[00:00:05] Hello, my name is Sally Moriarty-Flask. Welcome to: From His Word to Our Hearts, my weekly Bible Study podcast. Together we will explore the readings to be proclaimed at the Catholic Mass on Sunday, April 27, 2025, the Second Sunday of Easter, also known as Divine Mercy Sunday.
[00:00:25] This week's episode is entitled: Life and Peace, and in these readings, we will focus on the gifts of mercy, joy, and peace that come only from God, that come to us through his Son, Jesus.
[00:00:40] As we journey through the readings this week, consider the following:
Our ultimate destiny is to dwell within the kingdom of heaven, but we can't get there on our own. Our heavenly reward is a gift freely given by God that we are not worthy to receive and one that will take a lifetime to accept.
[00:01:02] So let's begin. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
[00:01:07] Heavenly Father, we praise you and we thank you for the many blessings of this Easter Season. Strengthen our belief in your Risen Son so that we may come to fully understand that it was by his Spirit we were reborn and by his Blood we have been redeemed. We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, the firstborn from the dead, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit forever. Amen.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
[00:01:36] Now that we have opened our hearts in prayer, let's listen to what God is telling us in the Scriptures. Our Gospel this week is from John 20: 19-31.
[00:01:48] “On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.’ And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’ Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe.’ Eight days later, his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them, and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing.’ Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.’ Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.”
[00:03:53] This weekend we bring to a close the Octave of Easter by observing the Second Sunday of the Easter Season and celebrating Divine Mercy Sunday.
[00:04:05] If you listened to my Liturgical Year episode last November, I said that Easter is always celebrated as an Octave, meaning we celebrate it for eight consecutive days and that each day has equal importance. So, this weekend brings us to the conclusion of those eight days. And we do that in a very special way by celebrating Divine Mercy Sunday. Most Catholics are, I think, familiar with the Divine Mercy image at the very least - I will include a picture of that in my Instagram post this week - but that is often the extent of what many people know. So, let me pose the question… where did the Divine Mercy image come from? And how did Divine Mercy Sunday come about?
[00:04:56] Well, it all started with a woman by the name of Faustina Kowalska, a 20th century Polish nun and mystic who experienced visions of Jesus over the course of 14 years.
[00:05:12] In 1931, during one of her visions, Jesus appeared to Faustina and instructed her to create an image of that vision with the words: Jesus, I trust in you like a signature at the bottom. Since Faustina herself was not an artist, it wasn't until three years later that the Divine Mercy image was created under her direction. In 1940, a young man by the name of Karol Wojtyła developed a deep devotion to Faustina while in the seminary. Years later, as Archbishop of Kraków, he led the effort to have her declared a saint.
[00:06:00] On April 30, 2000, as Pope John Paul II, he canonized her as Saint Faustina and declared the Second Sunday of Easter as Divine Mercy Sunday. I would be remiss if I did not point out that Saint Faustina's visions are considered private revelation by the Church and as such may be accepted or rejected by individual Catholics. That doesn't mean you should believe in them, it doesn't mean you shouldn't… it means it's up to each individual to decide. Now, that, of course, doesn't apply to everything in the Church. There are many core items of faith that all Catholics must believe and observe. I won't go into all of that right now. That's a pretty extensive list. But that might be a good topic for a future bonus episode. I'll keep that in mind.
[00:07:02] There are, however, a number of different devotions in the church that are optional but by no means required, different practices that can be adopted, different styles of prayer, lots of different opportunities… all intended to draw us closer to God. Among those optional practices, Catholics can devote themselves to whatever touches their heart… some people do have a great devotion to the Divine Mercy, others to Eucharistic Adoration, many people have a very deep devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, others to Saint Joseph, while still others are drawn to the mystics (other mystics besides Saint Faustina) in our tradition - people like Catherine of Siena, Thomas Merton, or Teresa of Avila. All of those are good, pious practices that bring people closer to God.
