Scepter | Revelation 1:5–7

“To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom of priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” Revelation 1:5–6

Over the past two weeks, we’ve contemplated how the church began to experience persecution in Acts 4–5. First, at the hands of the chief priest and his company; then the whole of the summoned council and senate. But however integral as suffering for the sake of Christ is to our Christian lives, trials and tribulations themselves are never the end.

Before we began our series in Acts, we spent a week to remember a certain predicted annunciation in Psalm 2: Christ's coming reign.

This Sunday we will take a sidestep to remember this truth as it is pronounced over us in Psalm 110. For of Christ Jesus it is said: “The LORD sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your enemies!”

For those who are in Christ, we have a tremendous heritage. We belong to him in life and in death, in sickness and in health, in safety and in suffering. We are called by God the Father, a kingdom of priests, those who are made holy by the righteousness of Christ and anointed by the presence of his Spirit who dwells in us. The glory and dominion have always belonged to him throughout all the ages. And for these truths we can be expressly grateful.

But the mystery of Christ’s exaltation to the right hand of God at the beginning of Acts is that he is even now exercising his rule and reign primarily through his Church, until he comes again. His scepter has been extended over all the peoples, calling men, women, and children to rest in him. We who were once his enemies are now freed from our sins by his blood. We who were obstinate toward his commands have been shown a great love and now freely offer ourselves unto him and his service (Psalm 110:3).

So as we prepare for worship—celebratory worship of our King—this Sunday, would you join me in dwelling upon such glorious truths?

“Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.” Revelation 1:7

In Christ,

Rich