Revelation 1:4–18

2nd Sunday of Easter

⁴John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, ⁵and from 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, ⁶and 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. ⁷Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen. ⁸"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty." ⁹I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. ¹⁰On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, ¹¹which said: "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea." ¹²I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, ¹³and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man," dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. ¹⁴His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. ¹⁵His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. ¹⁶In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. ¹⁷When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. ¹⁸I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

Who was that? A voice like the sound of a trumpet spoke to John as he was worshipping on the Lord’s Day. And when he turned to see who it was he saw seven golden lampstands. In the midst of those lampstands he saw someone who looked like “a son of man” standing there. When John saw him he fell at his feet as though dead. Who was that man?

He is the one whom John was worshipping on that Lord’s Day. He is the one we worship on the Lord’s Day.

But who was he? He was dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and he had a golden sash around his chest. In the Old Testament we learn that Isaiah saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. On another occasion Daniel looked up and saw a man dressed in linen with a belt of the finest gold around his waist, whose face was like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like bronze glowing in a furnace and his voice like the sound of a multitude.

And when Daniel saw the Ancient of Days his clothing was as white as snow and his hair was white like wool. Then Daniel saw one like a “son of man” coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. This son of man was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshipped him. His dominion was an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom will never be destroyed.”

Who was this man that John saw? This is the “Son of Man” whom John worshipped in heaven. This is the “Son of Man” whom we worship. He is the risen, victorious Christ. The almighty, glorious, powerful, God.

Our Epistle readings during the Sundays of Easter are from the Book of Revelation and they all center on the theme of our worship of the resurrected, living Christ, the almighty Son of God, the living one who was dead but now is alive for ever and ever and who holds the keys of death and hell in his hand. This is Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, the ruler of the kings of the earth. He is the one who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood. He has made us to be a kingdom of priests to worship his God and Father.

It is he whom we worship. It is he who stands among the seven lampstands and holds the seven stars in his hands. He is risen! He is alive! He stands among the lampstands!

But that day on the hill when the disciples watched him go up into the clouds and disappear from their sight, they must have felt all alone in the world; abandoned; confused. They had spent three years with him. They had witnessed his miracles. They had experienced his love and protection. They had heard is words; listened to his teachings. They had witnessed his brutal, bloody death on an ugly cross, and they had been surprised by joy at his resurrection. But he had left them. Now their doubts and fears returned. He had promised them, “I will be with you to the end of the world.” But where was he. They wondered what they were to do next. They returned to their homes and families and their normal employment. They huddled together daily in prayer, but had to meet in secret because the authorities were still looking for them.

We too over the past few months have witnessed Jesus’ life. First it was his birth in Bethlehem. We then accompanied him through Epiphany as he revealed himself to the word in his taught and revealed his light to the world and performed miracles. We witnessed his sufferings during Lent and stood by at the cross on Good Friday as he died and was placed in a tomb. Then came the joy of the resurrection on Easter morning.

But what does Easter mean for us today? Does that same joy and hope of the resurrection penetrate our lives today as we go back to our normal occupations and activities? Do we still have the faith and assurance of the resurrection as we too face suffering, sickness, sorrow and death in our own lives? What does the resurrection mean for us in our daily, humdrum existence? Does the living Christ really make any difference to us in our lives, or do we just go about living as if nothing has happened? As if Christ, who walked the earth 2000 years ago had little to do with life today?

In our daily lives we don’t see or hear anything from Christ. Our lives seem full of problems and difficulties; sorrow and suffering. They seem without much purpose or direction. We feel like we are just getting by day-by-day without any overall purpose of meaning to our existence.

Problems come our way and we worry. We are uncertain of the future. We are afraid of hearing from the doctor that we are terminally ill and will soon die. We fear death. We fear punishment from God. We doubt our salvation. We sometimes even doubt if God hears us, cares about us, or even exists at all.

We feel alone in the world, uncertain and afraid, much like the disciples when Jesus ascended into heaven. The fact of the matter is our faith is weak. Mankind by nature does not love or trust God. Mankind by nature cannot love or trust God. This lack of love and trust in God which we inherited from our first parents deserves God’s wrath and severest condemnation. We have doubts and fears on account of weak faith. We are by nature separated and without faith in God.

