Lenten Midweek I

Letters from Our Lord: “The Risen Jesus Is Present in His Church”

Lenten Midweek I

February 21, 2024

Text: Rev. 1:9-20

            Where the Church is, there is Jesus.  That is what He says in our Gospel: “where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them” (Matt. 18:20; ESV).  And that is what He promises in the final words of Matthew’s Gospel: “And behold, I am with you,” 2^nd Person Plural, you all, the disciples, the Church, “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (28:20).  And that is what St. John sees.  The Lord Jesus, standing in the midst of seven golden lampstands, which are the seven Churches in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey).  With seven stars in His hand, which are the angels of the seven Churches.  He is among them, the Churches, holding tight their angels.  He is with them.  And note this: Not just in spirit, like when we say to someone from whose presence we are absent, that we are nevertheless with them in spirit.  We mean by that, that we wish we were with them, but are not.  But the risen Jesus stands in the midst of His Church, present bodily with His congregations.

            And that is profoundly comforting to the Church as she exists this side of the veil.  That is, the Church on earth.  The Church Militant, as we call her.  The Church that must live by faith, and not by sight, listening to her Savior’s Voice in His Word, but unable to behold the reality with her fallen and finite eyes.  The suffering Church… Suffering persecution and rejection from without; sin from within (she is, this side of the veil, simul iustus et peccator, full of saints who are, at the same time, sinners, who sin against one another… and repent, and are forgiven for Christ’s sake, but, nevertheless…).  She bears her weaknesses.  It is messy business, being the Church on earth.  But she lives in hope and expectation.  Jesus is coming again, and that right soon.  And, in the meantime, she rejoices in the redemption of His cross, washed clean by His blood, clothed in the splendor of His own holiness, sanctified by His Spirit, who has called her together in the first place.  Where the Spirit so gathers her, there the risen and living Lord Jesus Christ abides in her midst. 

            And St. John, our brother and partner in the tribulation, and the kingdom, and the patient endurance, is given a glimpse at this reality behind the veil… an apocalypse (which doesn’t mean disaster, like we tend to use the word, but revelation), just a little lifting of the curtain… for his own consolation and encouragement, as he suffers in exile for the sake of Christ on the Island of Patmos.  And for our consolation and encouragement as we suffer whatever crosses and tribulations the Lord deigns to lay upon us for our good.  John writes it all down, is commanded by the Lord so to do, for this very purpose. 

            You should know that.  So many people are afraid of the Book of Revelation, and there is so much hype and false teaching about it, because we don’t understand the purpose of the Book: To reveal to us, not just the future Judgment, but the unseen reality of things even now.  Jesus lives.  And He reigns.  And He is with us now.  Therefore, dear Christians, do not fear.  Be comforted and encouraged to live faithfully as you await the full manifestation of His Kingdom and victory when He comes again. 

            Look at how John describes Him as He is in the midst of the lampstands.  He is One like a Son of Man.  “Son of Man,” that is Jesus’ favorite designation of Himself in the Gospels.  It is a reference to the Incarnation.  God has taken on our flesh and blood. 

            He is clothed like a priest.  Jesus is our High Priest.  He has offered the Sacrifice of Atonement for our sins, and He is, Himself, that Sacrifice.  And now He lives to make intercession for us before His Father, and impart to us the Father's holiness. 

            The hairs of His head are white, like wool, or like snow.  Eternal, wise, holy.  That is how Daniel describes the Ancient of Days, God the Father, in his own heavenly vision (In fact, much of what John sees here is consistent with Daniel’s vision, Dan. 7).  This is to say, Jesus is the very Image of His Father, and, in fact, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, of one substance with His Father (Nicene Creed). 

            His eyes are like a flame of fire.  He sees all things.  Nothing can be hidden from Him.  And His look penetrates to the very soul.  Like Peter, who, after denying Jesus three times, wept bitterly, because our Lord turned and looked at him (Luke 22:61-62).  Not in anger.  But in sadness.  And in pity.  And in an effective call to repentance. 

