“I,
John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and
perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the
word of God and the testimony of Jesus” (Revelation 1:9).
As the apostle John prepares to share the message he
was given with the struggling believers in the first century, he spends the
first part of chapter one setting the stage for what will follow. Verses 1-3 are a prologue which tracks the
revelatory process as it makes its way from God to the seven churches of
Asia. It also includes a blessing for
the reader and the obedient hearers of the prophetic words of imminent
events. Verses 4-6 highlight a
collective greeting from all three members of the Godhead, each of Whom will be
intimately involved in the events of the following chapters. We have small preview of coming events in
verses 7-8 as the Eternal and Almighty Lord God references the coming judgment
to be meted out by His Son.
That brings us to verse 9. As I studied these verses recently, I was
struck by the humility of the apostle as he speaks of his own role in the
important message he was chosen to share.
John doesn’t assume a position of authority as an inspired apostle. He is not some ivory tower theologian writing
to those enduring something he knows nothing about. He is also in the trenches of spiritual
warfare as a “brother” and “fellow partaker” with the suffering believers to
whom he was writing. He wasn’t composing
this letter from a comfy office but from a rocky, desolate island used as a
penal colony by the Romans. His
preaching of Jesus had resulted in being banished to a first century
“Alcatraz.”
What life experiences do you have that could enable
you to reach out to someone who is hurting?
Often the best help comes from someone who is going through (or has gone
through) the same struggle that others are enduring. Your words can carry a greater weight if you
“have been there.”
God loves you!
Mike
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