Without Christ there is nothing but despair, sorrow, dissention, fear, and death. But John saw the risen Christ in heaven, standing in the midst of the seven lampstands. The resurrected and living Christ! The Eternal and Almighty God. In fear John fell to his face like a dead man. No sinner can stand in the presence of the living God and live. On account of our sin we are unworthy of God’s presence. We cannot receive the favor of God. His face cannot look upon us sinners.

But the risen Christ took John by the hand and said: “Fear not!” Why not fear? Because Christ is the one who died for us and atoned for our sin with his blood. The only basis upon which we can come into his presence and by which his face can look upon us with favor is by the forgiveness of our sin. It is only on account of the blood of Christ that atoned for our sin that we can stand in the presence of a holy God. He is the one who holds the keys of death and hell. Therefore, he says to us: Fear not! The one who died for us is now alive. The firstborn from the dead is he who loves us and has freed us from our sin by his blood.

This Son of Man stands in the midst of the seven lampstands and holds the seven stars in his right hand. The seven lampstands are the seven churches—seven being the number of perfection, completion. The seven lampstands then are the entire church of Christ. The entire congregation of believers. It is all of the elect of God, the chosen people of God who have ever lived and who will live in all the world. It is the bride of Christ, his body, the saints who come to him from all nations, races, languages and peoples. In our worship the son of man, the risen Christ, stands in our midst. He is here with us. He is in our presence. He is in us and among us. As he ascended into heaven, he told his disciples, “Lo, I shall be with you until the end of time.” He is indeed present with us in our worship; both as we worship him in word and song here in church and as we worship him by our actions of love, our vocations, throughout the week. He is standing in the middle of the seven lampstands.

In his right hand are the seven stars, which he says are the seven angels of the seven churches. The angels, or messengers, of the church are those who proclaim his word to the churches. He holds them in his right hand, his hand of mercy and salvation.

Even though the church in the world suffers; is persecuted; is full of weakness and sorrow; the PRESENCE OF THE RISEN CHRIST WITH HIS CHURCH CALMS OUR DOUBTS AND FEARS.

His presence in word and sacrament is what gives us victory, hope, joy, as well as the strength and patience to bear the load of suffering and affliction of this world. His presence in word and sacrament is what strengthens us in temptation; it is what leads us when we do not know the path to take; it is what protects us from the evil one; it is what gives us righteousness and preserves us for eternal life.

The son of man, the risen Christ is present in, with, and under his church through Word and Sacrament, just as his body and blood are in, with and under the elements of communion. Where the Word is not present, the blessed light does not shine; there is neither happiness nor salvation; neither strength nor comfort of body or soul, but only dissension, fear, terror, sorrow, anxiety and bitter death, for God’s word alone teaches patience and good cheer in affliction.

Therefore we should gladly hear his word and receive the sacrament. When we enter into church to worship our living Christ, we enter with joy and gladness for this is the true worship to which we as a nation of priests have been called. The risen Christ who is with us in Worship by his word and sacrament is our Good Shepherd. Where he is present through his Word, nothing shall be lacking in body our soul and we need not fear, doubt, or worry. For he feeds us with the green pasture of his Word and gives us to drink the still waters of his Gospel. He is present with us in the valley of the shadow of death and his rod and staff are his Word by which he leads and protects us. Through his Word he provides abundance for us at his table. We are his invited guests and he is both our host and the meal. His Word is the cup that overflows with blessings and which pours the oil of gladness over our heads. And by the Word and Sacrament which we receive in worship he makes us to dwell in his house forever in goodness and mercy.

Where his Word is proclaimed in all its truth and confessed in purity, even in the midst of afflictions and suffering he gives us patience and perseverance and good cheer. Where the word is proclaimed He is present with us and THE PRESENCE OF THE RISEN CHRIST WITH HIS CHURCH CALMS OUR DOUBTS AND FEARS.

Amen.