[00:08:12] That is, in my mind, part of the beauty and genius of the Catholic Church, we have lots of ways to draw closer to God. He doesn't care which of those practices we adopt, he just wants us to be close to him… he doesn't care how we get there. One other item of information before we go on. The Gospel and the Psalm are always the same on this Divine Mercy Sunday, the Second Sunday of Easter. The First and Second Readings, however, vary by Cycle.
[00:08:44] So, with all of that in mind, let's break open John's Gospel…
“On the evening of that day,”
The time of day may have been evening, but the darkness in which they are gathered speaks volumes about the state of mind of the disciples - they are still very deeply feeling the absence of Jesus.
[00:09:08] “the evening of […] the first day of the week,”
Yes, we are still in that same day! Still the first day of the week, but what does that remind us of? We've heard it enough times by now that we can think… wait a minute, this sounds familiar, this sounds like something else. Think of Genesis… think of the first day of creation when God created light, right? He separated the light from the darkness. Then go a step further and think of re-creation. The creation of a new reality.
“the doors being shut where the disciples were,”
The NAB translates that actually as "locked” not “shut.” And I think that better captures the state of mind of the disciples at this point. And why are the doors locked?
“for fear of the Jews,”
[00:10:07] Remember, when John says Jews, he means the Jewish authorities. But I would suggest that they are actually in fear of one particular Jew. And what happens?
“Jesus came and stood among them”
The thing they probably most feared at that point.
[00:10:29] But Jesus promised his disciples that he would return, right? In John 14, Jesus said: “I am going away and I will come back to you.”
[00:10:40] And think back to what the Catechism tells us about Jesus' Transformed Body. That he is no longer limited by time and space, he appears where and when he wishes, and he appears in whatever form he desires. This is certainly not what the disciples expected! It does, however, assure us that Jesus can and will overcome any obstacle we put in his way - just as he overcame that locked door that the disciples put in his way.
[00:11:20] We can't necessarily break out of our fears - of our insecurity, of our guilt, of our darkness. But just like the disciples couldn't break out of their fear, Christ can break in. His grace will overcome our resistance, just as it overcame their resistance.
[00:11:48] “and [he] said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’”
This is always the response to an encounter with the divine, isn't it? Peace - Shalom. This divine peace is peace beyond all understanding… peace the world cannot give… peace from God's forgiveness because there is no sin that is greater than God's love.
[00:12:21] “When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.”
[00:12:26] Jesus shows the disciples his wounds - wounds that are forever enshrined in his flesh - because Easter Sunday doesn't erase Good Friday!
[00:12:49] And in Jesus’ wounds, we should see our own… hatred, cruelty, violence, injustice, prejudice… everything that brought Jesus to the Cross. His wounds are a reminder of our sins.
[00:13:16] “Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.”
[00:13:20] Well, of course they were! But, that's another promise, right? That's from John 16, where Jesus said: “You have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice.”
[00:13:33] In fact, the NAB translates the word “glad” as “rejoiced” – “Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.”
“Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.’”
[00:13:51] Jesus draws his disciples into his mission - no exception! As faithful Christians, we are drawn into that same mission - and there is no exception for us either!
“And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’”
[00:14:25] The Catechism tells us that whenever God sends his Word (capital “W” Word, meaning Jesus), he sends his Breath (capital “B” Breath).
[00:14:39] So, in simpler terms, whenever the Father sends Jesus, he also sends the Holy Spirit. And I've talked about that before… the Holy Spirit is that eternal, unending exchange of love between the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son - we say that in the Creed. So just as the Holy Spirit is an integral part of the Father, he is an integral part of the Son as well. And wherever the Son goes, the Spirit goes as well. And, through the Holy Spirit breathed upon them by Jesus, the disciples are united to the Risen Christ in a new way and given a sharing of his divine power and authority here on earth, certainly, but in the kingdom as well.
[00:15:38] This is John's version of Pentecost! Remember, the Pentecost we hear about in Acts - that was written by Luke. This is John's version of the Pentecost.
[00:15:51] Then Jesus extends to the disciples the same promise of forgiving and retaining sins that he bestowed in Matthew 16.
