It had been 60 years or more since he had last seen his Savior—it was the day they stood together on the Mount of Olives and Jesus ascended into the clouds. As far as he knew Jesus was in heaven, wherever that was. Now, for more than 6 decades John the apostle had testified, preached and written of the Gospel of the Kingdom, whose king was a personal acquaintance, Whom he had seen walk on water, heal the sick and raise the dead. But as the sun would rise on this day, it would find him in a far less enchanted setting, on the small island-prison called Patmos. It was the first day of the week, Sunday. The Lord’s Day. A day of worship.
Let’s imagine for a moment this day in question. This day, at nearly 90 years-old, John was incarcerated and trapped on this small volcanic island all because of his testimony of Jesus and the Word of God. Life has been long, the days seem to run together at times. Let’s imagine this aging apostle turns and inquires of a younger, fellow prisoner, “What is today?” The younger man replies, “It’s, it’s, the first day of the week, I think.” The reference brings an ever-so-slight smile to the lips of the old saint as he thinks, “Ah yes. The Lord’s Day. It’s the Lord’s Day.” For John, this first day of the week was forever changed on another first-day 60 years earlier when, as a young man he would run to the tomb of his crucified Savior, only to find it empty. The collision of emotions was overwhelming—the incomprehensible had really happened. Jesus was alive! From that moment on, the first day of the week would forever be possessed by the reality of resurrection and a Savior who had conquered death! From then on it would be “His” day, the Lord’s Day. He ruled it! He owned that day! Through the years since that day there had been thousands of first-days—Sundays—but not one would pass without John recalling and reflecting on the indescribable, unbelievable joy of his discovery! For him, the first day of the week would always be a day of worship, praise, reflection, and thanksgiving! Throughout the course of a long life lived, it always seemed no matter how dark the circumstance, somehow and in some way, the Lord’s Day always brought a glimmer of joy and hope, and he would worship.
Years earlier Jesus had described to John the nature of worship: “True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers…God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23-24). Worship—in the spirit, with the Spirit of God, there is no other kind. And then the day of Pentecost would forever alter his understanding of that. For ten days in the upper room they had worshiped and then “suddenly,” suddenly God the Spirit reached across the barrier of two worlds, immersing them in Holy. Pentecost. It was on the “first day” of the week as well. Coincidence? He didn’t think so. For John the first day of the week was a recurring reminder, once every seven days, of the limitless possibilities through the Savior of resurrection, and the limitless power through the Holy Spirit of Pentecost.
So now, once again, as he had so many thousands of time before, in ways great and small—he would worship. He would worship in the spirit. There really is no other way. Perhaps on this Sunday morning he would simply hum a song of praise as he reflected on the unspeakable joy of the resurrected Lord. And then, then it happened. It was almost as if, from another world, the Savior responds to a single song of worship on the Lord’s Day! Please allow a paraphrase of John’s words from Revelation 1:10, 17-18: “I was worshiping in the spirit on the Lord’s Day and suddenly, suddenly there was a voice behind me saying, ‘Don’t be afraid. I am the Living One who was dead, but now alive forevermore!’” It’s as if Jesus bursts into John’s worship on the Lord’s Day—the day of resurrection, the day of the Spirit—and shouts, “It’s me! The resurrected One, forever resurrected!”
I'll stop here...but...
The last few years or so has been a"different" kind of time for me.
No drama and I certainly can't claim I've been put in prison on an island.
But I can claim I've felt no matter what I do - it seems I have little power over some circumstances. To that limited end the "stuck on Patmos" principle applies.
What precious visitation very early this morning when the Holy Spirit sort of seized my heart and reminded me that NOTHING can separate me from His presence or His love. Even in the Patmos moments of life.
Today was a most memorable moment "in the Spirit"...alone in my office as the sun was rising on a Pentecost Sunday. |
Golf Cart Mafia Capo Famiglia
Posts: 4508
6/4/17 3:47 pm
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From Pentecost to Patmos
