THE LORD’S WORD TO JOHN
Richard J Gray
Revelation 1: 17-18
The apostle John who wrote the Revelation was one who knew the Lord Jesus when He was here, and we know from John’s gospel that he was conscious of the love of the Lord Jesus in a particular way. He writes of himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved”, John 21: 20. Our brothers have spoken of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and His own words as to it when He was here. In this scripture, the Lord Jesus spoke to John as raised from the dead.
John was in difficult circumstances in the testimony; earlier in this chapter he speaks of himself as “your brother and fellow-partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and patience”, v 9. Speaking simply, our sister has known difficulty and sorrow in her life and in the testimony. You might ask what was it that sustained her throughout such a long life. I think it was her faith in Christ, and her knowledge of the love of Jesus. She was one like John who knew the present love of the Lord Jesus. It was not just an historical thing, but something present. I would ask that question, whether you know the Lord Jesus, as our beloved sister did. Do you know Him as Saviour? And also as Lord?
John knew that, and in the verses that I have read he gets a personal word from the Lord Jesus in resurrection. The Lord lays His right hand upon him. What assurance that was for John. And he receives this word, “Fear not; I am the first and the last, and the living one”. Think of the Lord Jesus speaking of Himself as “the living one”. We might be in difficult circumstances but we can rely upon the Lord. What confidence we can have in the Lord Jesus, dear friends and brethren, as the One who has broken the power of death.
What a remarkable word this is, that He says, “I became dead”. As we think of the Lord Jesus going into death, the question would be, ‘Did He go that way for you?’. But He is no longer in death; He is raised. He says to John, “behold, I am living to the ages of ages, and have the keys of death and of hades”. If we are believers on the Lord Jesus, we can have complete certainty in our heart because of what He has done, and also because of what He holds in His hand at the present time as “the living one”. How remarkable it is that He has “the keys of death and of hades”. Those terrible powers are now under the control of the Lord Jesus.
So the sting of death was taken away for our sister because she knew the One who has “the keys of death and of hades”. My desire would be that we each might be assured in our hearts as knowing the power of the Lord Jesus, and also His love, as John did. They sustained our beloved sister through the whole of her life, and as believers they can sustain each of us too until the Lord Jesus comes. May we rely on the love of the Lord Jesus as a present known reality. May these words encourage us.
Livron
30th May 2023
Words at the burial of Mme Marie Blanc