[00:16:14] That was when they were near Caesarea Philippi, right? Peter made his great statement of faith and Jesus said: “Whoever sins you retain are retained; whoever sins you forgive are forgiven.” And remember, Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world and administers God's mercy and justice. He can share his mission, his royal authority, his mission on earth and in heaven, with whomever he chooses. He clearly chose the disciples.
[00:16:53] “Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came.”
Thomas missed the first Easter Sunday!
[00:17:04] “So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see his hands, and the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe.’”
[00:17:20] Thomas is in such pain that he cannot possibly believe that Jesus has returned.
[00:17:33] So he demands a sign that's really pushing things a bit, but it really speaks to Thomas’ complete and total spiritual darkness at that point. However, that also sounds suspiciously like the Jewish authorities when they demand a sign from Jesus back in John 2, doesn't it?
[00:17:56] “Eight days later,”
Think back to the beginning of this reading - we started on the first day of the week, the first day of the new creation.
[00:18:07] Then the RSV says: “Eight days later” but the NAB translates that as “After eight days” meaning eight days after the Resurrection, what we would call (ta da) the Second Sunday of Easter!
“his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them.”
So, Thomas made it to church on the Second Sunday of Easter… to receive Divine Mercy, perhaps?
“The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them,”
[00:18:43] Again, the NAB translates “shut” as “locked” - but notice, this time there is no mention of fear!
“and [Jesus] said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; and do not be faithless, but believing.’”
[00:19:14] We're never told what Thomas does, right? Think about it. We're never told what he does.
[00:19:25] That's one of those times that we are invited to use our imagination to fill in the blanks, if you will.
[00:19:36] So maybe Thomas did touch Jesus, maybe he didn't.
[00:19:41] Either way, what follows that invitation is the greatest statement of faith ever made.
“Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God.’”
[00:20:02] That brings me to one of those Catholic things that is by no means a requirement, but something that many Catholics do. And that is to recite (either silently in your own head or softly aloud, kind of under your breath) those same words when the priest elevates the bread and wine after they are consecrated and have become the Body and Blood of Christ during the Eucharistic prayer. When the priest elevates the host, then the chalice, he says; “This is my Body”, right? He repeats Jesus’ words. And then we can choose to say those words, that affirmation: “My Lord and my God.” We by no means have to do that, but it's certainly a practice that I know a number of people do. It's a beautiful practice and just an affirmation of our belief in the Real Presence of God in the Consecrated Species.
[00:21:15] “Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.’”
[00:21:25] John has Jesus pose that as a question, but it could have just as easily been a statement. In other words, instead of saying: “Have you believed because you have seen me?” Jesus could just as easily have said: You believe because you have seen me. Either way, it emphasizes something crucial and central to our Catholic faith, to the faith of Catholics all over the world. And that is the importance of Apostolic witness.
[00:22:08] Then Jesus talks about us! He says: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” Folks, that's us!
[00:22:20] He is speaking about us directly… we've never seen him in person… we've not had the opportunity to touch his wounds as Thomas did. And yet we believe because of what we've heard, because of their Apostolic witness. And that's not just us - in this day and age - at this time, that is all believers down through the centuries… before us, after us, both saints and sinners, that have all relied on the witness of the Apostles as the basis of their faith.
“Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;”
Remember, John calls Jesus' miracles signs in his Gospel. And John includes only seven of Jesus' miracles. Seven - being a perfect number - is the perfect number of signs for John to include.
[00:23:31] “but these are written”
Meaning that John thoughtfully, carefully, and deliberately chose what he would include in his Gospel. And why was he so careful?
[00:23:49] “that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.”
Only a personal encounter with the Risen Christ can bring about faith in him as the Risen Lord. The Gospels, through that authentic witness of the Apostles, give us that encounter!
[00:24:24] The wounds on Jesus' Resurrected, Glorified, Transformed Body reveal that he is forever fixed in the same act of love in which he died.
[00:24:43] The victory of the Resurrection comes only through Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross.
[00:24:54] That sacrifice, of a true and abiding love, is forever present before the Father. Which should remind us that our ultimate destiny, too, is to dwell within the kingdom of heaven… not because we have the right to be there, not because of our own merits, not because we've earned it, but because of the incredible act of love in which Jesus died… for us.