            His feet are like burnished bronze, as One whose enemies lie vanquished beneath His feet.  And His voice is like the roar of many waters, rushing forth to flood the earth with the preaching of His Word.  And from His mouth comes a mighty, two-edged sword.  His Word judges all mankind, either righteous (that is, those who believe in Him), or unrighteous (that is, those who do not believe in Him). 

            And then, His face: It shines like the sun in full strength.  John has seen this before.  And it has knocked him to the ground before.  Where?  At the Transfiguration.  Where the Spirit enveloped him in a cloud, and the Father’s voice thundered from heaven, and the Son shone with His own divine radiance.  So, there is no doubt who this is among the lampstands.  It is Jesus.  The Man from Nazareth.  But no mere Man.  The Son of God. 

            Again, “Fear not,” He says (Rev. 1:17).  Fear not, dear Church.  “I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades” (vv. 17-18).  We need not fear, because this is He who was with God in the beginning, from all eternity.  And He is the end and goal of all things, the consummation.  And He is our life.  He is the One who died, but who is now risen from the dead, never to die again.  And He has the keys.  He releases us from death and condemnation.  He gives us His life, so that our end is resurrection life with Him forevermore.

            Now, the lampstands are each, individual congregation.  They are filled with the oil of the Spirit, who is our anointing.  The flame is faith.  The light shining forth from the flame is the works of love we are given to do for our neighbor.  And what of these stars the Lord holds in His hand, the angels of the seven Churches?  For one, we should know that the Church of God enjoys the protection of the holy angels, the mighty ministering spirits who do God’s bidding.  Just as we each have guardian angels, so do our congregations.  They are here now, worshiping with us, helping us, and protecting us. 

            But probably, these angels (the Greek word for “angel,” remember, means "messenger) are the pastors of each congregation.  And I can’t begin to tell you how comforting it is, as a pastor, to know that I am in the pierced hand of my risen Lord Jesus Christ. 

            It is with this in mind that we take up our midweek meditations on the letters from our Lord to the seven Churches.  In each case, Jesus addresses a specific Word to a specific congregation.  But, like the letters of St. Paul to this or that particular Church, the letters are also addressed and applicable to the whole Church of God on earth.  And that means that in each of these letters the Lord Jesus is addressing His letter to us, whom the Spirit has gathered here, in Moscow, Idaho.

            Each letter establishes that the Lord knows each congregation’s situation, intimately.  He knows what His people are suffering, and He knows our struggle to persevere in faith, hope, and love. 

            There are Words of Law.  Our Lord’s love for us demands that He deal acutely and forthrightly with whatever may threaten to extinguish our lamp. 

            And there are tremendous Words of Gospel comfort, and encouragement to be faithful, setting our eyes on Jesus, and on the reward to come.

            The Lord knows our situation, beloved.  He knows that we are a little flock without a home of our own, like Israel of old, waiting for the cloud to settle in a place, or lift up again and bid us follow.  He knows we have but little power, and that we live in a world increasingly hostile to us, because it is increasingly hostile to Him.  He knows our sins.  He knows where we have been faithless, and He will speak to that.  But, so also, He will speak His Promise.  And His Promise, as it is spoken, fans into flame our faith, and our faithfulness, that by His gift, and His doing, we persevere to the end. 

            Beloved, never lose sight of this fact: Jesus is here, in our midst.  We hear His Voice.  And in just a moment, we will eat His body, and drink His blood.  Where the Church is, there is Jesus.  Two or three, or sixty or seventy, gathered together in His Name.  He is with us always, to the end of the age.  Therefore, be comforted.  And be of good courage.  And listen.  God grant us ears to hear what the Spirit says to the Churches… the very Word of Jesus Christ.  In the Name of the Father, and of the Son X, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.