John: To the seven churches in Asia. Grace and peace to you from the One who is, who was, and who is coming, from the seven spirits before His throne; and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and has set us free from our sins by His blood, and made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father – the glory and dominion are His forever and ever. Amen. Revelation 1:4-6 HCSB
I work as a Education and Administration Pastor. My role as the administrator calls for me act on behalf of the church in legal matters. I have signed contracts and loan papers as the authorized representative for the church.
In similar fashion, Jesus Christ is working for us, to present us blameless and spotless before God. The message is from God (the One who is, who was, and who is coming); the Holy Spirit (seven spirits before His throne); and from Jesus Christ to the seven churches. John declared that the message is reliable because it is not from him but from the Trinity (God the Father; Jesus Christ the Son; and the Holy Spirit).
Jesus is identified as the firstborn from the dead, but He is not the first to rise from the dead. The Bible records that prophets, apostles, and Jesus raised people from the dead. Those who were raised from the dead eventually died again but Jesus is the only person who has risen from the dead with an imperishable body (see 1 Corinthians 15:20). He is the first to truly conquer death. Therefore, we can be assured that He is able to give those who are His followers eternal life with imperishable bodies. He has set us free from our sins and made us a kingdom of priests. (see Exodus 19:6). This was an encouragement to the seven churches who were facing persecution.
Challenge: Jesus is constantly working for us. He wants only the best for us. We can look to Him for love and protection when we face trials, tribulation, and persecution for our beliefs.