[00:25:29] That takes us to our First Reading, which is from Acts 5: 12-16.
[00:25:36] “[M]any signs and wonders were done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Portico. None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high honor. And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and pallets, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing all the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.”
[00:26:20] Remember, Acts is essentially volume two of Luke, and it tells the stories of the early Church, paying particular attention to Peter and Paul, two of the most influential figures in the early Church, while also focusing on the geographic spread of the Church as it fulfills the mission Jesus entrusted to it - to make disciples of all nations and to be Jesus' witnesses to the ends of the earth. This passage focuses on the healings that take place as the Apostles continue the work of Jesus in Jerusalem.
[00:27:07] So, let's go back through what's happening…
[00:27:11] “[M]any signs and wonders were done among the people by the hands of the apostles.”
[00:27:18] Luke put the words “signs and wonders” in the mouth of Peter specifically to describe the mighty deeds done by Jesus before his Crucifixion, now he uses those same words - Luke uses those same words - to emphasize that the Apostles are continuing Jesus’ work… these men, who were closest to Jesus, are now providing support and encouragement to the fledgling Christian community in Jerusalem.
“And they were all together in Solomon's Portico.”
Solomon's Portico is a covered walkway on the eastern side of the Jerusalem Temple's outer court. Jesus, himself, you may remember, taught under Solomon's Portico and it now serves as a place where the Apostles gather and teach anyone willing to brave the wrath of the Jewish authorities. I have included renderings (artist’s renderings) of those in the past, and I will do that again this week on my Instagram.
[00:28:27] “None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high honor.”
The Apostles were clearly respected by early Jewish converts to Christianity, but many Jews were, understandably, still hesitant. Those who had not yet converted were frightened by the threats made by members of the Sanhedrin to expel from the Temple anyone who followed Jesus or who professed faith in his name. So understandably, they were afraid.
[00:29:04] “And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women,”
[00:29:12] So, despite the threats made by Jewish authorities, despite the fear of being expelled from the temple or from their synagogue, many people were drawn to the Apostles and the message of love, mercy, and acceptance they preached in Jesus’ name.
“they even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and pallets, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them.”
[00:29:47] The words “beds and pallets” provide a valuable clue here of just how widespread this movement was becoming.
[00:29:58] Those words tell us that both the rich (who could afford beds) and the poor (who could only afford simple pallets) were both being brought to the Apostles to be healed. And Peter, as the leader of the Apostles, as the one who has primacy given to him directly by Jesus, is particularly sought after.
[00:30:25] This, I find, should remind us of the woman with the hemorrhage who was healed simply by touching the hem of Jesus' cloak in Luke 8. And think back to the promise Jesus made to the Apostles in Acts 1: “that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them” so they now hold extraordinary power over demons, sickness, and death.
“The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.”
Luke says they “were all healed.” Everyone who demonstrated faith in the Apostles’ ability to heal… in the faith of Jesus Christ… were healed. That is extraordinary! All of these healings came about precisely because the Apostles were given a share of Jesus' power and authority, in this case specifically Jesus’ healing power.
[00:31:49] And, at the same time, these healings are proof positive that the Apostles are carrying on the mission Jesus entrusted to them.
[00:32:02] We are invited to be part of that same mission. We may not have been given the power to heal, but we are still part of Jesus’ mission… not to earn our way into heaven - we can't ever do that. But because it's the right thing to do, the Christian thing to do, the Christian way to live… to live just as Jesus taught us.
[00:32:36] That takes us to our Responsorial Psalm, which this week is again Psalm 118. This week the refrain is different:
[00:32:46] “Give thanks to the LORD for he is good, his mercy endures forever.”
If you remember, that was actually one of the verses from last week, but here are this week's verses:
[00:32:57] “Let Israel say, ‘His mercy endures for ever.’ Let the house of Aaron say, ‘His mercy endures for ever.’ Let those who fear the LORD say, “His mercy endures for ever.’ I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the LORD helped me. The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. Listen [to the] glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous. The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is the LORD's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day which the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
[00:33:47] This Psalm is a Hymn of Thanksgiving and, as I said last week, sung to praise and thank God for his gift of redemption. It is also the last of the Hallel Psalms (Psalm 113 to 118), which are part of Jewish Passover celebrations.
