Waiting for Jesus' Return (Rev 1)

Loving Jesus will be so easy in heaven. We'll be with Him forever, rejoicing in our salvation, constantly reminded of His amazing love and grace. But on earth it's hard. We struggle along with various problems that come our way- bad health, difficult relationships, personal failures. And we struggle to understand the reality of heaven and eternity. This can have a devastating effect on how important we place Jesus in our lives, and how much we love Him.

Firstly, since we have little concept of what hell is really like (we often overlook or forget Jesus' teachings that it is a place of fire, torture and eternal suffering in separation from God), we lose a right sense of the enormity of what God has saved us FROM. And since we have little concept of heaven (often distracted by THIS world), we lose any sense of the enormity of what God has saved us FOR.

Revelation gives us a fantastic reminder. A difficult book of prophecy and visions, two things are clear:
1. God's judgement is righteous but terrifying
2. God's salvation is amazing

In Chapter 1 John gives us a prologue (1-8) which kicks the book off with a great reminder of why we should love Jesus:
1. He is amazing. He is the first born from the dead (5)- our risen Saviour!
2. He loves us, and He showed us that by shedding His blood to free us from our sins (5), enabling us to be part of God's kingdom and serve Him (6).
3. He's coming again in glory. 'Every eye will see Him' (7). He will be the ultimate, the only authority, and those who have rejected HIm on earth will 'mourn', whilst those who love Him will rejoice.

Then John relates His vision of Jesus, which again inspires our love for Him:
1. He is majestic- wearing a long robe and a golden sash (13)
2. He is pure- head and hair 'white like wool, as white as snow' (14)
3. He is all-seeing, all-knowing- His eyes are like blazing fire, suggesting His judgment, which He is able to make because of His knowledge (14)
4. He is mighty- His voice is like the 'sound of rushing waters' (15)
5. He is holy and awesome- face 'like the shining sun in all its brilliance' (16)
6. He offers peace and salvation. He tells John not to be afraid- He holds the keys of death and Hades (17-18)
7. He is the Lord of life. 'I am the living One: I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever!' (18)

As Christians we need to constantly re-inspire ourselves by returning again and again to the awesome presentation of Jesus Christ in the Bible. That's what will keep our minds in the right focus as we go through busy, distracting days.