Revelation 1: 4-8 (New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition)
Acts 5: 4-8 (Common English Bible)
The book of Acts, also called the Acts of the Apostles, is a continuation of the Gospel that Luke wrote around 90 AD. It was the first book about early Christianity until the Christian scholar, Eusebius, wrote his ten volume books about Christian history up to the year 324 AD. By that time the Christian faith was legal in the Roman Empire.
The faithful Community of God is a community with a subversive view of society they want to end. Of course the powers-that-be had a negative view of the Jesus Movement they wanted to silence. The High Priests of Israel silenced the Prophet Amos (7: 10-17) because of his criticism of King Jeroboam. Amos was told to go back to Judah, or else face a harder punishment. It seems that kings and presidents are always silencing prophets both in the past and certainly today. It’s even getting risky for journalists in modern day America.
When we enter the story in Acts chapter five, the apostles had just been arrested for the third time. The authorities demanded they cease their preaching and warned the apostles of severe punishment if they continued to preach about the resurrection of Jesus. But the apostles continued with their mission. Peter declared they will obey God and not human beings. Peter’s sermon as recorded in the book of Acts was short, subversive, defiant and political. Those who faced death on a cross were considered political enemies of Rome. We only have to remember Spartacus and the hundreds with him who were crucified for their rebellion against slavery.
The community the apostles were creating was not one of power and wealth, but instead was a community of healing spaces of equality, diversity and of sharing resources. Their actions were not limited to personal forgiveness, but also caring for the whole body and mind.
Every generation has its movements and protests, but as Christians and citizens we often wonder how far our faith should go. By the end of Acts, the apostles will be flogged because they refused to be silent. On Easter, God broke the natural laws of death and declared death does not have the final word. Holy disruption like Jesus and his apostles did is the Way. And a good book to read on this subject is “Holy Rascals” by Rami Shapiro. As Presbyterians, we are the people of action, and we have clearly defined ways to make our voices of solidarity heard. More Presbyterians need to read up on what the PC USA is doing today in areas in resistance to selfish and unjust laws.
The Alpha and Omega, the “A” to “Z” is the beginning and the end as written in the book of Revelation. God is the one who has existed forever and is beyond time and space. We are used to thinking time in linear terms, so A to Z means a finite string of letters to us but not a complete understanding of the future.
To consider the eternal nature of God, imagine connecting the ends of that string so they make a circle that continues without end. But then, we are faced with a new dilemma. The beginning and the end are the same thing, and yet, God has no beginning and no end. That is what John was trying to convey when he wrote the Revelation letter.
John was writing Revelation from exile to give hope to the Christians during the late 1st century. Rome had grown more powerful and had made life miserable for anyone who was following the Way of Jesus.
There was great pressure to worship the Roman Emperor Domitian. He insisted on being called “Lord and “God.” Christians who refused to say this were persecuted. Some were imprisoned and others executed. John was exiled to the island of Patmos.
For the 1st century Christians who have lost their pastor either through imprisonment or execution, it must have been tempting for them to compromise their faith with Roman law. But then a letter comes from John. He encourages the Church to remain faithful to Christ, by showing them what is coming.
Revelation encourages them not to give up. It tells about the Cosmic Christ which is everywhere. The letter reminds them what Jesus has done for them. And Revelation tells them how to respond to that gift of grace.
Jesus will defend us because he is our witness. The Greek word for witness is “Martus.” Its root meaning is where we get the word martyr. We’ve come to associate that word with persecution or even dying for one’s faith. But it really means giving testimony, as you would if you’re called to be a witness in a court of law. Jesus is the faithful witness. You can depend on him even in your darkest times.
John goes on to tell us that Christ has freed humankind from their sins. The freeing from sins uses grammar that English words really convey. It means that Jesus has completed his mission for the past, present and future. In 1st Peter 3:19, it was the Spirit of Jesus which preached to the spirits in prison. The way I interpret that sentence, is that between the death of Jesus and before his resurrection, he liberated the souls in Hades as a kind of legal pardon.
And then John tells us that Jesus welcomes us to be a part of his kingdom. Just as Jesus faced the dark night of anguish on the Cross, God created something new, eternal life and a kingdom where Christ reigns over all creation.
What should we do in the meantime? We should live our lives as Jesus taught us. And we should be faithful witnesses to a heavenly reality that reshapes our views of the world and hope we can be a positive influence. We take up our cross to serve others.
Our primary identity is a beloved child of God. This is the only identity that really matters. It’s not by being a church member, a committee member or even a minister. We only have to choose to be loyal to Christ, which goes beyond any religion. To accept the gift of Christ is a blessing that will continue forever.
AMEN