[00:34:08] Actually, that's not quite accurate. They are part of all Jewish feasts except Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. We are told in Matthew 26 and Mark 14 that Jesus and his disciples sang a hymn at the end of their last Passover meal together (what Christians call the Last Supper) just before they went to the Mount of Olives. This is, most likely, the Psalm that they sang. If you remember back to last week's Easter episode, I mentioned that this is one of the first Psalms specifically adopted by early Christians because they saw so much of Jesus in the text. That is why the Church uses it during the Octave of Easter.
[00:35:00] That leads us to our Second Reading, which is from Revelation 1: 9-11a, 12-13, 17-19.
“I John, your brother, who share with you in Jesus the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying, ‘Write what you see.’ Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the middle of the lampstands one like a Son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash across his chest. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand upon me, saying, ‘Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one; I died, and behold I am alive for evermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. Now write what you see, what is and what is to take place hereafter.’”
[00:36:29] The Book of Revelation is attributed to the Apostle John, the son of Zebedee, the brother of James, one of Jesus' Inner Circle, and the one who calls himself the Beloved Disciple in his own Gospel.
[00:36:46] Several of the early church fathers support John as the author of Revelation, men like Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, and Athanasius. And most scholars date this book to the mid-90s, which would have been during John's lifetime, the author identifies himself (repeatedly) as John, and, in spite of that, as early as the 3rd century, some scholars challenged the idea that John the Apostle was the author - for a number of reasons, none of which have ever garnered widespread support.
[00:37:29] Many Scripture scholars still find John the Apostle's authorship credible. Just know that there is some lingering disagreement in some limited circles regarding the identity of the author of Revelation. The Church, however, recognized John the Apostle as the author, so we, for our purposes, will leave it at that.
[00:37:53] So, let's explore what John has to say…
[00:37:57] “I John, your brother, who share with you in Jesus the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance,”
[00:38:08] That's one of those times, there, that John identifies himself, and he then lists three things that each bear a bit of examination: “tribulation, the kingdom and patient endurance.” So, let's flesh those out. By “tribulation,” John means persecutions undertaken by a series of Roman emperors - at that particular time, the Roman emperor Domitian - and his persecutions took place roughly from 90 to 96 AD. By “the kingdom,” of course, John means the hope of the kingdom of heaven. And by “patient endurance,” he is referring to what it means to be a Christian during times of persecution… during those troubling times. John says he…
“was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.”
[00:39:12] John just said he was on Patmos, but we need to understand that he was there because he was exiled there by Domitian for preaching the good news of Jesus, which was considered to be a threat to the Roman Empire. Patmos is a small volcanic island in the Aegean Sea that was commonly used as a penal colony by the Romans. Now, just as there is some disagreement about who wrote the Book of Revelation, there is also some disagreement, among modern scholars - I have to qualify that - about the actual extent of the persecutions of Domitian. Some are of the opinion that his actions were limited to just exiling and banishing Christians as he did John.
[00:40:10] Now, that, of course, is compared to the cruel and more widespread torture and execution undertaken by Emperor Nero. There's no way to know for certain because even ancient sources disagree on the extent of Domitian's persecutions. Again, just be aware, there is a bit of controversy lingering there.
[00:40:37] “I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day,”
Meaning he was deep in prayer on a Sunday - in the Spirit means he's meditating in the Spirit of the Lord - and the Lord's day is Sunday, the day Jesus rose from the dead.
“and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying, ‘Write what you see.’”
[00:41:01] Trumpet blasts, remember, accompanied God's own revelation of himself atop Mount Sinai in Exodus 19. So, whenever we hear a trumpet blast, we know something important is coming.
[00:41:16] “Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands.”
The “seven golden lampstands” that John sees symbolize the seven churches that John addresses in the Book of Revelation… and those churches are all in Asia. But why lampstands?
