Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests … (Revelation 5:4-6, NIV)
A letter’s greeting tends to be rote and a mere formality. This is surely NOT true of the inspired letters in the New Testament. Even the greetings and salutations are pregnant with meaning and good news. Take for instance John’s greeting to the seven churches in Revelation. We are quickly greeted by God’s grace and peace! God’s grace is the undeserved and unmerited favor that He freely gives us. And if we truly receive it, then we will truly find peace.
Notice who is extending the greeting. The letter is from “Him who is and who was and who is to come,” that is the Ancient of Days, our heavenly Father. But it is also from the “seven spirits,” symbolizing the Holy Spirit and His seven-fold ministry. And it is from Jesus Christ. In other words, the whole godhead, in their complete oneness, wants to shower us with divine grace and peace. And such blessings are poured upon us through the ministry of Christ.
Notice that Jesus is called the “faithful witness”. He executed His mission upon earth faithfully and was a faithful witness to the Father’s character. In fact, the Greek word for “witness” is where we get the word “martyr” from. Therefore, Jesus was faithful unto death, even the death of the cross. The greeting also tells us why He was willing to sacrifice Himself for us. It is because He “loves” us. The word love is in the continuous tense. This means His love is a continuous stream that ceases NOT to flow. We may not sense it in the rough and tumultuous times, yet we can still be assured that it is so.
Jesus is also called “the firstborn from the dead.” This refers to His resurrection. He rose triumphantly from the grave and ascended to heaven’s throne. And through His death and resurrection, Jesus “freed” us from the tyranny of our sins. Having been raised to the throne, He became the “ruler over the kings of the earth.” And in so doing, He has made us to be a kingdom and priests.
Let this divine greeting soak in! It is incredibly good news. God is lavishing His love upon us. Through Christ’s sacrifice, we are delivered from our sins. We go from the status of sinners to become His chosen people, a royal priesthood. And what is the channel for such blessings? It is the all-sufficient ministry of Christ.
What should you do? Accept it! With humility and gratitude fully embrace it! To ignore it or reject it is NOT a viable option. Do not delay! Receive God’s gracious offer of grace and peace. And once received do NOT keep it to yourself. Be a faithful witness and share it with others. Is this not the priesthood He has called us to?
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