When Hope Falters

Grace and peace to you … from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
-- Rev 1:4-5

Judah had endured centuries of servitude to foreign kings after their Babylonian captivity. They longed for the day God would keep his promise and reestablish one of David's descendants on the throne as God had promised (see Psalms 89:20-37). As the centuries passed, their hope faltered (Psalm 89:38-42).

Then, at the darkest hour, Jesus appeared, and he was much more than they expected! He was the faithful witness to God's character, love, and righteousness for he was the exact representation of God's being (Hebrews 1:3). More than that, he was the firstborn of the dead assuring them that even if they died while still waiting in hope, their hope had not been in vain for the dead would be raised. Finally, he was not merely the king of a small nation, but he was ruler of the kings of the earth, for he had ascended to the right hand of God "far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come" (Ephesians 1:21).

The harassed and weary saints of Asia Minor needed to be reminded of who Jesus was. He was the Faithful Witness of a faithful God, he ruled over the earthly kings who persecuted them, and as the firstborn of the dead, he would raise them to life and joy in the presence of God forever.