Jesus Is

Revelation 1:5b-6 (Jesus Christ) who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. 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.
 
WHO is Jesus? There is no better reference than John’s stirring summary.
    Jesus is the faithful witness. He came from Heaven to truthfully speak the Father’s righteousness to his creation. His work witnessed to the Father’s love, justice and forgiveness. Recall Jesus said to the disciple Philip: John 14:7 “If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well…9 Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” We must in turn be faithful witnesses to our Lord.
    Jesus is the firstborn from the dead. This means he is the first resurrected in the Spirit’s power to live eternally with God. Fully man, he died as a man to be raised to life as the Son of God. He is our example to know with a sure hope our lives in Jesus’ name will resurrect in his power.
    Jesus is the ruler of the kings of the earth. There is no other name above the Lord Jesus. He is the King of kings, the Lord of Lords. John 18:36 Jesus said, “My Kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my Kingdom is from another
place.”
    Jesus is love. He is the one who loves us and has freed us from our sins because God first loved us. Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. And Jesus commands love. John 15:12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. Yes, Jesus is love who became man to demonstrate the depth of God’s love for us. He love us still, desiring we be with him.
    Jesus is redeemer. He transforms our lives. He has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father. Priests were chosen in God’s law to represent God’s holiness to his people. They were to intercede for the people’s sins and their needs. Priests praised God for his benevolent care over them. As we follow Christ, we become new people with those same priestly purposes. We obey God. We pray for people. We praise God with our worship. We testify of his joy in our lives. Jesus is glorified. He has returned to live in Heaven’s perfection. The Father has answered Jesus’ prayer in John 17:1 “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you...4 I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.” Because Jesus completed the Father’s work in the world, we can truly declare of Jesus, “To him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.” Yes, may we always personally know how to complete the sentence, “Jesus is...”