Who Is Jesus Christ

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; And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. - Revelation 1:4-6

    ‘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 begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us 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.’ (Revelation 1:4-6)

    Salvation is to be had only by trusting the Christ of Holy Scripture. Any other Christ is a false Christ. ‘The one who is to be enshrined in our minds and hearts must be the true Christ of the Bible. Otherwise we have an idol at the center of our faith’ (John Legg). We must know who Jesus Christ is and what he has done if we are to trust him and be saved by him. Faith in a false Christ is false faith.

    Knowing that many false prophets had gone out into the world in the spirit of antichrist (1 John 4:1-3), John identifies the Lord Jesus Christ in his salutation (Rev. 1:4-6). He shows us that all grace and peace come to fallen, sinners from the eternal, triune God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). These two things fulfil every need we have before God and satisfy the desires of every renewed heart - Grace and Peace! Grace is God's free, loving favor bestowed upon those who deserve his wrath. It includes all the bounty of heaven: the pardon of sin, justification, eternal life, preservation, sanctification and glorification. ‘Peace,’ William Hendriksen wrote, is ‘the reflection of the smile of God in the heart of the believer who has been reconciled to God through Jesus Christ.’ Peace is always the result of revealed grace. Those who know the grace of God enjoy the peace of God.

    Who is Jesus Christ

    That question may seem trite to some who read these pages; but no question is more important. Jesus is the name given to him by the angel. It means ‘Deliverer,’ or ‘Savior’ (Matt. 1:21). This Jesus is the Christ, God's promised Anointed One, the Messiah, the One set forth in the types and prophecies of the Old Testament Scriptures, the long awaited Redeemer King of his people. He is the Son of God and the Son of Man, Immanuel, the God-man, God and man in one glorious Person. He is as much God as though he were not man and as much man as though he were not God. This God-man is ‘the Savior of the world’ (1 John 4:14).

    Jesus Christ is ‘the faithful witness’ (John 1:1-5, 14, 18; Heb. 1:1-3; Col. 2:9).

    In his prophetic office he is the revelation of God's Being and attributes (John 14:9). He is the One in and by whom the love, mercy, grace and goodness of God to his people is revealed (John 17:2, 6, 22-26). The truth and justice of God are revealed in his sin-atoning death (Rom. 3:24-26), which is our only way of access to God (John 3:14-16; 14:6). It is Christ who has revealed the sure and certain hope of eternal glory and opened the way for sinners to inherit it (John 11:25; 14:1-3). Though the revelation of God is complete in Christ, (No other word from God is needed or expected!), it is continually made known to chosen sinners by his Spirit through the ministry of the Word (1 John 1:1).

    Christ is also ‘the first begotten of the dead.’

    This speaks of his priestly office. He who died for our sins rose again as our great High Priest and opened for us the way of life, giving us acceptance with and access to the holy God (Heb. 10:19-22). This title, ‘the first begotten of the dead,’ implies three things:1. Christ was the first to be raised from death to immortality. 2. Christ was the first and only to be raised from the dead by his own power (John 10:18). 3. Christ was raised from the dead as the firstfruits of the resurrection (1 Cor. 15:23). He was raised as the Representative of God's elect; and his resurrection is the pledge of theirs.

    Our Savior is ‘the prince of the kings of the earth.’ As the result of his death and resurrection as our Substitute, the Lord Jesus Christ has been exalted and given dominion over all flesh (Phil. 2:9-11). He is King of kings and Lord of lords. All men, both small and great, are under the sovereign dominion of the Lord Jesus Christ. His mediatoral rule over all flesh is the reward of his redemptive work (John 17:2; Rom. 14:9; Isa. 53:10-12). Christ, who died to redeem his elect, now rules the universe to save them. All people are ruled by him, absolutely. All are accountable to him. And, sooner or later, all shall acknowledge his rightful claims as Lord over them.

    What has the Lord Jesus Christ done

    ‘Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father’ - It was not John's purpose to tell us all that Christ has done for us; but to excite our hearts with gratitude and praise to our Savior. He mentions just three things that our great God and Savior has done for his own elect, but they include all other things.

    1. The Lord Jesus Christ loved us

    Let men talk all they will about God's ‘universal love.’ ‘Universal love’ is no love at all! It offers no hope, inspires no gratitude and brings no praise to God. Christ loved us. He loved us particularly (Isa. 43:4; Mal. 1:2; Rev. 3:9). He loved us eternally (Jer. 31:3). He loved us freely (Hosea 14:4). He loved us effectually (Deut. 7:8). He loved us and loves us perseveringly (John 13:1). Because he loved us, our Savior would not allow us to perish under the wrath of God!

    2. Therefore, he ‘washed us from our sins in his own blood’

    All who are loved by Christ with an everlasting love have been washed from all sin in the fountain of ‘his own blood.’ The word ‘washed’ has a double meaning, ‘washed’ and ‘loosed.’ Christ washed away our sins when he poured out his life's blood unto death upon the cross. By his precious blood, the Son of God made an atonement for our sins, justified us from all sin, and removed all sin from us, past, present and future! So thorough, complete, and effectual is his atoning sacrifice that all for whom he bled and died are fair, pure, without spot, and perfectly holy in the sight of God. Christ has also loosed us from the guilt and dominion of sin by the Spirit's application of his blood to our hearts (Heb. 9:14). This is redemption both accomplished and applied. It was accomplished at Calvary and is applied in effectual calling. Christ's blood atonement was both particular and effectual. It is as broad as the love of God and as narrow as the number of those who are actually loosed from their sins by it.

    3. The Lord Jesus Christ has ‘made us kings and priests unto God and his Father’

    All who believe on Christ are kings and priests unto God in him. Every child of God in this world is a king. We have received a kingdom of grace which cannot be taken away. We reign as kings over our enemies: sin, Satan and the world. We live and fare as kings, robed in the royal apparel of Christ's righteousness, fed and provided for from the treasury of heaven, and attended to by the angels of God. When this life is ended, we will sit as kings with Christ upon his throne.

    Every believer is also a priest. The priesthood of the believer has been twisted by many to mean that everyone has the right to believe and do whatever he sees fit. Ask the sons of Aaron about that (See Leviticus 10:1-3). The priesthood of the believer means that God's people neither need nor desire any earthly ‘priest.’ Christ is our Priest; and we are priests unto God in him. In him, we have constant access to God. We personally confess our sins to God and obtain forgiveness at the mercy-seat, Christ Jesus. And we offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by him (1 Peter 2:5).

    What is the result of our Savior's work

    ‘To him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.’ As God the Father has given Christ all preeminence, glory, and dominion as the reward of his work, so sinners saved by his grace gladly ascribe to him all preeminence, glory and dominion. Throughout the Book of Revelation, as throughout the entire Bible, all glory is ascribed to God in Christ. None is ascribed or given to any creature (4:8, 11; 5:9, 13; 19:10-12; 1 Cor. 1:26-31). Christ has all glory and dominion. His glory and dominion must and shall endure forever. ‘He must reign!’ And every believer bows to, trusts, and delights in Christ's glory and dominion. We say with John, ‘Amen!’ So let it be! So it shall be! Do you see who Christ is? Do you realize what he has done? Have you experienced his saving work? Then give all glory to him. As God the Father has put all things into the hands of his Son, so you must trust all things into his hands. You may safely trust him in all things and for all things. He is Jesus the Christ!