We come to the final chapter of the Begg and Ferguson book on the names of Jesus. I hope if you have read this book along with us (or just read it in general) that it has been a great encouragement to you and given you new eyes with which to see your Savior. And if you haven’t read it – I pray that you will soon pick it up and renew or get a fresh glimpse of who Jesus is.
The authors have chosen to end this book with the last book of Bible: Revelation. Don’t let this book scare you – but allow it to show you the true and glorious look at Jesus as the Lamb on the Throne. Here are some thoughts I took away from this chapter:
1. Will we ever be like John the Revelator? As the authors talk about John – he is one who was faithful to the gospel as it had been revealed to him – and he was in trouble with the law for it. As we continue in a time of a governmental structure and world who don’t see the supremacy of Jesus – let us be bold in our sharing and believing of the gospel. We don’t have to go look for ways to be persecuted and imprisoned or exiled, but let us also be faithful to the gospel of Jesus.
2. Jesus’ whole life was in accordance with the Scripture. As Begg and Ferguson have pointed out many times before in this book – Jesus isn’t just a NT star. He is the agent of creation and continues His work all the way through the remainder of the Bible even to His supremacy in the book of Revelation and throughout eternity. I love how the Word is not contradictory or going in all different directions!
3. “Weep no longer, John!” (pg 165) The idea of no more tears or weeping in the presence of God is an overwhelming thought to me – especially right now as my hormones have me crying at least once a day! But, we usually think that there will be no more pain or sin, so that is the reason there will be no more weeping. And that is correct. But, another reason – maybe more of the central point to no more weeping – is that Jesus is doing what He was given power to do: reveal, open scrolls, defeat sin, and all in the presence of His Father and the saints who have been saved by His blood. There is no more searching!
4. “God is much simpler than all that!” (pg 171) The authors illumined something very important about the reading and understanding of Revelation and prophecy and the time to come. We don’t know for sure. We can think, scrutinize, be obstinate about our beliefs, or refuse to hear any other way of thinking. Books have been written throughout the modern era that all look at the end times and heaven and prophecies in a different way. We don’t know. What we do know: God will be there. He is good. Jesus and the Spirit will be there. Let us focus and hold to what we do know for sure. The authors have declared Jesus to be beautiful and worship-worthy – but sometimes we get so focused on the unimportant stuff that we will never figure out that we forget to look at the One for whom all is due: Jesus.
Let us focus on Jesus – the author and perfecter of our faith – as the writer of Hebrews says!