[00:41:41] Well, lamps shed light, right? And the Church's preaching steadily and truthfully bears the light of Christ to the world. So those seven churches are trying to show the light of Christ to the world.
“and in the midst of the lampstands one like a Son of man,”
Of course, the words “one like a Son of man” are an echo of the prophet Daniel and they describe the Messiah in symbolic terms, right?
[00:42:16] And Jesus, of course, throughout his life, his public ministry, referred to himself repeatedly as the Son of man. So as Christians, we see those words referring to Jesus. And his presence in the midst of the lampstands indicate that he himself - Jesus himself - is present and active in the midst of his people on earth. Maybe not physically, but certainly through his Holy Spirit.
“clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash across his chest.”
The “robe” and “sash” represent priestly garb, and remember, Hebrews 14 tells us that Jesus is the great High Priest that offers himself as the perfect sacrifice to the Father - both priest and sacrifice.
[00:43:13] “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead.”
[00:43:19] Meaning that Jesus’ presence overwhelms John in this vision.
[00:43:24] “But he laid his right hand upon me,”
[00:43:28] Jesus did that at the Transfiguration, right? John would have already experienced this. Jesus' touch imparted strength to Peter, James, and John on the Mount of Transfiguration after Moses and Elijah disappeared - and he does so again here to revive John.
“saying, ‘Fear not,’”
Again, that is always the response to the divine, isn't it? Our response is fear; the Divine response is reassurance.
[00:44:06] “I am the first and the last, and the living one;”
God the Father says - in verse 8, immediately preceding this passage: “I am the Alpha and the Omega”
[00:44:19] Those are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, representing the beginning, and the end, and everything in between.
[00:44:29] We know that Jesus shares his divine essence with the Father; he tells us that in John 10, right? “I and the Father are one.”
[00:44:40] So Jesus, too, is the first and the last (the Alpha and the Omega). But then he adds: “the living one” meaning the Resurrected one.
[00:44:53] “I died, and behold I am alive for evermore,”
[00:45:00] He was crucified, we know that that is an historical event… it's recorded by a number of people in addition to the Gospels… Jesus was crucified, but now he's Resurrected and lives for all eternity in the kingdom of heaven.
“and I have the keys of Death and Hades.”
Remember, keys are a symbol of authority. If you think back a few weeks ago, I said that. So, Jesus is telling John that he himself - Jesus himself - possesses all royal and judicial authority over life and death.
[00:45:43] “Now write what you see, what is and what is to take place hereafter.”
[00:45:51] Jesus instructs John to record his vision - the vision of the present… of “what is,” and the vision of the future… of “what is to take place.”
[00:46:07] Those words are recorded to reassure the churches in Asia that their persecutions will end, but they are also written for us, aren't they? To reassure us of our ultimate destiny in the kingdom, with a seat at the heavenly banquet of the Lamb, in the new and eternal Jerusalem, where there is no need of sun because Jesus is the light.
[00:46:46] That is an amazing destiny, an invitation extended to each of us by God our Heavenly Father, through the person of the Son.
[00:47:06] An invitation that we can never earn and one that we can never be truly worthy of.
[00:47:17] Our lives unfold before us, before each one of us… time during which we can live as Jesus taught us to live, love as Jesus loved, forgive others, be tolerant, just, and compassionate, just as Jesus was.
[00:47:45] We can't earn heaven, but we can lose it! So, before we meet Jesus at the end of our lives and hopefully have the opportunity to accept his invitation to that heavenly banquet, let's live our earthly lives as if our eternal lives depend upon it.
[00:48:10] If you would like to reach out to me with questions or comments, send me an email at
[email protected]
Thank you for spending this time with me and until next we meet, may God shower His blessings upon you like a soft and gentle rain and may he hold you, safe and secure, in the palm of his hand.
[00:48:33] From His Word to Our Hearts is produced by SFS Audio Solutions.
The content of the show was assembled by me, Sally Moriarty-Flask.
Our music was composed by Jimmy Flask and is used with permission of the composer. All rights reserved.
Information regarding references used in preparing the exegesis for this podcast is available upon request.
Thank you for listening and God bless.
