Text: Revelation 1:4-6

1. As John begins to reveal the seven letters to the seven churches of Asia, he explains in detail from whom the letters are sent.
2. From God the Father (see verse 1,4) He who is, who was, and who is to come.
3. From the Seven Spirits or representatives of the churches. (May be symbolic of the Holy Spirit.)
4. From Jesus Christ. Do we give Him the proper respect:

1. We sing about Him.
2. We preach about Him.
3. We pray through Him (Colossians 3:17)
4. We are cleansed by His sacrificial, vicarious death.
5. We are grateful to Him.
6. We study His life.
7. But, how well do we know Him?

1. Notice what we can learn from the descriptive terms about Jesus.

THE FAITHFUL WITNESS: Of what?

1. He knew what it was like to be God Philippians 2:5
2. He knew what it was like to be man.

1. Son of Man – The title Son of Man was Jesus' favorite way of referring to Himself.
2. He may have done this because this was not a recognized title already known by the people and associated with popular ideas.
3. Jesus applied this title to Himself in three distinct ways:
4. First, He used the title in a general way, almost as a substitute for the pronoun "I." A) A good example of this usage occurred in the saying where Jesus contrasted

2. Another probable example is the statement that "the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head" (Luke 9:58).

1. Second, Jesus used the title to emphasize that "the Son of Man must suffer" (Mark 8:31).

1. The word must implies that His suffering was foretold by the prophets.
2. It was, indeed, "written concerning the Son of Man, that He must suffer many things and be treated with contempt" (Mark 9:12).
3. So when Jesus announced the presence of the betrayer at the Last Supper, He declared, "The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him" (Mark 14:21).

1. Finally, Jesus used the title Son of Man to refer to Himself as the one who exercised exceptional authority-authority delegated to Him by God.

1. "The Son of Man has power [authority] on earth to forgive sins" (Mark 2:10), He declared. He exercised this authority in a way that made some people criticize Him for acting with the authority of God: "The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath" (Mark 2:28).

1. He knew the inner workings of the plan of salvation on both sides.
2. He was a witness to the fact that God wanted this book written.
3. He was witness to the fallen and hopeless condition of mankind.
4. He was witness to the creation of the Heavens and the Earth and everything in it.
5. He is faithful, as a witness. What He says happened did!
6. When Jesus testifies to something it is absolutely true.
7. Proverbs 6:6-7 a false witness who speaks lies.
8. Revelation 21:8 All liars will have their place in lake etc.
9. False witnesses lead to the crucifixion of Jesus (Matthew 26:60-61) They found two false witness who said, ‘This fellow said "I am able to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days."
10. Jesus is a faithful witness.

1. 1 Corinthians 15:3-6; 20-24

1. The gospel: Christ died for our sins, was buried, rose again (1-3)
2. Seen by Peter, the twelve, and over 500 others (5-6)
3. Christ is risen from the dead (20)

1. The first one to die, arise and never die again.
2. Lazuras died again, those who got up and walked around at the crucifixion died again; but not this one!

1. King of Kings, Lord of Lords
2. More important than any government.
3. More important than any boss.
4. More important than any family member!
5. Luke 14: The absolute most important one of all!
6. Messiah - When Jesus made His declaration before the high priest and His colleagues, He did so in response to the question: "Are You the Christ the Son of the Blessed?" (Mark 14:61). He replied, "I am" (Mark 14:62), "It is as you said" (Matt 26:64).

THE ONE WHO LOVED US: Enough to die for us.

1. John 15:13 Greater love has no man than to lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command.
2. Romans 5:6-8 for when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ dies for us

1. Revelation 7:13-17
2. Perfect sacrifice

A. 1 Peter 2:9

1. The Work of Christ - The work of Christ has often been stated in relation to His threefold office as prophet, priest, and king.
2. As prophet, He is the perfect spokesman of God to the world, fully revealing God's character and will.
3. As priest, Jesus has offered to God by His death a sufficient sacrifice for the sins of the world. Now, on the basis of that sacrifice, He exercises a ministry of intercession on behalf of His people.
4. As king, He is "the ruler over the kings of the earth" (Rev 1:5) - the one to whose rule the whole world is subject.

1. Past – He has always been, was there in the creation, before Abraham was.
2. Present – Is currently reigning in Heaven as Head of the church.
3. Future – Is coming back John 14:1-3

1. Son of God - Jesus was acclaimed as the Son of God at His baptism (Mark 1:11). He was also given this title by the angel Gabriel at the annunciation: "That Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God" (Luke 1:35).
2. The Holy One of God - This title was given to Jesus by Peter (John 6:69, RSV) and remarkably, by a demon-possessed man (Mark 1:24). In their preaching, the apostles called Jesus "the Holy One and the Just" (Acts 3:14). This was a name belonging to Him as the Messiah, indicating He was especially set apart for God. This title also emphasized His positive goodness and His complete dedication to the doing of His Father's will. Mere "sinlessness," in the sense of the absence of any fault, is a pale quality in comparison to the unsurpassed power for righteousness which filled His life and teaching.
3. The Lord - "Jesus is Lord" is The ultimate Christian creed. "No one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit" (1 Cor 12:3). A Christian, therefore, is a person who confesses Jesus as Lord.
4. God - If Jesus is called Lord in this supreme sense, it is not surprising that He occasionally is called God in the New Testament. Thomas, convinced that the risen Christ stood before him, abandoned his doubts with the confession, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:28).
5. But the classic text is John 1:1. John declared that the Word existed not only "in the beginning," where He was "with God," but also actually "was God." This is the Word that became incarnate as real man in Jesus Christ, without ceasing to be what He had been from eternity. The Word was God in the sense that the Father shared with Him the fullness of His own nature.

Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace

1. These are terms of endearment.
2. They are descriptive names.
3. They show some of the character of Jesus.
4. They show that without His death, burial and resurrection we would all be lost.