Week 52, December 21–27: 1 John 1–5, 2 John, 3, John, Jude, Revelation 1–11; Psalms 139–145

• Sun      Dec 21 1 John 1–3      Ps. 139
• Mon     Dec 22 1 John 4–5      Ps. 140
• Tue      Dec 23 2 John, 3 John, Jude  Ps. 141
• Wed     Dec 24 Rev. 1–3         Ps. 142
• Thu      Dec 25 Rev. 4–5         Ps. 143
• Fri        Dec 26 Rev. 6–8         Ps. 144
• Sat       Dec 27 Rev. 9–11       Ps. 145

The three NT books we know as First, Second, and Third John are all technically anonymous; they do not have any explicit indication of authorship. However, they have traditionally been attributed to the apostle John, and it is likely he is the one who wrote these letters. The opening verses of 1 John echo the opening lines of John’s Gospel, and the other two short books clearly pick up on the same themes and language from both 1 John and the Gospel of John.

These books address difficulties and false teaching the church was encountering and will continue to encounter until Jesus comes again. As is the case with all Scripture, there is a combination or rich theological teaching and practical instruction and exhortation on a number of different topics. Truth is a major concern for John in all three letters (1 John 1:6, 8; 2:4, 21; 3:18–19; 4:6; 5:6; 2 John 1–4; 3: John 1, 3–4, 8, 12), just as it was in his Gospel. However, it is the theme of love that stands out most prominently (1 John 2:5, 15; 3:1, 10–11, 14, 16–18, 23; 4:7–12, 16–21; 5:2–3; 2 John 1, 3, 5, 6; 3 John 1, 6). John declares the wonderful truth of God’s love for us in his beloved Son, and exhorts us to reflect that perfect love in the way we love one another. As you read through these books, slow down and linger on the truth of God’s love, and hear the apostle’s encouragement, and the command of Jesus himself, to love one another with the love we have been graciously given by our perfectly loving God.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. (1 John 4:7–12)

The short book of Jude follows 3 John. We will be preaching through this book next year in a sermon series. The author identifies himself as Jude, the brother of the apostle James, who was Jesus’s brother. He was also known by the name Judas, and he had his own journey of faith in Jesus that, though not developed in detail, can be pieced together from other passages (see Matt. 13:55; Mark 6:3; John 7:5; Acts 1:14). Jude writes to Christians, those who are “called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ.” (Jude 1) This is a positive, joyful letter about the common salvation Jude shares with those he is writing to, including us. And though the tone is positive, he was also compelled to write in order to appeal to his readers to contend for the true faith even when there is opposition.

One literary feature to notice as you read is the pattern of triplets, or triads. As many as 18 of these three-part groupings have been identified in this short letter, and here are a few examples.

• To those called, beloved, and kept (Jude 1)
• Mercy, peace, and love (2)
• Analogy of Cain, Balaam, and Korah (11)
• False teachers cause divisions, are worldly people, and are devoid of the Spirit (19)

This is not just an interesting detail, it also contributes to the terse impact of this short book. Sometimes the most powerful statements are conveyed in very few words.

The book ends with a benediction of praise to God and Jesus our Lord, the one who “is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy.” To him, “the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority.” And the final words before the “amen” at the very end make up a triad of God’s eternality. Praise belongs to him “before all time and now and forever, amen” (Jude 24–25).

Then we turn to the book of Revelation. This last book in the NT was also written by John. Unlike 1–3 John, or even the Gospel of John, Revelation is explicitly attributed to John (1:1, 4, 9; 22:8). We get the book’s name from the opening line: “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place.” (Rev. 1:1) The word translated “revelation” is apocalupsis, which is where we get the idea of “apocalypse” or “apocalyptic”. Its basic meaning is something like “unveiling” and it has to do with making known mysterious things that could not otherwise be known without some sort of divine disclosure. There is a kind of literature in the Bible known as apocalyptic literature, and it is characterized by revelation that is mediated to a human recipient, usually through dreams or visions. The things that are disclosed in these supernatural experiences are otherworldly and convey heavenly and future realities. We have seen this biblical genre in books like Ezekiel, Daniel, and Zechariah, and basically the whole book of Revelation is apocalyptic in its genre.

The idea is that, through a human mediator (John in this case), we as readers are getting a glimpse into future, heavenly realities that could only be known by God’s gracious act of pulling back the veil for us to read what was revealed. Our reading posture should be one of awe and wonder. The imagery is otherworldly and really impossible to grasp fully, and we are not meant to understand the specific significance of the images and numbers. Rather, we are meant to ponder the glorious and awesome realities they convey, and to understand that human language and the categories of human thought cannot fully capture the extraordinary things, creatures, ideas, and especially the God who is depicted in these visions.

As you read this book, let the mysterious wonder of the words and imagery move you to worship. Even though there is much that is difficult for us to understand in Revelation, we know we are responding rightly if our hearts and minds are lifted to praise. With the heavenly voices we proclaim,

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,

who was and is and is to come!” (Rev. 4:8)

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,

to receive glory and honor and power,

for you created all things,

and by your will they existed and were created.” (4:11)

“Worthy are you to take the scroll

and to open its seals,

for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God

from every tribe and language and people and nation,

and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,

and they shall reign on the earth.” (5:9–10)

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,

to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might

and honor and glory and blessing!” (5:12)

 

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb

be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” (5:13)