Dec 23 Devotion: Who is Christ?

4).  John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; 5).  And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first of the kings of the earth.  Unto him that loved us, and washed from our sins in his own blood.  6).  And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever.  Amen.  7).  Behold, he cometh with clouds: and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him and all the kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him.  Even so, Amen.  8).  I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

                                  REVELATION 1:4-8 (KJV)

This is a question, that probably could be answered correctly in many ways, but John gives us a powerful yet simple description of the Lord. Verse 5 condenses the wondrous nature of Jesus Christ to the beautiful essentials of who He is: 

• Jesus is the faithful witness. He came to earth to more fully reveal the character and ways of His Father (SEE JOHN 14:9). Jesus’ miracles proved His claim to be the Son of God.

• Jesus is the firstborn from the dead. The Savior bore our sins, died on the cross, was buried, and rose again on the third day. His resurrection proved that eternal life is possible for us, too, which is what Jesus taught when He said, “He who believes in Me will live even if he dies” (SEE JOHN 11:25).

• Jesus is the ruler of the kings of earth. The Lord raises men to power, and it is also He who removes them (SEE DANIEL 2:22).

• Jesus loves us and, by His blood, freed us from our sins. Note the change of tense.  SEE REVELATION 1:5). The Lord’s love is ever-present, but He has freed believers from their past. Sin’s penalty and power have both been broken by His sacrifice.

• 
  

In just a few sentences, John describes Christ’s character, divinity, and authority. This Christmas season, may our appreciation of who Jesus is fill us with joy and gratitude.

-IBC