Sunday Lectionary Bible Commentary for May 5

 

May 5 Sermon – “Facing the Future”

Revelation 21:10, 22-27; 22:1-5

v. 22 – There is no Temple because God is in the city! This is the future good news of our faith! See Habakkuk 2:14

v. 23 – There is no need of the sun or moon in the new heavens and earth because God is present and will provide all of the light that is needed. This passage has the fulfillment of the creation story (Genesis) in mind.

This scripture reminds us of Psalm 72:19 when the Psalmist looks forward to the time when God’s glory will fill the whole earth.

vv. 1-5 – This new city is filled with life – Notice that there is a river of the water of life flowing through it. The river is flowing from the city to the world around it. God is the source of life and wholeness. 

This passage also has Ezekiel 43 in mind where the renewed Temple is a new kind of Eden. In Genesis, there are four rivers flowing from the garden but Ezekiel claims there will only be one. This is all a rebirth of God’s creation.

v. 2 – The tree of life. This was the tree that was forbidden from Adam and Eve. This new tree of life leads to the healing of the nations.

John’s vision isn’t just meant to be our hope for the future, but we are to live out this hope in our present time.

John 14:23-29

Jesus continues to prepare his disciples for his departure.

v. 22 – A disciples asks Jesus how he will reveal himself to them and not to the world (the people who have rejected him.) Jesus answers that he is against wickedness but at the same time he loves the world. Is this a little of “hate the sin but love the sinner?”

Because of this, the world can be a very dark and challenging place for those who have placed their trust in Christ.

vv. 25-27 – Jesus offers the disciples the Holy Spirit so that they can  have peace as they face the unbelief of the world.

v. 30 – Who is the “ruler of this world?” On one level, it is the Roman King, Caesar who is representative of the Romans who will put Jesus to death. On another level, it’s a general evil at work in the world. When Jesus dies on the Christ, he inflicted a fatal blow to the evil of the world but the disciples will still  need to offer the gospel to a world that will reject them. This is why they need the Spirit.