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November 29, 2009
“Come!”
Revelation 22: 10-17 & 20-21
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Today the decorations in our Sanctuary and some special elements in our Worship Service announce to us that we have entered a new season. Today we begin the Season of Advent. During advent we think about the events surrounding the first coming of the Messiah otherwise known as the Birth of Jesus. During this Advent season we will be looking at Scripture passages which describe prophecies about the coming of Jesus and others which describe events and conversations that took place just before his birth.
But there is another element in Advent celebrations. Christians believe that the resurrected and glorified Jesus is coming back to this earth to claim those who believe in Him, issue his final judgments of all who have ever lived, and establish his final kingdom. During Advent we celebrate the two advents or comings of the Christ: the first one that occurred about 6 BC in Bethlehem and the second one that is yet to occur.
This morning we are looking at the final verses in the bible to be reminded of that second coming and how we need to prepare ourselves for it.
The last book that is presented in our Bible is the book of Revelation or the Revelation delivered to the Apostle John, or the Apocalypse of John. It is a very interesting book. It is the Apostle John’s description of a vision that he saw and heard on the Island of Patmos when he was an old man.
John had been exiled to the Island of Patmos by the Roman Authorities. We think he was sent there because Rome was trying to suppress the church and make it less active. John was seen as one of the main leaders of the church at this time so he was exiled to Patmos so he could not lead the church.
It is perhaps a sign of God’s sense of humor as well has His power that it was during this exile that God sent to the church through John one of the most inspirational and powerful books the church has ever received. This book gives great hope to all Christians. The promises that are contained in this book have inspired Christians to defy persecuting governments and openly declare themselves to be followers of Christ. The predictions of this book have kept Christians alert and hopeful about the return of Jesus for over 1900 years.
This morning we are looking at the last verses of this great book. These verses contain no details of the return of Jesus to earth. Those have already been given in earlier chapters and verses. What is contained in these verses is information as to when and for whom Jesus will return.
The when is any day now. As our passage begins, John is conversing with the being who hosted him during his journey through the vision. This guide told him not to seal the words of the prophecy. In prophetic literature, sealing a document meant that it was for a later generation. Not sealing it meant that the prophecy was for the then current generation. Some of the events described in the book of Revelation were about to happen shortly after the prophecy was received. It was given to the Christians of that generation to give them comfort and courage during the difficult times which were coming their way.
The persecutions and victories and defeats that are described through the symbols and signs in Revelation were to begin in that generation and continue into and beyond our own day. How do I know they are to continue into and beyond our own day? Because the end of the vision describes the return of Jesus, and that has not yet occurred.
And the next to last verse of Revelation reads “The one who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon””. Now of course, the flow of human history since then indicates that He did not come soon after the publication of the prophecy. Some 1900 years have passed since then. But in a sense, Jesus does come to us as we go to him at our deaths. That is never much more than 100 years off for any of us.
And we need to remember that after the death and resurrection of Jesus, the next important event is his return. All is ready for it.
We also need to remember that in God’s time, a second can be equal to thousands of our years.
So Christians are supposed to expect Jesus to arrive on earth to judge us at any time.
How are we to prepare ourselves? The answers to that question are given in 11-14. in the last part of the 11th verse we read, “let the righteous still do right and the holy still be holy.” And in verse 12 we read “See, I am coming soon; my reward is with me, to repay according to everyone’s work.” So the obvious answer to the question is Get Busy! Do good and holy deeds that will please Jesus when he judges.
But the scriptures teach us that we cannot be saved by our works or deeds. We have all sinned and we cannot make up for our sins by doing good. So in verse 14 we read “Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they will have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates.” The city here is a symbol for the Eternal Kingdom of God. And while good and holy deeds are important, no one gets into the kingdom unless they are purified by being forgiven by the sinless and perfect Jesus. In an earlier passage in Revelation the reader is told that there were some folks who washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb. That is the kind of washing that is referred to here. By his death Jesus purchased our forgiveness. Unless we turn away from our sins and accept his forgiveness of them, we cannot be a part of God’s kingdom.
But this passage has something to tell us about how this world will be until Jesus comes again, and this condition of the world is something that we notice at this time of year.
Until Jesus returns we are to be doing holy and good deeds, but the objective of those deeds is given in verse 17. The Spirit and the bride say “Come”. And let every one who hears say “Come.” And let everyone who is thirsty come, Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift.” Some bible scholars have thought that the subject of the “Coming” here in the first two clauses is the return of Christ, that the Spirit and the bride are to say “Come”, to Christ. But in the light of the third clause “let everyone who is thirsty Come”, I think the ones who are to come are those people who have not yet come to Christ, those who need to “take the water of life as a gift”. And by the way, the bride, who is to invite people to come, is the Church of Jesus Christ.
Our good and holy deeds are to be done to help others come to Jesus for forgiveness. As the Christmas season begins and progresses and you get involved in the shopping and partying and decorating and attending concerts and other Christmas programs and services, remember that Jesus is coming again. Remember to do righteous and holy deeds and speak righteous and holy words that will help others come to Jesus and into his final kingdom.
In this passage Jesus is referred to as “the bright morning star”. He is the one whose coming will mark the beginning of a new eternal day and a new eternal kingdom. He is the one who is quoted in verse 20 as saying “Surely I am coming soon”. We better get busy.
Pastor David Horner
Faith Presbyterian Church
West Lafayette, IN 47905
Posted by faithpres at November 29, 2009 07:14 PM