Jesus Christ Has Risen from the Dead (Rev. 1:18)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR

02/06/2005

 

My Worship Time                  Focus:  Jesus Christ has risen from the dead

 

Bible Reading & Meditation             Reference:  Rev 1:18

 

            Message of the verse:  18 I 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.  (NIV)  18 I am the living one who died. Look, I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.  (NLT)

            Verse 18 continues where verse 17 left off, as Jesus Christ is still speaking to John and comforting him with the words He is telling John.  I want to touch a little bit more on why John is lying on the ground after seeing Jesus in His glorified state.  In 2Cor. 5:16 Paul writes about Jesus not being the same as He was when He walked upon the earth:  “16.  This means that our knowledge of men can no longer be based on their outward lives (indeed, even though we knew Christ as a man we do not know him like that any longer).”

There is also a portion of Scripture that gives this illustration of three of Jesus’ disciples seeing Jesus in His glorified state even while He was upon the earth:  “2  And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light.  5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, "This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!"  6 When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground and were terrified.  7 And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, ‘Get up, and do not be afraid.’” 

Jesus goes on with His description here when He says that He is the living One even though He was once dead and that He has the keys of death and Hades, or He has the authority over death and the place where the dead are, that is where the wicked who have died no abide.  This concludes the description of Jesus Christ, and this is similar to others given of Him, like in Matthew and also Daniel, and from this description it can be learned that Jesus Christ is indeed who He says that He is, and that is God, and that as believers realize this more and more they can fall down and worship Him in the way He deserves.

 

            The word of God was again challenging to my heart as I read it and studied it this morning.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  Prepare my heart to worship the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Head of the Church, as I go to our Church service this morning.