December 10, 2012
BE READY . . . BE BOLD
Revelation 22
Bobby Crotty
Central Truth
We may not know when, but the Lord is coming back. Our job is to be ready and to be bold in telling others about Christ, including this truth.
Key Verse | Revelation 22:20
He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming quickly." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. (Revelation 22:20)
Revelation 22
The River of Life
1 Then the angel 1 22:1 Greek he showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life 2 22:2 Or the Lamb. In the midst of the street of the city, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.
Jesus Is Coming
6 And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.”
7 “And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, 9 but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”
10 And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. 11 Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.”
12 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
14 Blessed are those who wash their robes, 3 22:14 Some manuscripts do his commandments so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. 15 Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”
17 The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.
18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. 4 22:21 Some manuscripts all the saints Amen.
Dive Deeper | Revelation 22
I don't know about you, but sometimes I wonder, "Is the Second Coming of Christ really going to happen? Is Jesus really coming back to earth to set everything right? Or is that just crazy talk?"
If Jesus is the truth, then He is coming back. Three times in this final chapter of Revelation and of the Bible, Christ promises that He is coming soon (verses 7, 12, and 20). No one but the Father knows the day or the hour of the Son's return (Matthew 24:36), but the Son Himself promises that it will happen.
Things we can absolutely trust in the craziness of this world are few. But Jesus is not just speaking true statements in Revelation 22, He is Truth. As the Apostle John recorded in one of Jesus' seven I Am statements in the Gospel of John, Jesus says: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life" (John 14:6a). Jesus' fundamental nature is truth. That means He is trustworthy, and we can stake our lives on Him.
In college I served on a truth-seeking body -- the Virginia Military Institute Honor Court, which is charged with trying alleged violations of the VMI Honor Code. It is probably the only remaining single-sanction honor system in the U.S. If you are convicted of lying, cheating, stealing, or even merely tolerating those who do, you are dismissed from VMI. Harsh punishment in a permissive society, to be sure, but VMI men and women love the VMI honor system and all that it embodies. It is built on the virtue of truth.
The Bible makes it clear that the penalty for rejecting or even simply ignoring the truth of the gospel is eternally worse than dismissal from a college. As believers in Christ, we are called upon to share the truth of the gospel with others. The truth about Jesus includes the promise that He is coming back to earth . . . soon!
As we close this year: Are you willing to bet your life that Jesus is truth? Are you willing to be bold in telling others about Him, including that He is coming back? The consequences are eternal.
Glad to be with you on The Journey in 2012. Join us for The 2013 Journey on January 1, 2013, as we begin reading through the first five books of the Old Testament and the Book of Hebrews in the New Testament. It will be a Journey Through the Law and Grace.
"He who testifies to these things says, 'Yes, I am coming quickly.' Amen. Come, Lord Jesus." (Revelation 22:20)
Discussion Questions
1. Do you believe that Jesus is coming soon? Do you live like you believe it? What needs to change?
2. Are you willing to keep the words of the prophecy of Revelation? What does that look like in your life? Who is holding you accountable?
3. Does the fact that Jesus Himself says He is coming back soon motivate you to tell others about Him? Who will you tell today?
4. What is standing in the way of you being bold in telling others about Christ?
5. Think back over today. If you knew that Jesus was coming back tomorrow, what would you have done differently today? Now, live like that tomorrow!
WEEKLY FAMILY ACTIVITY
December 10 (Revelation 22)
Read Revelation 22:1-6.
In this passage there are a lot of symbols that represent who Jesus is and what salvation in Him provides.
• What was the water like that was flowing from the throne? What does water do for you? What does it do for all living things? Can you survive without water?
• What about the tree? How often does it have fruit on it? If you had an apple tree in your yard that had fruit on it all year round, what would that mean for you?
• What happens each day in the morning and at night? What do you need at night when the sun goes down? What does it say will happen every day in this new place?
Read these verses that also talk about these things: Psalm 36:9, Zechariah 14:6-9, John 4:13, John 6:35, John 8:12, John 12:46.
Following Jesus today provides you with all that you need to walk the life He has planned for you. It won't always be easy, but you can trust Him to be by your side and provide for you. And we live with the hope of knowing that one day we will be with Him face-to-face forever, experiencing Him and the joys of no more brokenness and sin.
Activity: Now reread the description in verses 1-6 and have each person draw a picture showing what John saw. Label it with verses showing the promise of who Jesus is!