Racism is ridiculous because Jesus died to rescue people from every race, not just our race...

This week we have been looking at a section of a letter that is recorded in the New Testament of the Bible called the book of Revelation. John, the writer of the book of Revelation, recorded a vision that he had received from Jesus where he was ushered into the throne room in Heaven, where he saw God the Father seated on the throne, surrounded by angelic beings worshipping God.

As he saw God the Father sitting on a throne in Heaven, in His right hand was a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals that contained all of the judgments that will fall on humanity as a result of the selfishness and rebellion of humanity. These judgments on the selfishness and rebellion of humanity will occur during the seven years immediately before Jesus return, which is referred to as the Great Tribulation. In addition, John tells us that this scroll was sealed with wax in seven different places to keep it from opening.

However, it appeared that there was not a single being in the universe that had the power, the ability, and the authority to break the seals and open the scroll so as the reveal God’s right and just judgment to the selfishness and rebellion of humanity. And because of the reality, because of what John saw, John responded by weeping greatly. The reason why John was wailing and weeping, was because he believed that God's plan was being delayed and derailed because there was no one who was worthy to open the scroll.

An angelic being explained to John that there was no reason to be weeping was because Jesus had conquered selfishness, sin and death through His death on the cross and resurrection from the dead. And as a result, Jesus was the one being in the universe who had the power, the ability, and the authority to break the seals and open the scroll and unleash the fulfillment of God's judgment on the selfishness and rebellion of humanity at the end of God's story.

John then explained that Jesus, as the all powerful, all knowing, perfect Lord and Leader of the universe who alone had the power, the ability, and the authority to break the seals and open the scroll, took the scroll that had been written by God the Father into His hands. You see, there was no reason for John to be emotionally devastated and without hope. There was no reason because Jesus was worthy to open the scroll and unleash the fulfillment of God's judgment and justice on the injustice of the selfishness and rebellion of humanity. John then reveals how every being responded to what transpired between God the Father and Jesus in Revelation 5:8-10:

When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. "You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth."

John tells us that as Jesus received the scroll from God the Father, the angelic beings that were in the presence of God in Heaven fell on their faces and broke out in an unrestrained song of worship. These angelic beings sang a song that John had never heard before; a song that proclaimed the power, the ability, and the authority of Jesus as the all powerful, all knowing rescuer and deliverer: "Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.”

These angelic beings worshipped Jesus because Jesus alone had the power, the authority, and the ability to open the scroll. Jesus alone had the power and the authority and the ability to open the scroll because Jesus had been slain for the selfishness and rebellion of humanity. And as a result of being slain on the cross for the selfishness and rebellion of humanity, the blood that Jesus shed on the cross purchased something for God. “You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation”.

Now this word purchased, in the language that this letter was originally written in literally means to buy in the marketplace. This was the word that was used to describe when slaves were purchased at the slave market. You see, while humanity chose to selfishly rebel and reject God as a result of their selfishness sand rebellion against God, God chose to send His Son Jesus into humanity to redeem, to purchase, to buy back, those who were slaves to their selfishness and rebellion so that they could be brought back into the relationship with God that they were created for.

Now the big fancy church mumbo jumbo talk word for what God has done to redeem or to buy back from the slavery to selfishness and rebellion back into the relationship with God that we were created for is the word atonement. The word atone means to cover. The concept of atonement is that Jesus sacrificial death on the cross in our place for our selfishness and rebellion atoned, or covered the sins that have been committed. In other words, God sees the atoning sacrifice of Jesus rather than the selfishness and rebellion of humanity so that the penalty no longer had to be extracted from the person who had sinned.

However, notice who God chose to redeem or buy back from slavery to selfishness and rebellion back into the relationship with God that they were created for: “men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” Notice that it does not say that God bought back all humanity. John here is not saying that Jesus died to provide universal salvation for all of humanity. Not every human being throughout history is saved simply because Jesus died on the cross for the selfishness and rebellion of humanity.  Instead, John tells us that God bought back individuals from all of humanity.

When John uses the phrase “from every tribe and tongue and people and nation” this phrase refers to some people from every part of the human race. This phrase refers to individuals who are representatives from every nationality, without distinction to race, ethnicity, geographic location, or political persuasion. Then, in verse 10, John reveals for us the second line of this new worship song: "You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth."

With this phrase, these angelic beings were proclaiming that individuals from every nationality, without distinction to race or ethnicity, will not only be a part of God’s kingdom over whom He will reign. In addition, individuals from every nationality, without distinction to race or ethnicity, will also share in God's rule. Individuals from every race or ethnicity will not have different roles, responsibilities, or positions based on race or ethnicity but will rule and reign side by side with Jesus in the Kingdom of God.

And it is here, in this act of worship of Jesus by these angelic beings, that we discover a reason why the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel provides the solution to the universal problem of racism. And that timeless reason is this: The gospel best addresses the issue of racism because Jesus died to rescue people from every race, not just our race.

You see, Jesus did not enter into humanity to live the life that we were created to live but refused to live so that He could allow Himself to be treated as though He lived our selfish and sinful lives so that God the Father could treat us as though we lived Jesus perfect life just for white people. Jesus did not enter into humanity to die on the cross for the selfishness and rebellion of only black people. God did not send His Son to earth to redeem for Himself only Jewish people.

Instead, Jesus entered into humanity to live the life that we were created to live but refused to live so that He could allow Himself to be treated as though He lived our selfish and sinful lives so that God the Father could treat us as though we lived Jesus perfect life, so that God could redeem from slavery to selfishness and rebellion and for Himself individuals who are representatives from every nationality, without distinction to race or ethnicity. No race is excluded; instead every race is included. That is why racism is ridiculous when it is placed in the prism of the gospel. Racism is ridiculous because, as we discovered last week, every member of every race throughout history is equally separated from God and is equally in need of rescue. No race is above this selfishness and rebellion, no race is excluded from this selfishness and rebellion.

And that is why the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel alone provide the solution to racism. The claims of Christ and the message of the gospel alone provides the solution to racism because Jesus entered into humanity to live the life that we were created to live but refused to live so that He could willingly allow Himself to be treated as though He lived our selfish and sinful lives, so that God the Father could redeem, to buy back for Himself individuals from every race or ethnicity. Just as no race is above the need for rescue from selfishness and rebellion that enslaves us and separates us from God, no race is excluded from having their selfishness and rebellion atoned, or covered, by Jesus life, death, and resurrection.

That is why racism is ridiculous when it is placed in the lens and prism of the gospel. Racism is ridiculous because Jesus died to pay the penalty for the selfishness and rebellion of individuals from every race, not just our race...