Revelation 21:1-8 + John 3:1-18—Scripture Study
By Pastor Chris Simmons – Trinity Lutheran Church, Paso Robles CA
A reinforcement/supplement study to our Sunday service meant for “Building up the body of Christ… the manifold Wisdom of God made known” (Ephesians 4+3)
For the Week of March 5, 2025
As we move forward in our sermon series “through the eyes of Christ”, what better place to start than the beginning? Well, how about the beginning and the end? From the throne Jesus says “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End”. Our beginning was destined for death, as by nature we are sinful, unclean, and separated from God. Jesus offers us a new beginning that leads to a new ending… an ending where we are reconciled to God and into eternal life on account of all Jesus has done for us. Blessings on your study.
– Pastor Chris Simmons
Discuss: What is something “new” you are looking forward to?
Revelation 21:1-8 (NIV)
1 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
6 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7 Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. 8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
This section of Scripture comes at the end of everything… near the end of the book of Revelation (the revelation to John), near the end of the entire Bible, and (as the text leads us) the end of all things as they are remade into something new. As the “new heaven and new earth” are made, the first heaven and earth pass away. All you avid beach goers and fisherman may be appalled to hear “there was no longer any sea”. Throughout Revelation, however, the sea is an origin of evil. A dragon comes out of it, a great leviathan, all seeking to destroy God’s people and His Kingdom (see Revelation 13:1). They are defeated, and in the “new Heaven and new earth” it’s not that God doesn’t want you to fish or soak up some rays… it’s stating that there will no longer be a place for evil to spawn. As many things are being renewed… there will be things eliminated entirely… as it reads… there will be no more death, or mourning, or crying or pain.
With the ending of the old, comes something new… a new life with a new beginning.
6 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7 Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.
Discuss: What were some new journeys you had as an old journey ended? Childhood, parenthood, careers? What were they and how is the “new” journey now?
Without Jesus, we see the end of a journey apart from God 8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the starting point of a new journey of life, and the gift of eternal life at its end. He gives us a new Journey that has a new destination… but where and how does it start? Where does this new Journey end up?
John 3:1-8
1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
This journey begins with those who are “born again”. Something of note that has always bothered me is the term “born again Christians”... Well, as Jesus says here, all Christians are “born again”. Saying “born again Christian” is like saying “the wet water”. Water is always wet, as is those who follow Christ. “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” Nicodemus works with semantics, stating things like “what am I to do? Crawl back up into my mother’s womb?” It is important to note that a “human rebirth” is not what we need. That humanity is still under the curse of Adam “from dust you are, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19). That is not a new journey, a new journey is be born “again” - ἄνωθεν - anóthen- Which means from above, from heaven, from the beginning. Jesus says you must be born from a new beginning, a beginning that is from above, from heaven. That this new beginning must not be the same as the old, but the start of something new.
Discuss: Where were you born? What was it like in your early years of life? Did the geographic area you were born in have an effect on you? Why or why not?
Jesus emphasizes that we must be born again… we must be born into something new, a birth of the Spirit. We must have a new beginning if we wish to have a new ending…
John 3:9-15
9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11 Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”
The way in which we are born again is through the crucifixion of Jesus… that believing and professing Jesus is how our destination changes… we have eternal life in and through Him… which leads to some of the most famous verses in all of Scripture
John 3:16-18
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
Discuss: When did you begin to see God as saving you, rather than condemning you? Do you lean more towards one way or the other? Why?
God gives to us His Son, and by believing and professing His name as our savior, on account of all He’s done for us on the cross, we have a new beginning with a new ending. That whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life… no longer becoming dust… but becoming something new. That is the new journey, we are saved from the old.
The old journey is still present however, as the destination was revealed in Revelation 21:8 —they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” This is the journey from Adam, the one we all already are started upon whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
Jesus is our Journey… He is the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. His eternity is our eternity. From the first moment we are reborn, to a Kingdom that has no end.
Discuss: What do you do to help you “stay on the journey?
Prayer
What journey are you on now? What is the destination?
What words does Jesus say make you skeptical like Nicodemus? What will help you build a strong bond of trust with Christ?
God so loved the world… that love was one of sacrifice… a love at the detriment of Himself for the sake of another. Do you trust that sacrifice to be enough to make you whole again with God? Is there any darkness are still holding onto?
Lord God, we thank you for a new journey through Christ. That by His body and blood we are given a new beginning with a new destination. It’s by grace through faith that we journey into a Kingdom that is never-ending with you. Thank you for the gift of your Son, our new beginning, the alpha and omega, our first and our last. We pray this all in the name of Jesus. Amen.