The Christ of the Apocalypse: Talk 2

 In these talks based on my book The Christ of the Apocalypse: Contemplating the Faces of Jesus in the Book of Revelation, I focus on the portrait of Jesus Christ in the Book of Revelation. St. John offers us a message of hope in difficult times, and his language is rich and symbolic: • How do we interpret the Apocalypse? • Do we interpret St. John literally? • Is the Apocalypse about the end of the world? • Or is it about the beginning of a new creation? Images that have captured the imagination include: the Four Horsemen, the Antichrist, the Number of the Beast, and the Battle of Armageddon. Yet the basic facts about the Book often go unnoticed: that the Apocalypse is – from start to finish – a Revelation of Jesus Christ, who will return in glory at the end of time to usher in a new heaven and a new earth. Finally, I offer some reflections on the relevance of John’s message of hope in our postmodern, post-truth world and post-human world. With the rise of artificial intelligence, and as the universe gives way to the metaverse, John calls us to give brave witness to the truth of the Gospel and so begin now to become a new creation in Christ. - Monsignor A. Robert Nusca OVERVIEW: Introduction to the Talks Talk 1: The Apocalypse of John: A Message of Hope in Difficult Times Talk 2: The Faces of Jesus in the Gospels: The Portraits of Jesus that Emerge in the Four Gospels Talk 3: The Faces of Christ: Jesus in the Book of Revelation Talk 4: Jesus Walks among the Seven Churches: Christ as Glorified Angel Talk 5: The Visions of the Lamb of God: We Examine the Image of the Slain Lion/Lamb of God. Talk 6: The Divine Warrior-The Rider on a White Horse: Christ Returns in Judgement & Glory at the End of Time. Talk 7: A Fourth Face: The Faithful Transformed by God’s Grace Talk 8: The Promises to the Victors: What does Jesus Promise to those who give Faithful Witness to the Gospel? Epilogue: The New Jerusalem: John's Message for us Today! Quotes referenced in these talks, can be found here https://arnusca.substack.com/p/references-for-the-faces-of-jesus To sign up for free to Msgr. Nusca's website, please see arnusca.substack.com to receive ongoing articles as they are published. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Through the kindness of our donors, the National Catholic Broadcasting Council presents. Let us learn together. Please join Monsignor Robert Nuska for The Christ of the Apocalypse. Talk to the faces of Jesus in the Gospels. The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord, make his path straight.

SPEAKER_01 0:49

When we look at the writings of the New Testament, from the Gospel of Matthew to the book of Revelation, we see a variety of portraits of Jesus Christ. Each has been inspired by the Holy Spirit, each has been shaped by history and tradition. Each reflects the pastoral concerns of the communities to whom they're addressed. Handed down to us by living communities of faith, they're brought to life in each new generation through the power of the Holy Spirit, the life of faith, prayer, and worship. Taken together, they've succeeded in speaking to the hearts of spiritual seekers throughout the centuries. And just as in every age before us, they have the power to speak to us today. So before looking at John's portrait of Christ in the Apocalypse, let us consider briefly the portraits or faces of Jesus found in the four Gospels.

SPEAKER_00 1:45

Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain. And when he sat down, his disciples came to him, and he opened his mouth and taught them. And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching. For he taught them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.

SPEAKER_01 2:07

From the very outset, St. Matthew draws deeply from the wellsprings of the Old Testament, as we see that Jesus has come not to abolish, but to fulfill the law and the prophets. Jesus is the Christ, the anointed one of God. He is the Son of God, Son of Abraham, Son of Man, Lord, Son of David, Emmanuel, or God with us. He is the teacher who proclaims the arrival of the kingdom of heaven. Jesus is worshipped from the very outset by the Magi, by the disciples, both during his earthly ministry and after the resurrection. In Matthew's gospel, Jesus emerges as a kind of new Moses, who, in place of the Ten Commandments, teaches the Beatitudes of the Kingdom of Heaven during his Sermon on the Mount. Founded upon the rock of Peter's faith, the church is established as a community of believers who continue Christ's own saving work until the end of time.

SPEAKER_00 3:21

Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, I am willing. Be made clean. Immediately the skin disease left him and he was made clean.

SPEAKER_01 3:38

The shortest of the four Gospels, Mark's fast-paced story, leads us to focus on the mystery of Christ's suffering and the cross. Jesus is a misunderstood, rejected Messiah, who's condemned to die as a common criminal, but is raised from the dead by the invisible God, whom he calls Abba Father. Mark describes several outsiders who at times seem to have a clearer understanding of who Jesus is than do his closest followers. These include Jairus, the Syrophoenician woman, Bartimaeus, and the Roman centurion, who as Jesus is dying on the cross, proclaims that truly this man was the Son of God. In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus is a great miracle worker and exorcist. He is the Christ and Messiah, the Son of God, Son of Man, King and Lord. He is son of David, son of Mary, teacher and rabbi. And although Mark's royal son of God was not fully recognized as such during his life on earth, Jesus will return upon the clouds in power and glory at the end of time. Luke wants to bring the story of Jesus to a wider audience, setting it upon the stage of world history. Together with the Acts of the Apostles, Luke's Gospel offers an orderly two-volume account of Christianity's origins. Using an elegant style, the story begins and ends in prayer in the Temple of Jerusalem. Indeed, Luke's Gospel is marked by an atmosphere of prayer and worship and the sweet smell of incense. The brighter shades of Luke's Gospel include a special emphasis upon the prayers of Jesus himself. Jesus is Savior, Lord, Christ, Christ the Lord, Son of Man, Teacher, Prophet, Son of David, and Son of God. Luke also leads us to focus on the role of the Holy Spirit and the universal mission to the Gentiles. Throughout, the reader is led on an inspiring, uplifting journey as God's offer of salvation dawns upon the world from on high, as the story of Jesus Christ is brought from Jerusalem to Rome and to all nations.

SPEAKER_00 6:15

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

SPEAKER_01 6:49

In his portrayal of Jesus Christ as Word of God made flesh, St. John adopts a lofty, from above perspective. Unlike the genealogies and infancy narratives in Matthew and Luke, John gives us the prehistory of Jesus, the Word of God who was with the Father at the dawn of creation. The wisdom writings of the Old Testament serve as well springs of theological reflection in John's portrait. In the fourth Gospel, Jesus performs no exorcisms, characteristically speaks of eternal life rather than the kingdom of God. John's Gospel we have no Sermon on the Mount, no Our Father. Jesus pronounces long and at times repetitive discourses, in contrast to the parables found in the other Gospels. His earthly ministry spans the course of three Passovers, whereas the other Gospels refer to only one. Jesus works fewer but quite magnificent miracles referred to as signs. The striking I am statements of Jesus recall God's revelation to Moses on Mount Sinai. Jesus tells us that he is the bread of life, the living bread that has come down from heaven, he is the light of the world, the gateway to the sheepfold who brings life to the full. He is the good shepherd, the resurrection and the life, the way, the truth, the life, the true and living vine. Having looked briefly at the various portraits of Jesus in the four gospels, in the next talk, let us begin to explore the remarkable portrait that St. John develops in the Apocalypse. In the book of Revelation, we discover a portrait of Jesus Christ that is unique in the New Testament. Throughout, John shows us how Jesus remains present to the faithful on earth through the mystery of the church, how he rules in heaven, and how he will return in glory and judgment at the end of time. As the book of Revelation unfolds, John develops a portrait of a very powerful, glorious, radiant, cosmic, multifaceted Christ, the glorified Son of God who died but now lives forever.