“There’s More To You Than I Thought”

Have you ever thought you knew someone pretty well ….. you were friends, you shared deep thoughts …. you bantered back and forth. You were pretty sure this person was your best friend. Yet later you came to realize that there was another whole side to this person that you didn’t know …. you came to realize that this person was more than you thought …. you had underestimated this person. 

I remember watching the movie Patton. When General George Patton of WWII fame was in an informal situation with friends or his aides…. he was charming, disarming, witty, even lighthearted. Yet when he was in his role as commander of the 3^rd Army moving through Europe commanding his 1,500 tanks, he was a fierce warrior who was not to be trifled with. 

The apostle John was a close friend of Jesus. He was described as the one who Jesus loved.(John 21:7-14) He was at his side at the Last Supper (John 13:23); he was the only apostle at the foot of the cross(John 19:25). Jesus told John to take care of his mother. If Jesus had a favorite apostle, it seems like it was John. John knew Jesus as well as any of the apostles; yet the reading from the Book of Revelations on the 2^nd Sunday of Easter shows another side of the relationship. Listen to this:

“I (John) was caught up in spirit on the Lord’s day and heard behind me a voice as loud as a trumpet, which said, “Write on a scroll what you see.” Then I turned to see whose voice it was that spoke to me, and when I turned, I saw seven gold lampstands and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, wearing an ankle-length robe, with a gold sash around his chest. When I caught sight of him, I fell down at his feet as though dead.” (Rev. 1:9-19; 2^nd Sunday of Easter 2025) This was not the Jesus of the Last Supper, the suffering Jesus on the cross, the familiar Jesus. This was the resurrected Jesus, the son of God, the 2^nd person of the Blessed Trinity. His voice was like a trumpet, the sight of him caused John to fall down at his feet as though dead. Wow. What must John have thought? 

But then it reads: “He touched me with his right hand and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the first and the last, the one who lives. Once I was dead, but now I am alive for ever and ever. I hold the keys to death and the nether world. Write down, therefore, what you have seen, and what is happening, and what will happen afterwards.” (ibid) Their relationship had changed, but he was still loving John and calling him to serve him….telling him to not be afraid and explaining what was going on. He then gave him marching orders, to write down what you have seen and what I’m telling you.

So what’s the point of this BLOG? Well for one thing, you and I have some surprises ahead of us. Jesus Christ is both God and man. When we one day see our Risen King, we are going to be on our knees and won’t have a lot to say. Like John, we will fall down at his feet and like Isaiah will likely utter, “Woe is me.” Yet we hope to hear the wonderful words, “Do not be afraid, I hold the keys to the netherworld”. Because of the Lord’s great love for us and our response, all will be well for our souls. And that is very good news. Happy Easter.