From the Gospels, starting with Matthew 27:38; “Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right hand and one on the left.” Mark 15:27; “And with Him, they crucified two robbers; one on His right and one on His left.” Luke 23:33; “And when they came to the place that is called the Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on His right and one on His left.” And finally, John 19:18; “There they crucified Him, and with Him two others; one on either side, and Jesus between them.” (ESV, all emphasis mine)

All four Gospels mention a sign stating, “Jesus, King of the Jews,” but John gives more detail in John 19:19-22; “Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, ‘Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.’ Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the City, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek. So the chief priest of the Jews said to Pilate, ‘Do not write the King of the Jews, but rather this man said I am the King of the Jews.’ Pilate answered, ‘What I have written, I have written.'”

For all true believers, the Cross is a symbol that shows how much the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit actually love all of us imperfect humans. Because of our Savior going to the Cross willingly (John 10:18), we have a blessing of the free gift of Salvation through His sacrifice. It cannot be earned or bought by us, but we can have this gift by receiving and accepting Jesus as our only Lord and Savior (John 14:6). His blood covers all the sins that all believers ever have committed when we confess that we are hopeless beings without our Wonderful Shepherd. The only other main stipulation is that we have faith and believe Jesus really died on that cross, and the Father raised Him up to conquer sin and death for all of His flock.

To those of this world who are under the influence of Satan, all this is mumbo jumbo. As stated in 1 Corinthians 1:18, “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.”

Just a reminder here: it is not a problem to have and display crosses as long as they are not objects of worship. The cross is only a symbol and should remind us to worship the One who suffered and died on that cruel implement of death at Calvary for all of us. In fact, if we worship anything on this earth except our Holy Trinity, it is wrong. Riches, property, vehicles, or whatever are for our convenience but not to be held in esteem over our Heavenly Father.

Looking at Isaiah 53, we have a picture of why Jesus came here from the words of a prophet that lived over 700 years before the Savior was born as a human. Some of the points Isaiah made were: Jesus was not the beautiful individual that is depicted in artists’ portraits today, He was despised by the so-called religious leaders, and not esteemed by all.

Further, Jesus bore our griefs and sorrows and was “pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities,” as given in Isaiah 53:5. When the Savior took on all of the sin this world had seen, and all sin that would take place, the Father would have had to turn away from Him for the first time ever. Just before He died, the Savior cried out, “My God; My God; Why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 24:46). This fulfilled the beginning of Psalm 22:1, again, written many centuries before Jesus walked this earth.

In John 19:30, when Jesus said, “It is finished,” this simple statement of only three words said that our sacrifice was completed for us, and the blood of bulls and goats would no longer be acceptable (Hebrews 10:4). Jesus had fully paid for all sins of everyone who would call on Him to be their Savior.

When I think of what He endured and then look back on my life, especially before I called out to Him, my mind says His cross should have been mine. Ronny Henson wrote a song that was performed by the Florida Boys called “The Cross in The Middle.” This song speaks volumes of the love of our Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

1.) Now there is no sign of the crosses, but history records there were three. Two stood because of men’s broken laws, but I know the other stood there for me. I didn’t know Peter or Judas, but I’ve known the shame of their crimes. I’m so glad Jesus did die in my stead, but the cross in the middle should have been mine.

Ref.) I never heard the hammer, and I never felt the nails. I never saw when the angry mob cussed as the prisoners fell. And they never knew this old sinner, as I’m of some other place and time. The choice was all His, but the truth was and is, the cross in the middle should have been mine.

2.) I never deserved the mercy or merited so much grace. And this unworthy man just can’t understand why that Man of no wrong took my rightful place. And if you ever stop at Calvary, the blood isn’t all that you’ll find; for you’ll feel it too, why I feel like I do; the cross in the middle should have been mine.

Ref. plus) The choice was all His, but the truth was and is, the cross in the middle should have been mine – should have been mine!

Even with all that our Savior knew would take place, He still gave us the greatest gift of all that so few would actually appreciate. Jesus knew that there would be more people who would be on that wide road to destruction than on the narrow path that leads to Him (Matthew 7:13-14). He could have said it wasn’t worth all the pain and anguish for such a small group, but He treasures each and every soul that would call on Him, no matter what the number would be.

We can never live a perfect, sinless life here as He did, yet we get the total benefit that we do not deserve. Thinking about this, how could I not love My Savior for taking my place at Calvary? It will take me all eternity to even begin to thank Him for my Home there with Him.

For all who will not receive and accept the Wonderful Shepherd, my heart cries out for them. To take your last breath here without Jesus automatically puts you in the long line at the great white throne of Revelation 20:11-15. At this judgment, all will be held responsible for every sin, great or small, that they ever committed. There is no forgiveness or pardons here. The outcome is eternal punishment in the lake of fire with Satan and his demons.

No one can be blamed for this except the ones who chose to be in that line. Everyone has the chance to choose eternal life with Jesus if they will only do so. The Heavenly Father saw His Son brutally murdered on that cross, and accepted His blood sacrifice once for all who will call out to be saved. He will force no one to accept that sacrifice but will gladly receive all who will.

Take a moment to consider where you want to spend eternity, but don’t wait too long. We’re not guaranteed another day here, so right now would not be too soon to become a part of the precious flock of the Wonderful Shepherd. You will be eternally thankful if you ask Jesus to forgive and save you right now. He will gladly prepare a place for you with His own hands (John 14:1-3).

Hope to see you at Home!

Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!

huebshman46@gmail.com

Also, raptureforums.com

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Revelation 1:4-20; John 1:1-4; Proverbs 21:1; Colossians 1:15-18; John 14:6; Acts 4:12

Summary: The opening chapter of the book of Revelation shows that in what seems to be the darkest and most hopeless periods of history, the Lord Jesus Christ is still Lord and King over His creation and that all things will be made new.

If the book of Revelation had just this one chapter, it is enough for us to give praise and glory to God. He shows not just the apostle John but all of us that He is in charge of the affairs of His creation. No mere created being, whether it be mortal humanity or malevolent demon, will ever have the power, ability, resources, or foreknowledge to even think they are able to overthrow and subdue the rule and reign of the Creator and Sustainer of all things (Psalm 2:1-12; Philippians 2:9-11).

Megalomaniacal emperors, pompous philosophers, irreverent intellectuals, revolutionaries, tyrants, kings, prime ministers, and would-be conquerors who have declared that they were the absolute source of reason, wisdom, or authority at one point in history or another are now footnotes in the pages of yellowing volumes or have been forgotten altogether. Every blistering critic of the Word of God whose poison pens and words have attempted to silence “what God had wrought” have their moments of posterity only to face an eternity of misery and damnation for turning away from the only One who can give any of us true peace (John 14:6).

The critics who sit in the chairs of universities and centers of “higher learning” and whose skepticism turned others away from the saving grace of Jesus Christ will find themselves sinking to the bottom of eternity with the millstone around their neck that Jesus promised to anyone who causes someone to stumble and fall away from the salvation, mercy, and grace that are found in Him alone (Matthew 18:6).

Anyone who “played the religious game” and “professed salvation” yet lived as if God did not exist (2 Timothy 3:1-8; Hebrews 6:4-6) and whose life never showed any evidence whatsoever of genuine saving faith and the fruits thereof (James 2:14-26) – or worse, used the name of Jesus as a way of magnifying a so-called “ministry” or some other work that looked pious but was instead spiritually poisonous – will find themselves hearing from the Lord Jesus that “He never knew them.” They will be cast away for eternity to dwell with “the devil and his angels” forever (Matthew 7:21-23, 25:41; Luke 16:19-31; Revelation 20:11-15).

While Revelation is the culmination of all biblical prophecy, it is also a book of praise and worship, and I think that we tend to overlook that when we read it. The opening chapter gives us an outline showing us that even in the darkest of times, Jesus Christ is still King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He has not forsaken or abandoned us (Hebrews 13:5). He is aware of the specter of evil that permeates the world. He hears the cries of despair from those who realize that this world has nothing to offer in the way of permanent merit or worth (Matthew 16:26). He has given comfort and assurance to His people in the past and continues to do so now.

Revelation was written for the church in a time of despair and immense persecution, where nothing looked like it was going to change for the better anytime soon.

In the first century, Rome’s iron boot was on the neck of its subjects. The followers of Jesus Christ were under the threat of death, exile, or imprisonment for daring to defy the self-imposed “divinity” of the emperor Domitian (AD 81-96). Rome could only tolerate one supreme king, and Jesus Christ was a threat to that mindset. The apostle John, now in his late 80s or early 90s, was the last living eyewitness of the Lord Jesus. His ministry had carried him throughout the realms of the Roman Empire, where he boldly proclaimed the Gospel of salvation in Christ and saw the fruits of his labor as untold numbers of people surrendered their lives to Christ, all too often at the cost of their lives, fortunes, and all they had held dear.

John’s fellow apostles were all dead by this time, martyrs for the faith who never denied or compromised their testimony that they had seen the risen Christ and spent the remainder of their lives preaching His Word. Now John had been banished by orders of the emperor to the penal colony of Patmos, where Domitian hoped the old fanatic would die a slow death through exposure, overwork, thirst, hunger, or other means of silencing his voice.

The Lord Jesus saw to it, however, that John’s voice and pen would be used to write down the coming events upon the world that would usher in not only the time of predicted judgment that He spoke of on the Mount of Olives (Matthew 24-25, Mark 13, Luke 21), but also of the new heavens and earth where we would dwell in the house of the LORD forever, free from the curse of sin, death, and disease (Revelation 21:1-7, Chapter 22).

Revelation 1’s declaration of praise to God can be presented in the following manner:

1:1-3:

Revelation is directly from the LORD Himself. He promises a blessing to anyone who reads it and takes heart in its message of victory.

1:4-8:

The work of salvation provided for us through the Lord Jesus has given us the privilege of being kings and priests in His presence, and He bestows His grace upon the poor, the disenfranchised, and all who come to Him for mercy. He promises us that He will return in glory and establish His kingdom forever.

1:9-20:

While in worship, John hears from and sees the risen Lord Jesus Christ in all His glory and majesty. This is not the humble Lamb who was slain on the cross but is instead the Almighty, Sovereign, Glorified KING. John faints in His holy presence yet is told by the Lord Jesus not to be afraid. Jesus declares that He is the Beginning and the End of all things. This is a testimony of His eternal Sovereignty and absolute control over all things. He has the final word and has all authority over creation and the events of human history. He is the eternal King, and He will make all things new as He promised.

The chapter concludes with a commission to John to write down what He will see and to give this “revelation” to not only the seven churches of Asia but to all faithful followers of the Lord Jesus (Luke 21:28). He will return soon, so be ready.

Now you see why this first chapter is not only a testimony of the authority of biblical prophecy but is also a work of praise and worship.

We serve a victorious LORD. Do not look to the world to solve your problems. Turn your life over to Christ while there is time (2 Corinthians 6:2).

donaldwhitchard@outlook.com

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