent on a Higher Power to make my testimony sure.  God cannot do more than to make a promise based on His own nature for there is no higher authority (v.16).  The promise made to Abraham would be a long time in its fulfillment—a decade and a half later.    "And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise." (v.15)  His profession was matched by his performance and proven in his persistence—and thus, Abraham received the promise—and that is what we must do also (6:1-12).

Further, we have THE SECURE HOPE (v.18-19).  CHRIST’S PRESERVATION IS IMMOVABLE.  I hope that you would find it improbable that I would lie—but being a frail human, you know I could.  It might be that I didn't intend to deceive, but was mistaken.  With God neither falsehood or failure is possible!  If He lied, He would cease to be God and instead become the Devil of hell.  The author doesn't write so we throw up our hands and give up, but hitch up our britches and go on! “Strong consolation” means "calling alongside"--a loud voice urging us on!  Picture a terrified sailor in storm, hearing the captain's voice above the storm or a tired runner cheered by the crowd as he heads for the finish line.   The term “fled for refuge" suggests the Old Testament cities of refuge where a man could flee if he had accidentally killed someone.  Jesus is our refuge!

Then, there is THE STEADFAST WORK (v.20).  CHRIST’S PRIESTHOOD IS IMMORTAL.  We are safe as long as Jesus intercedes—which means we are safe forever!  He is the forerunner who has penetrated beyond the veil, into the Holy of Holies in heaven, opening the way for us.

Are you anchored in Christ?  Are you trusting Him to save you?  That is the only hope we have as sinners—but it is a steadfast hope if we will place our faith in Him and give our life to Him.  If you are drifting, put down the anchor!  If you are doubting, look up to Jesus!