Revelation 1:9: Ours in Christ

“9 I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.” NIV

Many years ago, when my dad led a Sunday School, we used to have annual outings. One year we had been to Southport on the train. Dad had prepared a quiz to keep the children occupied on the homeward journey. ‘On which island was the apostle John when he wrote the book of ‘Revelation’?’ This was one of his questions. A little hand shot up. This young man was sure he knew: ‘Sir’t th’isle o’ man!’

Not even close! But it must have entertained some of the other passengers. John was exiled on ‘’Patmos’’ because of his faithful Christianity and preaching. Someone said that in those days, Patmos was the Roman equivalent of Siberia.

It is good to know all that we have in Christ, but we may not be equally happy about everything. In Jesus we have the ‘’Kingdom’’. He is our King and we are part of that unstoppable, unshakeable Kingdom. But although the Kingdom will triumph ultimately, in the short term it is opposed violently. So along with the ‘’Kingdom’’ we also have ‘’the suffering…and patient endurance’’. All these are ‘’ours in Jesus’’. Let’s thank God that He will never allow us to go through anything without also imparting the grace to endure it. In all that we face, it’s good to know that we have brothers and companions in the fight.