The Undisputed Champion – Rev. 1:17-18

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave. (17-18)

In the first chapter of Revelation, John has an encounter with Jesus. Now John was, of course, one of the most loved of Jesus’ disciples and a part of His inner circle. He had walked with Jesus and he had lived with Jesus for 3 years. John continues to serve the Lord Jesus after His ascension and now finds himself old, one of the last of the 12 still alive, and exiled on an island alone for preaching the word of God (See 1:9). Jesus was no stranger to him and John is the one who wrote so prolifically about abiding in Christ and remaining in Him. Yet, when John sees this vision of Jesus he falls at His feet as if he were dead. He now sees His beloved Savior in all of His glory and it literally knocks him off his feet. This is the right position for all of us. Jesus is not only the Savior of the world, He is also the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. He is the undisputed champion who reigns forevermore; God eternal—God of the past, the present, and the future. He is the undisputed champion who defeated death and the grave and who will stand victorious for all of eternity.

In verse 8 of the same chapter, Jesus says “I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One.” What an amazing text! First, He clearly calls Himself the Lord God, forever settling questions about His deity. Then He speaks to His eternality; He is the “I am” (God of the present), He is the One who always was (God of the Past), and He is the One who is coming again (God of the Future). This is the Jesus you serve. He is alive and He is the undisputed champion of the world, having defeated sin, death, hell, and every enemy of the cross. He is the Jesus who will reign in glory for all of eternity, and those who are in Christ will reign with Him. Whatever you are facing today, never forget who the undisputed champion is and how the story will ultimately end. Let that thought and His glory thrill your soul today and drive you to your knees before Him, just like it did for the Apostle John.