“And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood…”
Verse five transports us to the third “from.” Jesus is the third source of grace and peace.
and from Jesus Christ,
The third “from” indicates that Jesus is also a source of grace and peace.
John named the Father and the Spirit using figurative language. He does not do the same with Jesus Christ. He names Him outright, for Jesus is the subject of this book. Three titles of Jesus follow that summon His death, resurrection and exaltation.
the faithful witness,
John makes three statements about the priceless person of Jesus and three about His awesome work.
His person:
1. “The faithful witness”
2. “The first begotten of the dead”
3. “The prince of the kings of the earth”
His work:
1. “Who loved us”
2. “Who washed us”
3. “Who made us”
The word “faithful” means trustworthy. We can trust Jesus’ words and actions. He is reliable in conveying a true representation of God. We depend on Him in such a way that it inspires trust in God. We place our full confidence in His Word.
Jesus is trustworthy in His witness because He faithfully testified to all the counsels of God the Father (John 1:18). He is faithful to us in that He delivers the message without pulling any punches.
Principle:
We can trust Jesus with our eternal future.
Application:
Jesus never misrepresented anything. He never overstated or understated anything. That is why we trust Him. That is why you can put your life in His hands. Jesus will not fail you.
